employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

Principal Financial Group

Engaged Employer

Quality company...but not for everyone - Financial Representative Principal Financial Group Employee Review

3.0
Feb 15, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great facility, support staff, first class environment

Cons

My personal experience was that during my recruitment, I didn't fully understand the role prior to accepting an offer - that was my responsibility. In my defense, it is truly difficult to fully understand any role without actually doing it. I based my decision on generalities rather than hard facts and I probably added some ego in the mix as well. With 10 years prior experience in B2B Outside Sales, I felt that my understanding of people and general business acumen would be sufficient to allow me to be successful. I was wrong. My hope was to develop my book of business as more of an "assets under management" type model with insurance as an added necessity. Slow, patient, sustainable growth built on willing referrals. My personal situation was that I could afford to be patient with the growth. It is said that insurance is never purchased, but always sold. I understand now... No one wants insurance. It's not an exciting product and it involves self evaluation on the clients part, which let's face it; no one loves to do. Also the strategies that were encouraged, involved obvious leading questions into how a person would feel if they didn't make it home that night etc. Not trying to place a moral judgment on this, but it just felt manipulative and unnecessary. I guess that I much prefer a straight business proposition - this is who I am, this is why I'm here, and this is why I'm the best choice for your business solution. With insurance there is very little proprietary about your product. There's not much benefit from one provider to the next other than consumer trust in your brand.

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.

avatar
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.

1
avatar
Principal Financial Group Response
2d
We appreciate you sharing your feedback. As a leader in retirement solutions and employee benefits, we strive to provide our employees with a competitive benefits package. Our global pay philosophy is guided by market-driven principles. and we leverage third-party market data to ensure our base salary and incentives remain appropriately competitive.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All