Costco Wholesale Reviews in Seattle, WA Area

Pros

The people I work with are wonderful. The core values of the company to treat their employees well and pay them a livable wage.

Cons

a lot of competition for somewhat limited advancement opportunities.

Advice to Senior Management

They should revisit job titles, responsibilities and appropriate compensation. For example, the receptionists get paid the same as someone who is responsible for millions of dollars in merchandise rotating through the warehouses. I think the receptionists do a very important job. They are the first line when greeting and dealing with our members, vendors, etc.
The level of responsibilities are different and should be addressed as such.

Pros

Family friendly, no layoffs, benefits, employee discounts on a few things, the free turky for your Christmas bonus

Cons

discrimination against minorities. Promotions without merit, lower than industy average pay. High turnover due to salaries not being competitive. No bonuses for exemplary effort. Manager choose scapegoats when project doesn't go well. Some employees are severely overworked while others are severly underutilized.
Due to poor project management and not enough resouces systems are poorly developed and require alot of maintenance. Most of the IT work is maintenance, not developing new system to improve efficiency

Advice to Senior Management

They need to catchup with current technology and salary expectations. Unable to attract and keep good talent. Managers tend to choose scapegoats for projects that don't go well. Need to spend money on equipment to get results. Stop using outsourcing that is actually costing the company more in the long run, when system are not designed well.

Pros

Best work-life benefits in the industry, free membership and extremely relaxed dress code. Additionally, people enjoy what they do and where they work. Taking time off for personal reasons is easy to do.

Cons

Difficult to move up in the company because many people are too comfortable in their positions. Lower pay. Senior management doesn't really have a system set up to identify the best possible talent to take their place within the next few years. The job they do is fantastic, but within a few years, many of them will retire and the future of the company is still up in the air.

Advice to Senior Management

Force people to constantly change positions so people can gain more knowledge of the company and employees become more well rounded individuals.

Pros

I am a long time employee of Costco,and at one time I was very proud to think that I had helped build this company into what it has become today.Overall it still is a good company,where the problem lies is at store level,the company has gotten so big so fast that the level of management has gone way downhill,people are put into positions that they are never ready for.

Cons

The store level management has gone way down,

Advice to Senior Management

Learn to lead again, treat employees like we used to be( WITH RESPECT). It seems that the majority of managers and also supervisors are in it for the money only,I see a much higher turnover than we ever had.

Pros

The benifets, people and chances of getting promoted in the locations. The locations pay is great for their positions.

Cons

If you want to get promoted in the corporate office it takes a long time and. they don't reimburse for any collage education. The corporate office could use some restructuring in the pay side.

Advice to Senior Management

There needs to be more training done.

Pros

Costco is a wonderful company to work for! They do their best to take care of their employees with very good pay and benefits.

Cons

Some warehouses in smaller communities tend to be "clicky" and the growth potential is long awaited for. Your best bet is to work at the metropolitan areas if you are looking for advancement within the company.

Advice to Senior Management

Please look at the management staff (besides the warehouse manager), to see how long they have been in their warehouse; especially in the remote warehouses in smaller communities. If the management team has been in the warehouse longer than 4-5 years, maybe it's time to rotate them into other warehouses. This will give the warehouse their from, a "new refreshed team", which may help inspire non-management staff to excel within the company.

Pros

The compensation is very good if you are lucky enough to make it to warehouse manager or VP

Cons

Its hard to advance because of the amount of nepotism

Advice to Senior Management

Start looking at the quality of your AVPs and VPs. There are some that are not qualified to be staff managers

Pros

They are a well diversed company that strides in moving within company to higher positions.. And the pay and bennifets packages are pretty good as well.

Cons

Takes a while for you to become a full time employee, and depending on your department hard time getting vacation time.

Advice to Senior Management

I really have nothing negitive to say, I think they do there job effectivly and in a timely mannor.. I do think that they need to focuse on the little guy and not so much on the managers and supervisors that run the warehouse.. Its all about the worker bee after all!!

Pros

A great company who really values their employees.

Cons

Raises are not keeping up with the cost of living increases.

Advice to Senior Management

A greater focus needs to be paid on allternatives for people who have long commutes.