test scorer

administrator

supervisor

technician

senior administrator

Pearson

I recently completed my tenure at Pearson, and I must say that it was quite a rollercoaster ride. Unfortunately, the ride was not filled with thrilling highs, but rather constant lows that left me disheartened. Here's my honest review of my time at Pearson.

1. Layoffs and Lack of Transparency: One of the most concerning aspects of working at Pearson was the frequent layoffs that seemed to plague the company. The worst part was the lack of transparency and communication from management regarding these layoffs. Employees were left in the dark, constantly worried about their job security.

2. Inadequate Benefits and Paid Time Off: Pearson's benefit package left much to be desired. Health benefits were subpar, and paid time off was limited. It made it difficult to achieve a healthy work-life balance.

3. Optics-Obsessed Culture: The corporate culture at Pearson felt extremely buttoned up, with employees often appearing more focused on optics than actual productivity. This obsession with appearances created a toxic environment where people were more concerned with how they were perceived than the quality of their work.

4. Imposter Syndrome: Imposter syndrome ran rampant throughout the organization. The constant pressure to prove oneself in a highly competitive environment only exacerbated this feeling, making it difficult for employees to find their footing and confidence.

5. Lack of Collaboration and Trust: Despite being a company that supposedly focuses on advancing careers, there was a shocking lack of collaboration and trust between departments. It was challenging to get different teams to work together effectively, hindering progress and innovation.

6. No Support for Career Advancement: Pearson is supposed to be in the business of helping individuals advance their careers, but this support didn't seem to extend to its own employees. There was little guidance or assistance for personal and professional growth within the company.

7. Limited Upward Mobility: If you're looking for opportunities to advance within the company, Pearson may not be the place for you. The lack of upward mobility was frustrating, with many employees feeling like they were stuck in their roles with no chance of advancement.

8. Distant VPs: The upper management, including VPs, seemed largely disconnected from the day-to-day realities of the workforce. There was minimal interaction between top executives and employees, which left many feeling isolated and unheard.

9. Disorganized Departments: The organizational structure at Pearson left much to be desired. Departments often seemed disorganized, hindering efficiency and productivity.

In conclusion, working at Pearson was a challenging experience. The company's constant layoffs, inadequate benefits, obsession with appearances, lack of collaboration, and limited opportunities for growth created a toxic work environment. It's disheartening to see a company that claims to advance careers fall short in supporting its own employees' professional development and well-being. If you're considering a job at Pearson, I would advise you to carefully weigh the pros and cons and be prepared for a demanding and often frustrating work environment.

As temp jobs go, this one is pretty nice. Management treats you like an adult, but that means you need to act like an adult. Don't be late, don't return from breaks late. No cellphones. You can get up from your desk and go to the restroom or break room several times a day, and they never hassle you about it. Sometimes you just need to walk away from grading and clear your head. Your productivity is logged automatically by the computer, so they don't need to micromanage you. The pay is pretty good, and you can earn an extra $30 a day for bonuses. I am finding I get a bonus for about 1 out of every 3 days. You get graded on your grading, and that is where the stress comes in. At any time, you can get a robo-mail saying you aren't grading properly, and if that gets too far out of hand, you could potentially lose your job. So, it can be stressful in that way. Grading seems to be both objective and subjective. Some people will not be able to wrap their brains around it. If you are super slow to reason things out and very analytical, this job might not work for you. You need to think...but not too much. I don't know for sure, though, as I am grading writing, and have no experience in the other areas (like grading math). So maybe an analytical person would grade math well? Also, you can think you have the grading down and you know what you're doing, but then you start screwing up, or they put you on a different prompt, and that can take some adjusting and interfere with getting a bonus. I have been told that grading writing is the hardest subject by far. Not everyone who starts there will finish their project. It's not always clear why someone stops coming in...did they quit or get fired? The employees include a fair amount of retirees, people between jobs, some pretty odd ducks. It's generally an older crowd, and I have found the people to be very friendly during lunch. Grading these writing essays, for me, has been hours and hours of some boredom and mild irritation, punctuated with brief moments of mild excitement and heartbreak. Most essays focus on the same things, and it's difficult to focus when a student's writing isn't cohesive. BUT sometimes these students tell great, heartfelt stories. Sometimes they beautifully articulate some really deep ideas. The projects might only go for 2 or 3 weeks, but there seems to be opportunities to join projects that start after yours ends. I have also heard that if you are really tanking on your grading, but they like you and you're a good employee, you can get switched over to a different project that you might find easier or more suited to you. Management really wants you to stay and succeed, just as they want you to be productive, which explains why the bonuses are not that out of reach.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Achieve and exceed the Pearson preK-12 sales revenue goal in assigned sales and operational expense budgets. Accountable working within assigned sales operational budgets.

