Barnes & Noble College Bookstores Reviews

Pros

Merchandise discount, hours, learn lots of tasks. Interesting customers.

Cons

Rare opportunities for raises, no recognition from regional managers, not treating managers with respect, taking advantage of salaried employees by having them work more than 40hrs a week.

Pros

Discount and insurance benefits, hours

Cons

Health of the company, constantly changing priorities.

Advice to Senior Management

Take care of your employees.

Pros

I supervised a good, smart staff. Many had higher degrees and were very capable. Requested days off were usually given as long as there weren't too many requests. Good degree of recognition from store management excluding building manager.

Cons

Building and regional managers seemed indifferent and at times offended in response to staff concerns. A high turn over rate was partially due to the fact that many of the booksellers were actually capable of much more. Regardless of how much they brought to the store or how hard they worked, anyone leaving got a cold response from the building and regional managers. Multiple situations occurred where upper managers expressed an opinion along the lines of "if people don't like it here, they can leave" in response to staff morale issues. Department managers were much more concerned and caring. A high degree of favoritism occurred, including inconsistent rule enforcement. Inequality of workload was a frequent issue for staff, as smarter, more productive staff took on the work of unproductive staff members, including the work of some supervisors. Multiple times, staff members were hired outside of the regular process by the regional manager, including family members and neighbors, and given a greater degree of flexibility and were not held at the same level of accountability as other staff. Complaints and concerns about inconsistency issues from supervisors and staff were heard by managers many times over the two years I worked at the store, but no action was taken.

Pay rates were below average for retail stores in the area and other Barnes and Noble College Bookstores, though the store itself was by far the most profitable college bookseller in the country (serviced Harvard University students and tourists). Because of the size of the store, a larger management structure did allow for more opportunities for advancement. However, because of this, supervisors actually carried a greater amount of responsibilities than floor managers in smaller stores, and in certain cases, assistant store managers without the pay or title. Booksellers equally took on many tasks that in other stores would fall to the supervisors, again without the pay or title. Concern about this was brought to management, particularly because of the limiting effect it had on future advancement outside the store (though some booksellers had all the skills to go straight into a supervisory position in another store, the lack of title would make it more difficult), but the management was indifferent to the concern. Realizing this and other issues, many booksellers were very unhappy, making for a consistently low morale.

Advice to Senior Management

The most influential and visible issue that hurt morale and caused a lot of dissent among booksellers was the inequity of workload and rule enforcement. The store was made up of many departments, and while they all had to be fairly dynamic and customized, certain overall store and company rules were applied more stringently on different floors. It would greatly help morale and limit dissent if management consistently enforced any rules applied to any area of the store.

Pros

The company keeps you aware of what is going on before you read about it in the news

Cons

It would be nice if the salaries were more in line with the industry

Advice to Senior Management

Ask your employees about how they would see improvements. People have been there a long time and may have ideas that were never even thought of for improvements.

Pros

Great hours. Responsible for every aspect of your store. Promotions and advancement in your own hands.

Cons

To many bosses. Your regional, your client, the students, the faculty and of course parents all are your bosses. Payroll control has become ridiculous. We once could operate as a percent of sales. However, the company has decided that it doesn't matter if your sales increase. You still have to meet your payroll budget, more with A LOT less.

Advice to Senior Management

Upper management make decisions and changes and it appears that they have not discussed the impact this will have on stores. The field has a lot of experience and know what will improve the way their stores run better and more poorly. Listen to them!

Pros

Employee discount is pretty good if you're into books & games (Gamestop discount)
Fun working with students

Cons

Home Office decides budget for hours, not the store. Even full-time employees get hours cut if the HO decides it. Need for more staff/hours doesn't matter.
Older staff members are backstabbing and only complain. They are bitter that they are not in charge.
Staffed mainly by students who tend to not care about learning anything or even working.
Limited cross training.
Too much negativity.

Advice to Senior Management

Ignore seniority. Staff members that do the job right should have equal input over the older staff who just coast through their jobs with the comfort that they can't be fired because they have been around longer.

Pros

Great discounts on books and college merchandise, good hours for retail as you usually do not have to work evenings or weekends.

Cons

No bonuses or recognition for those under store management level. Promotion to positions at other stores often difficult to obtain because upper management would rather hire outside candidates locally than to pay relocation expenses for inside candidates.

Advice to Senior Management

Increase salary levels for store management and create bonus system for all full-time employees. Develop system of recognition for employees. Invest in technology upgrades for stores.

Pros

Easy job, great discount! Very flexible schedule and friendly co-workers. Overall it's an easy job no matter how hard you work. Very good about giving employees scheduled breaks.

Cons

-No opportunity for advancement within the company, no loyalty towards employees from management. They will cut their most experienced peoples hours in a heartbeat simply to save some money and make themselves look better for their measly 30,000 dollar a year salary.

Advice to Senior Management

Get out of your offices and out on the floor. You need to see which employees are competent and which ones aren't. Also, learn to use the equipment. Many of the managers couldn't use a cash register.

Pros

Good textbook discount, not too many hours. Job isn't difficult.

Cons

The management here does not care about you. Often rude,very little training offered.

Advice to Senior Management

If you treat people better your turnover rate will go down.

Pros

Pretty flexible with the schedule, give you time off for class, time off to study if a big test is coming up, you get a discount on books

Cons

The job can get a little boring

Advice to Senior Management

no advice