Poor, toxic, inexperienced leadership - Manager National Geographic Society Employee Review

Friendly work environment, user-friendly software.

Not much room for professional advancement.

National Geographic attracts passionate, skilled individuals eager to work for an iconic brand they've long admired through its magazines and documentaries. However, many soon realize that the consumer products side of things—handled by third-party freelancers or licensees—rarely offers opportunities to directly contribute to content creation. While the organization itself was established with a strong mission to fund impactful conservation, science, and education initiatives, most staff members are left supporting operations behind the scenes, with only a few privileged employees getting to participate in fieldwork or networking events with grantees. This isn't a job for where you'll travel or photograph wildlife, it's a typical office role with decent benefits, fair pay, and a flexible remote policy during the summer months.

A lot of focus has been placed on the new Museum project, but this has often come at the expense of staff, who are shouldering heavier workloads and dealing with a declining office environment as construction continues. Leadership seems to have lost touch with the organization’s core mission and its commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, particularly in today’s evolving sociopolitical landscape. Senior management tends to be out of touch with lower-level employees, and direction and goals seem to shift constantly with little communication, clarity, or transparency. There’s limited opportunity for career growth, with board-level decisions restricting both salary increases and promotions, meaning success often depends more on the missteps of others. Morale varies widely across departments.