Work with the Market General Manager to translate vision and strategy into effective sales actions to maximize profitable revenue across all Pearson preK-12 products, services, and solutions in assigned accounts

Partner with the highest level of decision makers within assigned districts to present broad Pearson solutions that include instruction, assessment, technology, and services solutions to increase student achievement within the district.

Identify solution and point opportunities in each assigned district and mobilize Market resources to bring Pearson K-12 expertise to each opportunity to win the business. Resolve territory product and service delivery issues.

Develop three-year account business plans including an annual sales plan in support of organizational goals and objectives incorporating articulated customer needs and funding criteria.

Prepare sales and pipeline reports showing secured sales, potential sales, and sales opportunity areas implementing the use of strategic sales analytics in assigned accounts

Seek new solutions opportunities for growth in sales territory. Looking for digital sales and emerging opportunities.

Coordinate field input to product management, product development, and marketing groups in advance of sales cycles to ensure Market instructional needs are met with effectiveness and innovation.

Provide the Market General Manager accurate information regarding all aspects of the sales activities in assigned states (sales and budget forecasting, competition analysis, strategy adjustments, sampling effectiveness, market trends, etc.)

Assume responsibility for working with the contract administration to ensure that all aspects of the listing process are accomplished on time and to the best advantage of the Assessment and Instruction Group within assigned districts.

Build relationships with other Pearson divisions and develop and oversee integration plans to maximize revenue opportunities and construct solutions that meet customer needs across elementary, secondary, supplemental, technology, assessment, and services development channels. Assume responsibility in working with field campaign marketing to assure successful pre-work activities for all upcoming campaigns.

Oversee market specialists in literacy, math, intervention, k-12 technology, 1:1 and virtual, assessment, ELL, and PD assigned to work in the Account General Manager’s accounts to win specified opportunities

This was, without a doubt, the worst possible place to work for. You are a warm body and nothing else. If you are okay with being micromanaged, not allowed to think on your own, get garbage pay, and consistently getting blamed for things outside of your control, work here. 

If you have any modicum of self-respect, find work elsewhere. 

Your schedule is set so far in advance, that you have no opportunity to have days off. For example, your schedule for April is released in the middle of March, which doesn't seem bad. But after it is established, there is little wiggle room to get a day off. If you have an emergency, such as needing to make an emergency dentist appointment at the end of April, they respond "why didn't you let us know before the schedule was published?" Once it is written, unless a higher up changes it, you are stuck in a schedule, regardless of what things you have going on outside of work.

This would not be so bad if the work itself was important-- its not. You have to follow strict rules and guidelines, which often feel arbitrary. Rules are set by the Exam Sponsor. You, as the employee, get to be the bad guy if those rules are not followed to the letter. Candidate brings the wrong ID, even though its perfectly valid, because some person in a different state says its not right. 

Should you need help, you cannnot make any decisions on your own. You must make a phone call to a help desk, who may or may not decide to answer the phone. More than once I was on hold 45+ minutes. If I am calling about a technology or ID issue, this is going to prevent me from admitting other people, instead of choosing to let the person (who is already nervous and on edge) take their test. The Candidate schedule is so tightly packed, there were multiple days, where is anything went wrong, it through off the whole schedule. Since the tests are timed, they can carry over, and impact someone elses ability to start their test on time. Likewise, if the last person of the day gets in late (through no fault of anyone), employees have to wait for them to finish. Normally, that wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that Employees get reprimanded for staying too late. 

Even if you aren't held late, you have EXACTLY 7 minutes to wrap everything up. Between signing people out, cleaning off computers, shutting everything down, and all the other things that go into closing, SEVEN minutes is all you get; an arbitrary number because God forbid they have to pay you for a second more than you're worth.

This is not exaggeration or hyperbole. This place is only good to work for if you have the cognitive ability to think for yourself and make independent decisions. If you like being told what to do for every aspect of your life with no room for autonomy, go crazy. Otherwise, be aware.

