Best Buy Reviews in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN Area

Pros

ROWE (results only work environment); Employee discount is nice benefit; Campus amenities including wellness zone are great; People are very friendly.

Cons

Career development is frequently neglected. Career paths are not clearly defined. Slow growth has led to scarce internal opportunities. Previous work experience is often under valued. Difficult to obtain tools needed to perform job properly.

Advice to Senior Management

Nice company to work for overall, but IS and technology situation is a nightmare. Data is difficult to obtain and there are too many version of the truth out there. System architecture need to be completely revamped and simplified.

Pros

One of the more respected sales positions in Best Buy
OK compensation for part-time
Strong community

Cons

Tendency to hire inexperienced techs
Less of a computer repair position, more of a sales
Be expected to carry all services sales metrics, while still having time to do repairs
Have to deal with rude/angry customers

Advice to Senior Management

Let us do our work and take the time to learn what it is we actually do, instead of just telling us to sell more of x service. Separate Geek Squad from Best Buy. Hire more experienced techs.

Pros

I had a lot of fun working with customers and solving issues when it came to a limited budget they had, and putting out a profitable package. Co-workers helped create a very fun atmosphere to work.

Cons

Pay rarely reflected performance. The good workers got less than than they rightly earned, the poor workers got more than they were worth.

Advice to Senior Management

Reward the good employees, put the poor performers in places where they don't interact with customers.

Pros

Best Buy has a great atmosphere in the stores. When I go to work I know I am going to have fun. We are sure to hit our goals and be productive, but we are given enough social freedom that allows monotonous tasks bearable. They also have programs set up that reward productivity.

Cons

They preach that they are all about advancing their employees and that they respect store experience at the corporate level. Now, I understand that the economy is tough and Best Buy has gone through a reorg, but I was a Dean's List student, graduated Cum Laude, won a marketing competition sponsored by Target Corporation, and I had a great job in college that was better experience than any internship. The thing is I have applied for multiple positions in which I am very qualified for and have had no luck. I have even received great recommendations from my management in trying to make my move to corporate. I do not blame my bosses at the store level, as they have given me praise, tried to put a good word in for me and realize that I am underemployed, but Best Buy corpo is failing to recognize a lot of talent at the store level.

Advice to Senior Management

Recognize talent at the store level and make the move to corporate more accessible. Store experience gives employees an insight to the customer that many who begin their careers at corporate just don't have.

Pros

They try to keep employees happy. I think that they need to help people with learning and growing and maturing

Cons

Wasn't really sure of career path, didn't really care for the cubicles or the people working long hours to appear busy

Advice to Senior Management

As they have done, allowed people to work at their own pace rather than spending hours to look good for management

Pros

Best Buy is a great place if you are outgoing, and hopefully a bit of a geek. Aside from the rush of a sales floor, the best thing about working there might be the employee discount. Everything else, including the atmosphere, is what you make of it.

Cons

Scheduling can be inflexible depending on your department, your manager, and staffing.
If you do anything worthwhile in your first month, you are likely to get a speech indicating that you could be a supervisor/manager - then the following month they demoted several supervisors.
Their training tests are also terrible. Poorly worded at best.

Advice to Senior Management

Be honest to employees who have earned "MVP" awards and have been given the "speech" that actually getting promoted is unlikely.
Please rewrite the training tests. They are PAINFUL.

Pros

It really was an exciting place to be. Leadership expected you to take cahnces and continually re-think how the work got done. I miss that more than anything...

Cons

Leaders had a tendency to have to 'get on board'. It seemed like there were times when everyone in the room disagreed with a strategic decision, but no one wanted to stand up and push back.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep focusing on your employees...support their happiness and growth and everything else will take care of itself

Pros

Corporate Best Buy offers a challenging, fast paced work environment with very high expectations. Requires one to be highly collaborative and team oriented while still maintaining a strong sense of self and high singular achievement. Its strength based orientation is very refreshing and encourages you to build upon your passions.

Cons

Some of the downsides are the same as the upsides. All the collaboration and team work creates an environment lacking in decision making. The buck doesn't make enough stops so decisions are often prolonged or never made. The company is very young and as a result folks feel the doors close for them very early on.

Advice to Senior Management

I enjoyed the work I did at BBY, but I also enjoyed the development opportunities - the speakers, the volunteerism, WOLF, and the ability to use time to network and learn about myself and others.

Pros

The discount is fair. It is a fun atmosphere that is always challenging and changing. The coworkers are always a good time.

Cons

low pay, undertrained management. Bad retail hours.

Advice to Senior Management

Try to see the big picture. Don't get caught up in the daily numbers race - a day at a time is a poor way to lead a company. Employees will respond better to explanations of change rather than just preaching "we need to do this".

Pros

Culture, Leader in the industry, Best Buy is expanding into Europe, China, Lain America, etc., ROWE (Results Oriented Work Environment), Amenities, Compensation, great long term place to work.

Cons

The stores have ultimate power. When working at the Headquarters (dubbed the Retail Support Center) you are constantly being challenged by the Retail Leadership. This is much different from Target which rule their stores with an iron fist. The collaboration is a good thing ultimately for the customers, but it sometimes feels as if you're reworking.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep the constant change happening. It keeps us fresh and the flexibility gives us competative advantage.