Big Lots Reviews

Pros

The health benefits are excellent.

Cons

Managers have so much on their plate that managing the staff takes a back seat to keeping up with the merchandise.

Advice to Senior Management

If the company just spent one more percentage point of profit on payroll the image of the company and sales would increase to more than compensate for this expenditure.

Pros

district managers and rvps more worried about"visits" than customers.....managers on power trip...company not sure of direction ...should it follow closeout path or try to be target....

Cons

no concern about employees lives...pay or safty...

Advice to Senior Management

you are making money now because of the economy....but your overall future is bleak if you dont stop foolish programs and look at emplyee relations

Pros

Reasonable work hours
Good discount
Small work area/responsibilities

Cons

Horrible health benefits
Low standards
Disorganized/dirty stores
Low growth/promotional opportunities
Poor maintenance & corporate support
Non-professional work environment
Faulty equipment (registers, computers, PDA's constantly crash/take forever to fix)
Company does little to prevent/protect employees from favortism (i.e. certain managers can do or say whatever they want, protected by reputation)

Advice to Senior Management

District & regional support are extremely ineffective. Salaries for management are poor. Technology and equipment are extremely dated.

Pros

great work life balance. take care of their employees to ensure they are happy. cheap food. on site chef, gym with personal trainer, dry cleaning and car wash.

Cons

movement is a bit slower than past companies I have worked with.

Advice to Senior Management

be more available to subordinates on team.

Pros

it is great place to work have fun and get paid whatt a great place to work and have lots of fun too

Cons

would like better pay an option for vaca for part time employyes ok will that be fine i would really appreciate that

Pros

Employee discount
Comperable Benefits package
45 hour work week for assistant managers
Plenty of jobs availiable due to economic times

Cons

Horrible working conditions (Old dirty buildings, old equipment, infestations)
Unrealistic payroll goals (Hrs are allocated throughout district by corporate "kitty hrs are given out by DM who can hold on to them or give them to his favorite stores
Truck processing unrealistic (Want all trucks processed within 48 hrs regardless of size Ive had trucks as big as 3000+)
Employee rights (sometimes can only schedule employees 8-10 hrs because of lack of payroll. Have lost valueable employees because of it)
Turnover (Ive lost count as to how many Store managers and Assistants Ive gone through)

Advice to Senior Management

It doesnt matter what I say for it will not change anything. A company is only as strong as its employees and treating them as such instead of a liability is where you can start

Pros

Pay is competitive with other retailers. Working environment is ok at best. Discount is great. Weekly pay. Wide selection of products.

Cons

Managers are not managers, they are glorified freight pushers. One cashier, one manager and a furniture employee are not enough to run the building. Managers are the only associates who are guaranteed to get full time hours. Payroll is so tight it is hard to get work done. Schedule is posted on Saturday for the week starting Sunday, then it may/will change from day to day. DM's micromanage their store managers with an iron pen. Finally Morale has to be the lowest i have ever seen in a job. This observed in three stores.

Advice to Senior Management

Open up the payroll budget and put some full timers in control of areas. Let management manage rather then breaking thier backs with all the freight. Focus more on the customer. 2 weeks training for managers is not enough to ensure their success.

Pros

Salary and bonus structure competitive
20% employee discount

Cons

Lack of respect and bullying permitted at the upper level - against all levels of employees - management and associates
Micromanagement by some at the senior executive level
Upper management caste system - snobbery against those without high level titles

Advice to Senior Management

Request anonymous (truly anonymous) feedback from employees regarding senior management. Potential if not actual legal liability in bullying that is well known but not discussed due to protection at the top and potential repercussions for career or employee annual review. Listen with an open mind to feedback at exit interviews.

Pros

Meet nice customers, most of the employees are helpful and friendly.

Cons

ASM get all the hours, keep cutting hours to employees that have been there longest and give more to new hires.keep people even though they are no call no show. A lot of Favoritism.

Advice to Senior Management

Have Store Manager more involved. Let the ASM be lead by the SM. Not the other way around.
Store Manager's should be final decision when promoting or firing.

Pros

it was a closeout store that people enjoyed shopping at.The old Big Lots is now Ollies Closeout stores, and customers are enjoying that feeling again.

Cons

Managers are slaves, and assistant managers are hourly key carriers. Work, and don't use brain, and you'll do good. D.M's, and Regionals seem to have favorites who get the extra payroll, and whatever else they want. Leaving the regular managers to fight everyday while the kiss ups get their way.

Advice to Senior Management

A business or accounting degree doesn't mean you know what a customer wants. Surveys are not the answer either. Common sense in the South is better than a degree anytime. Was trained by Dime Store managers that was going to discount stores in late 60's. They knew what the customer wanted, and how to bring them in. Customer counts are going down every year, and that should tell you what your doing isn't working.