Pearson has expanded their testing centers to fit 2+ times the former capacities.  I believe it was done to impress the clients while cutting testing administrators' hours to the bone.  People must quit to get other employment and they are all simultaneously leaving at some test centers because they will get almost no hours for Feb and March, slow months anyway.  Open only 9 days in February.  I will get 2 $0 paychecks in a row.  One cannot believe or depend on the schedule issued, and you can have the day cut even the day before.  The regional mgr is a complete idiot and cares nothing about the employees very real problems such as having to wait hours to run to the restroom.
I depended on it as a supplemental income with my social security, but I still needed it to live and pay rent.  We have a couple at our center who do not need the income and only work to get out of the house.  No one should believe the promised hours nor take this job unless they do not need anything but play money.  I can't understand why they would because we are constantly insulted and the attitude toward TA's is that they are a dime a dozen.  Out of touch management does not know it takes a long time to learn all that can go wrong, and complex knowledge is required.  This company must now drop any kind of standards and will eventually be accepting ex-cons and only people who cannot be employed elsewhere.  Worst is no breaks, 2-3 minutes to run to the restroom maybe twice in a 13 hour day, learn to bring any food to the proctor station (where you are NOT supposed to eat).  The only way to take care of bodily functions and needs is through breaking rules and risking being terminated because you are on camera at all times with monitors waiting to catch you.
Job's a joke.  The management is only out for themselves.  This "compassionate" company that makes a big show of being LGBTQ friendly actually has no compassion or caring for its employees at the lowest level.  Should be at least a $14-15/hr job but its $10.50, taking advantage of older people which they treat with no respect. They need robots to work this job that require no breaks.  "You're not paid for breaks."  Resent human beings must use the restroom????
I will not stay, be disrespected and expected to wear special underwear to be able to work - and because this company DESERVES to lose it's best and most loyal employees and to be reported to OSHA.

I thought for a long time about whether I wanted to post any reviews of this company, because I am honestly so much happier now that they're in my rearview mirror and am hesitant to relive things. But I really want to caution potential applicants. They are good at making their employees very jaded while stringing them along with broken promises about how things are going to get better. The job descriptions on their website do not match what is actually needed for the roles. Training is a joke, you learn most of what you need to know from your peers once you get to the floor. The systems are outdated and not built to handle the volume of leads coming in for each school so everything breaks constantly and none of the systems are linked to each other. They legally aren't allowed to fire you over not meeting enrollment goals or write about it in your yearly review but they'll always find a way to punish you or fire you because of it. Senior management puts it on ground level employees to influence culture and middle management are not bought in to company values. This is also a for-profit company and they run all their non-profit college enrollment departments like for profit schools. You aren't there to help students, you're there to sell to them. The departments are filled with ex-University of Phoenix employees and culture is really passive aggressive and toxic. Managers are useless for the most part and are just there to micromanage. Goals are unattainable with how leads are managed and the for profit culture really comes through when you express concerns about how students are being handled or how employees are being set up to fail. All the employees are forced to become arrogant and anti-collaborative in order to get anywhere and move up. The pay is also not consistent and some new hires make more than tenured employees in the same role. Pay is not competitive based on other industry positions and has less benefits, no commission or work from home perks. This is a good job to have for a year if you have no experience in enrollment and want to get some before applying to a real school, because they pretty much hire anyone with a bachelor's degree. They are good at trapping employees and gaslighting though so dont stay too long or believe any of their promises.

A typical day at work in HR is different everyday because you are dealing with associates,vendors, management team.  You have to be able to prioritize and make the best decision you can based on what you know are the facts and what history is available..Always fast paced. There is nothing that can't be done without a little thinking outside the box and keeping an eye on profitability.

Trust building and relationship building are the most important lesson learned. Build relationships with everyone especially your management team. When you make a decision you have take into account what the impact on the other parties will be and if it creates a hardship find some work around so everyone is on board with the decision.

Management: be their consultant. Always keep them in the loop and find ways to help them achieve their goals. HR is not just a support function we truly are business partners and you must understand the business side
..
My management team meets weekly and discusses service levels, update financials,job openings and what is being done to fill them,plus marketing strategies,technology hiccups and new acceptance testing and any HR activities that will take place that week or in the next month that require the operations departments  support,while maintaining service levels and ensuring associate participation.

Termination is one of the hardest parts of the job because sometimes the job is just not a good match, Could be a recruitment error. Sometimes terminating for cause is difficult meaning someone used bad judgement.. Hate Site audits.  Processing death claims..

Easiest thing is seeing associates get promoted based on excellent training that I or Managers have provided.  Having management understand how I am willing to help them run their business. Providing council to the Vice-Presidents of the organization..Working on cross functional teams.

