A Hypocritical House Of Cards - Anonymous employee Refinery29 Employee Review

1.0
Jun 18, 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Creative environment, can meet/work with interesting people.

Cons

If I can give you any advice, it's to read the reviews and listen to them. I didn't believe them and I regret it everyday I come to work here. The entire company is in chaos. The execs who are allegedly in charge of content direction do not have a single clue. Underpaid and overworked writers are forced to write reductive SEO stories; the founders of the company regularly direct the verticals to write stories for their friends; there is no real editorial "strategy" besides aggregating content. Sales has not hit their targets in months, no matter what kind of jargon they try to spin at company meetings. I've worked in media my entire career and I've NEVER seen turnover like this — at least 10 people have quit within the last 5 months, many of which had no job lined up. That should tell you something. The company on its face "champions" women of color and women from marginalized communities but routinely disrespects them internally. Bullying subordinates, unrealistic goals, and constantly shifting and unclear directives are routine. You will not get a meaningful raise or promotion. I'm not sure why there are jobs posted when it's obvious layoffs or at very least a hiring freeze is on the horizon. The women at the top of the company are clearly in it not to create something meaningful and sustainable, but to enrich themselves and become D list socialites. It's very obvious execs are angling to sell the company off as quick as possible before the money runs out. Media overall right now is a mess — but this may be one of the worst. Avoid if you can!

Explore other reviews about Refinery29

5.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Great culture, extremely nice employees, diverse workplace

Cons

Not very cutting edge with their approach to tech

4.0
Mar 23, 2026
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Refinery29 was training day, every day. The pace and creative expectations forced you to sharpen fast. I cut my teeth here over four years and came out a fundamentally better strategist. The work was culturally plugged in, the people were sharp, and you were trusted with real responsibility early. If you wanted to learn how brand, content, and audience intersect at speed, there was no better place.

Cons

The intensity that makes it a great training ground also means the environment runs hot. Not everyone thrives in that — and depending on your team, support structures varied. The company went through a lot of change during my time, which created some instability.

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