Baker & Taylor Reviews

Pros – Very little overtime, good pay, was able to work without a lot of micro-management, opportunity to learn the the book industry.

Cons – No room for advancement, no raises, if you are not apart of an existing clique you won't fit in there.

Pros – Good pay and ok work hours.

Cons – Very Hostile environment, very Cliche group of people and no communication skills at all,lots of broken promises and none...I mean there is no job security At ALL!!!You can lose your job there simply from being sick.

Advice to Senior Management – Better communication and stop treating their employees more than just disposable trash.

Pros – Great way to learn about the dwindling book industry.

Cons – Management lacks direction. People in key positions are there because they have a connection to the current CEO not because they are experts in their field. The environment is very hostile and unwelcoming for anyone outside of that inner circle. Far too much time is spent on office politics. Turnover is high except for the handful of people who have been there 20 years. The computer systems and IT department are 10 years behind but they believe they are cutting edge. The company has a history of being sold and works the numbers to look good on the market. Their book and video business is dying and this company is suffering from lack of leadership. I would not recommend this to anyone unless you are just counting the days to retirement.

Advice to Senior Management – These managers would never accept advice. They believe everyone else is the problem as a revolving door of people come and go. They enjoy playing the blam game, they are not capable of improvement.

Pros – Baker & Taylor still plays a major role in the publishing world and working here offers a great opportunity to learn the industry and get to know publishers.

Cons – Benefits are absolutely horrible. VERY minimal vacation time, no paid sick days, and barely any holidays recognized. Employees are forced to use vacation time if they can't get to work in 2 feet of snow, and are mostly not given the opportunity to work from home in such cases. There's an atmosphere of secrecy and elitism that prevents intelligent, valuable employees from contributing to the success of the business. A select few in upper management hold all of the power and do not show any respect for the individuals who run the business for them. A truly demoralizing place to work.

Advice to Senior Management – Learn to respect the people that you work with. Consult with the people running your business before you make major business decisions. Be respectful of other people's schedules - attend the meetings you say you will attend, or let people know you're not available. Simple courtesies would go a LONG way and are sorely lacking.

Pros – The organization distributes media - i.e. books (physical and digital), CDs and DVDs. A pro for the media buff as employees receive discounts on products they would like to purchase. The variety of products that are received and distributed throughout the facility are virtually endless.

Cons – Not a lot of room for professional growth.

Advice to Senior Management – Seek internal talent and nurture professional growth. There truly may be diamonds in the rough within the ranks and it is important that this is a major focus, as well.

Pros – I've never met such a great group of people to work WITH -- everyone works hard, your coworkers are good, kind, helpful, and supportive people.

Cons – Upper management does not communicate effectively with the rank and file, who go above and beyond every day for almost no recognition. Human Resources dept. experiences consistent turnover, which is a red flag. Benefits are among the worst in the industry. Many in upper management are territorial to a fault. Raises are almost nonexistent, public praise is far too infrequent.

Advice to Senior Management – Value the hard work your employees put in every day instead of treating them like badly-behaved children. Salary and benefits do not begin to match the effort that employees put in. This company used to be like a close-knit family, new management treats employees more like indentured servants.

Pros – Nothing good about the place.

Cons – Bridgewater management are inept bullies.

Pros – Free books, decent work hours

Cons – Very little room for growth and poor communication throughout the organization

Advice to Senior Management – Create room for growth so that fresh talent will want to remain

Pros – Employee Book Sales, Great Co Workers, 5 day work week

Cons – No communication, No chance of advancement unless higher paid employees lose their job, Filthy work environment, No job security, Promises unfulfilled, No raises or very minimal raise, The longer I work at Baker & Taylor the further behind I get because salary does not keep up with cost of living, Insurance premiums etc...Great CEO, Mr. Morgan is a man of high morals and good intentions for the comapany and employees.

Advice to Senior Management – Deliver the Future...get rid of the past! Baker & Taylor needs change. Some Supervisors should be made to understand that they do not "own" their departments and personal life should be separate from work life. Favoritism should be addressed and dealt with quickly. No more Focus Meetings, no one will speak up about the "real issues"...anonymity is a must.

Pros – Overall it is an OK work environment. People are friendly, and the work/life balance is very reasonable.

Cons – The company is not growing. The only opportunities for advancement within the company are driven by other employees leaving the company for other opportunities.

Advice to Senior Management – Upper management is very hands off. They have no problem telling employees when they think they are doing something wrong, but rarely offer any insight or solutions for resolving situations.