A tough place to work - Anonymous employee Refinery29 Employee Review

1.0
Oct 18, 2013
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Work with very talented people, fantastic brand that is growing fast, ability to make a strong mark for your career. Decent health coverage. So-so vacation time.

Cons

Brutal workload, extremely long hours, zero personal life, impossible expectations, nothing is ever good enough. High turnover.

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.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All