Fun while it lasted.. - Anonymous employee Refinery29 Employee Review

2.0
Jan 12, 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

R29 has some of the most creative & passionate people I've ever worked with. The environment can be great and everyone seems to have the same goals in mind when it comes to the impact that the content has on the world. Great themed monthly birthday celebrations, snack-filled kitchens, frequent happy hours.

Cons

This place is tanking, despite what it seems like from the outside. Yes, the content is pretty great and you'll have some fun creating in but internally, it's horrendous. Terrible choices made by management and executives at the expense of great talent. Huge pay disparity between a lot of people with the same roles/titles/duties. Some get promotions and raises are handed out more than once a year, while others can go above and beyond and get nothing in return. Certain teams have an endless budget for frivolous spending, while others can barely get a few bucks to build team morale. Executives bully their way up the chain to get their way. Major lack of diversity in staff and content - some people care, other people seem to think there are bigger fish to fry. They've also started laying people off, so things don't seem too safe anymore.

Explore other reviews about Refinery29

5.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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
CEO approval
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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