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Principal Financial Group

Engaged Employer

Good company but RTO has ruined everything - Lead Data Engineer Principal Financial Group Employee Review

3.0
Oct 29, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Work Life Balance Decent salary Ok appraisals Good Culture

Cons

Very rigid RTO policy WFH is not allowed anymore. People cannot do WFH even if they are going to home towns. They are asked to take leave but they cant do WFH for even a single day. 3 days WFO is mandatory, timings not strict though. No flexibility in this era of online work is a big Con, many people have left or leaving due to this

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Principal Financial Group Response
7mo
Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad to hear you value the work-life balance, compensation, and culture at Principal. We understand that flexibility is a key priority for many employees. Our current hybrid model of three days in-office is aligned with global and industry standards to foster collaboration and team engagement. That said, we recognize that individual circumstances may vary, and we encourage employees to have open conversations with their leaders to explore options where possible.

Explore other reviews about Principal Financial Group

5.0
May 28, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Three years in and still LOVE it. Great leadership. Work-like balance. Principal invests in their employees with training and professional development. It's very telling when literally thousands of employees have been there for 20-25-30+ years.

Cons

First time in a large company. Sometimes it is tricky to find the right internal partner to get the answer you need.

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Principal Financial Group Response
1w
We appreciate your feedback! Hearing that you felt supported reinforces what we're proud of—the strong community we've built together.
2.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Decent work life balance and benefits. Principal offers a pension which is unheard of in today’s age.

Cons

Pay is below average and Principal does not offer inflation raises. Once you hit the midpoint of your salary, you will get a 0% raise until you’re promoted, which will take multiple years regardless of performance. Performance reviews are vague and often used against employees to avoid promotions. At least in my department, I’ve yet to see any of the remote workers be promoted. This is starting to affect attrition and we’re already starting to see people leaving. It’s well known at this point that the best way to get promoted is to leave Principal and get rehired, which even leadership has stated publicly. This is a huge frustration and blow to morale, as it starts to feel like employees need to compete against their co-workers for raises.

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