Even the best get poisoned with the fairytail of infinite growth - Editor Springer Nature Employee Review

2.0
May 14, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Working in the editorial department for the Nature portfolio we are trained scientists (PhD, Postdoc, professors) thus the professional interactions are always stimulating, The editorial discussions are at a very high level. You really learn how to navigate complexity with multi/inter-disciplinary discussions. - Flexibility / Work-life balance - Great line managing

Cons

The upper management (from the CEO to the other board) thinks we are just "Journalists" but most of us are professors who decided to move away from academia. The first result is that many editors get a salary pay cut of up to 1.5K when starting to work for them. the second consequence is that they do not know the hard work behind the editorial direction of a Nature title and the responsibility we have to the community (we are treated as cheap labour that needs to push the paper ahead toward publication or rejection). There is a strong detachment from editors and management and they do not know how we work. They are completely unaware and probably don't care to understand that the quality that characterises a Nature paper can't be achieved in a system that fosters more and more publications. Indeed we understand the need to improve the published paper but the current management of the company will compromise in our view the integrity and credibility of the entire portfolio. Luckily until now, the editorial department is independent and editors (who assess a growing number of 10/15 new manuscripts per week) can still make the decisions they want without any conflict of interest. however, the overall situation is very risky for the integrity of the science published on SN. - very low pay compared to the education and experience - no negotiation possible ( HR during the interview, says you can negotiate but everything is already closed) - No career development plans, - High pressure

avatar
Springer Nature Response
2y
Thank you for sharing your reviews and sorry to read your concerns about how we value Nature editorial teams. We take pride in publishing some of the world's most influential journals, across the broadest range of desciplines. We cannot do this without our talented colleagues who's content inspires learning in school classrooms and brings trusted insights into the workplace. By working in editorial at Springer Nature, the teams plays a critical role in brining new research findings, innovations and advancements to the forefront. We are proud that our progressive publishing environment collaborates closely with researchers, academics and subject matter experts across some of the worlds most respected and academic brands. All of this enables our people to learn new skills and develop further in their careers. We have listened to our colleagues and created a global careers hub which has insights, tips and ideas for all colleagues to take ownership of their career.

Explore other reviews about Springer Nature

5.0
May 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Amazing company to work for and great people

Cons

None so far, everything has been lovely

avatar
Springer Nature Response
2w
Thanks for sharing your thoughts from our New York office. We have a great team; our purpose and culture continue to be 'stand out' and some of the reasons so many colleagues stay with us longer term. We are collaborative and progressive and everyday we contribute to learnings for generations to come.
3.0
May 12, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good to work and get experience

Cons

Not great to grow there

avatar
Springer Nature Response
2w
Thank you for sharing your review. We kicked off our second Career Growth Week so far this year with a focus on feedback which underpins growth at every level. Alongside the flagship sessions, colleagues took part in a wide range of virtual events across the week. These included popular sessions like building skills through feedback, Forward Talk, AI-powered feedback, “expert” careers and mentoring panels, the Facilitation Marathon, and a LinkedIn personal branding workshop, as well as practical learning through the Level up: boost your skills and Talent Attraction sessions. Perhaps look out for the next one which will be in a few months time. Colleague development is core to our organisation.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All