Eddie Bauer Holdings Reviews

Pros

I learned a lot of great lessons while working with Eddie Bauer. I was taught Situational Leadership, which is fabulous. I worked with a few mentors that were invaluable. I would say working for Eddie Bauer was more for lessons learned than pay or benefits.

Cons

Compared to other retailers in the center I was severely underpaid (ex. I made half of what the store manager of Banana Republic made and our stores produced the same yearly volume).
In 2010 the company changed our medical coverage to a different carrier. After the change we had to pay more up front for the same benefits and had to pay more at time of service.
Working a minimum of 60 hours a week is the expectation and store managers are forbidden to take comp time (comp time=corrective action).
The company stresses a work life balance. However this is a privelege not granted to managers.

Advice to Senior Management

All Store Managers should be required to take at least one week of vacation a year (and not contacted by their DD by phone or email during that time frame).
District Directors should oversee 8 stores or less. At minimum all large markets should have an Area Manager (not just Chicago).
District Directors should be in communication with their managers a minimum biweekly during one-on-one calls and should visit stores within driving distance at least every 6 weeks (especially for new managers).

Pros

-good quality products
-great associate discount

Cons

-Training is non existent
-Senior management could care less

Pros

Current Sr mgt has a plan and has been consistent in the effort to rebuild the company. Good corporate culture but doesn't always live up tocurrent company positioning.

Cons

It might be too late to revitalize the company. Not sure the brand is as relevant as in he past due to inconsistent positioning. Current staff and support is very thin in some areas.

Advice to Senior Management

Be consistent to the company positioning and culture. Recognize and reward those associates who are making a differece even in difficult times.

Pros

no longer bankrupt, future employment holds greater potential.

Cons

broken processes laden with redundant meaningless practice. poor communication, despite company mandate for "straight talk". the bankruptcy is over- should new ownership allow for business as usual, one might be better off looking elsewhere.

Advice to Senior Management

live what you preach. reject your 2.5 million dollar sale bonus out of respect to the shareholders with worthless stock, to the hundreds you laid off, and the staff that holding your company together on salary freeze and no chance of bonus.

Pros

the Get Outside Program is great. over all people who work at stores are good.

Cons

company is cutting cost big time pay that use to warrent 38 is now getting 31

Advice to Senior Management

Be looking for a job this company just filed for chapter 11 TWICE. They talk about promoting within a lot more then I ever personally saw happen. The Chicago DD has a strong passion for the company which is great but be careful not everything a DD says is true. IE company growth, advancement, salaries. Eddie Bauer has done a merit freeze and stopped there 401K reimbursement and raised there percent you pay for health care.

Pros

Great quality in product. Liberal employee discount.

Cons

Floorsets are pre-planned. No opportunity to be creative. Slow paced day, product does not attract younger following.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop spending money on First Ascent product. If you have the money to mount an expedition to Mt Everest, you will be buying your climbing equipment at pro shops.

Pros

It used to be the great people to work with. Then almost everyone got laid off. Those of us who stuck around after the previous layoffs should have known better, it was only a matter of time. Now I can't think of any good reason to work there.

Cons

No job security, poor pay, poor management. IT @ EB is now bare bones after several rounds of layoffs, which means more responsibility for all who are left, without added compensation. Certain systems are just dead in the water since no one is left that knows how they work, how to test them, etc.

Advice to Senior Management

Senior management should not be making technical decisions, that's what you pay the tech specs for. Listen to them once in a while.

Pros

The discount was nice...I did see a couple promotions that were well deserved while I was still working there.

Cons

Training was disappointing-you sit with someone who knows what he/she is doing; unfortunately, that person is so busy to really explain the what/why/how of his/her actions. Management is a nightmare-every member of management I came into contact with lacked any people skills. Sure, they were really smart, awesome at doing their jobs, but, could you go to them if you had a problem? No. Questions are answered with attitudes. HR was never helpful-I went to HR because I had some problems with how I was being treated, and the response I got was "you need to figure it out on your own, we can't help with this." After trying to fix the problem for a few months, I was forced to quit. Being talked down to is not what I signed up for when I accepted the job...but that's all I got for 7 months. A lot of attitude, and was constantly talked down to. I should've know it was going to be bad when the girl I replaced cried, numerous times, because of my boss.

Advice to Senior Management

Learn people skills. Or bring in new people who have people skills. Someone may be a genius at what they do, but if they can't appropriately manage people below them, they will make for an unfomcortable work environment. That's no way to run a business, or keep people around.

Pros

The opportunity to bring a large company back and into the limelight.

Cons

Senior management doesn't make very strategic decisions, making it hard to get the company back on track.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop focusing on the small things, and look at the bigger picture.