Pearson has been plagued by ever-evolving business models and reactions to the digital publishing market as a whole over the past decade. Their response to the changes has been slow (lumbering) and often misdirected, which is illustrated by "restructuring" and layoffs three times in six years, in 2011, 2013, and 2016.

While the work/social culture is moderately relaxed, the feeling of security has disappeared with the second round of restructuring in 2013, as Pearson has continued to struggle for market-share and positioning in the global electronic publishing market, that is also highly competitive, in the midst of change, and being pursued by smaller more agile competitors. 

The work load and expectation is stressful, and management support is variable, from really good at the small team tactical level, to somewhat bad and primitive (I've had to request that my manager calm down, and lower his voice on two occasions) at middle management level. Many non-management level employees experience fear at management/middle-management levels.

The company is mammoth, with approx 38,000 employees world wide, so the feeling of being a "just a number" is present. While they offer good benefits that are well administered, compensation is behind market norms, with ongoing excuses for not offering competitive pay. 

They say they invite and reward initiative and "outside the box" thinking, but I have experienced the opposite. Do not trust stated claims on corporate website, some of which are outright misinformation (although they have recently republished in removed glaring inconsistencies). I know this from first-hand dealings and experience.

I think I would avoid Pearson until they set a course with a clear vision, and re-establish firm revenues with long term educational relationships and contracts with educational partners, and establish a strong and stable market position.

I will say that the benefits are decent, pretty standard. This was a good pro to me. 
For comp, I was underpaid. Even when I brought it to leadership, nobody cared. I showed them standard pay for the role and area which was higher than what I received and was told they have their own way of calculating but couldn't share it with anyone. 

For the good part, my team was very good at approving and allowing time off and vacation without any problems. It was very easy to call out sick when needed and the management was supportive in allowing you to recover. In the office there was always a way to order food either from cafeterias (in some locations) and/or food trucks that would come there. There were vending machines in some locations and free coffee and tea. 

Culturally, it's like high school. You're either "in" and part of the clique or you're not. If you're not, you are unacknowledged and unappreciated most of the time. It makes it a difficult environment because it is hard to feel supported in that culture. What I saw was that management gave accolades and higher ratings on reviews to their favored people. It did not matter how much you went beyond to help or did tasks outside your role to help the team & company, you would not advance in that aspect. You would not get better pay raises or better bonuses without a higher review rating.

Unsure how to rate job security because I know that they laid off a lot of people a few years ago to move their United States jobs over to Manilla. Advancement is poor, as well. It is not easy to move up because the ones who are popular and loved move up. They stay and love it there because they are popular and well loved no matter how good or not they are at the job.

Workload can be heavy which is fine but a balance is necessary. You have to push to have that balance especially if you are not part of the 'clique'. Overtime is expected for hourly or salary. They do not care if you work 60-70+ hours a week especially if you are salary. When you suggest improvements to make your job more efficient, they can be difficult to obtain most of the time. 



This is the worst micromanagement I have ever seen in my life. You are nothing more than a warm body to them; easily replaced when you burn out due to the mind-numbing nature of the work and the lack of trust and support. If you don't meet a certain speed and accuracy level, you are tersely informed of your inadequacy, via either chat or phone (yes, they will call you and chastise you for being too slow, too inaccurate, etc.), during your shift. There is absolutely no independent thought allowed in this position; if you do not follow the rubric EXACTLY and if your ratings don't match up precisely with those assigned by the more senior scorers, you are forced to retrain (on THEIR schedule, mind you, not yours), and if you're still not perfect, you're fired. I don't know why they hired us if they didn't intend to trust our word. This job requires a bachelor's degree, but like I said, they don't trust you or your education. You are connected to a scoring supervisor for your entire shift and your performance is monitored constantly by an indicator on the screen. This level of micromanagement is not only extremely stressful, it is counterproductive; it's difficult to concentrate and even more difficult to perform well when one is constantly anxious about being chastised for "low validity/performance" at any given moment. Ironically, if we were given more freedom and flexibility, I can almost guarantee performance and morale would skyrocket. Besides the toxic micromanagement, the work itself is, as I mentioned, mind-numbing to the extreme. The essays are generally poorly written, and you're required to stare at them for hours on end, which is unbelievably dull. You can almost feel your performance slipping the longer you do it, which will, of course, prompt a snarky phone call or message. I've been doing this off and on for a year, and not only has it not gotten better, it has gotten worse. You aren't expected to use your education, your skills, or your experience. You are expected to read the mind of a different random stranger for every shift.

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