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Principal Financial Group

Engaged employer

Lots of perks, not very family orientated - Anonymous employee Principal Financial Group Employee Review

4.0
Oct 2, 2013
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

They are a big company, so the perks are endless. Not only do they have an onsite workout room, they occasionally offer fitness classes onsite. Their are many business in town that offer you a discount just by showing them your badge. You tend to develop a 'work family' with the others you work around. A real sense of community among co-workers. The benefits package is great. Compensation is adequate. Some days of the week they have local vendors come in so that you can purchase lunch without leaving the building.

Cons

They say the work ours are flexible, but that is only when they aren't giving you mandatory overtime (OT) to work on a weekly basis. Very hard to balance work and family. When you don't work the OT, it is frowned upon and you get passed up for raises and promotions. The 2nd position I held there that I worked for over 2 years, was sent to India and the closed my department down and we all had to look for other positions (inside or outside the company).

Explore other reviews about Principal Financial Group

5.0
May 28, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Three years in and still LOVE it. Great leadership. Work-like balance. Principal invests in their employees with training and professional development. It's very telling when literally thousands of employees have been there for 20-25-30+ years.

Cons

First time in a large company. Sometimes it is tricky to find the right internal partner to get the answer you need.

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Principal Financial Group Response
2w
We appreciate your feedback! Hearing that you felt supported reinforces what we're proud of—the strong community we've built together.
2.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Decent work life balance and benefits. Principal offers a pension which is unheard of in today’s age.

Cons

Pay is below average and Principal does not offer inflation raises. Once you hit the midpoint of your salary, you will get a 0% raise until you’re promoted, which will take multiple years regardless of performance. Performance reviews are vague and often used against employees to avoid promotions. At least in my department, I’ve yet to see any of the remote workers be promoted. This is starting to affect attrition and we’re already starting to see people leaving. It’s well known at this point that the best way to get promoted is to leave Principal and get rehired, which even leadership has stated publicly. This is a huge frustration and blow to morale, as it starts to feel like employees need to compete against their co-workers for raises.

1
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Principal Financial Group Response
3d
We appreciate you sharing your feedback. As a leader in retirement solutions and employee benefits, we strive to provide our employees with a competitive benefits package. Our global pay philosophy is guided by market-driven principles. and we leverage third-party market data to ensure our base salary and incentives remain appropriately competitive.
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