Ulta Employee Review

Current Employee – been working at Ulta

Pros – 25% Retail Discount, 50% All Salon Services
Simple duties
Vendors are great people and will train employees

Cons – Only management can work full-time
Store hires new employees nonsensically and spreads hours thin
Promotes from outside
Pay is awful
Health insurance is a joke

Advice to Senior Management – I wish that when I had heard Ulta was hiring, they would have told me "this is a job best suited for people who are OK working 5-6 hours a week, and sometimes scheduled for 0 hours a week." Honestly, if you're looking for a position at this store, please be aware that the company has a gigantic issue with payroll hours. I am aware that a couple of people openly only were kept on the Ulta payroll so they could work there for a discount on hair services and retail and had no other interest or goals with the company. I would recommend this job if you need the lowest of low part time hours. Overall, I am depressed and praying that I find another job soon. I felt so excited to get this job, only to be let down by cold attitudes and the low hours inciting stress...

The dress code stipulates we must wear all solid black -- black slacks or appropriate skirt, black hoisery, but we can wear a solid white top. Yet I have seen management employees wearing layered outfits with colored scarves. This is the first retailer where I have seen open-toed shoes allowed and even encouraged by management, with absence of pedicures apparently allowed as well. Sometimes a lot of the attire managers and hourly associates wear is really unprofessional looking, but that is the least of this company's woes. Sometimes I feel like I'm working at a discount retailer rather than a store that sells $60 foundation. Too many coupons and promotions feels like the company is trying too hard sometimes.

The salon charges ritzy prices but seems akin to SuperCuts or CostCutters. I feel kind of bad that sometimes salon employees are forced to help retail customers, but sometimes it really does help to have a licensed cosmetologist in the store. Every Ulta I have been to offers a gigantic selection of salon haircare, almost too much. Again, most of the inventory collects dust.

I guess what I'm saying is that Ulta pays their employees bare minimum wage, gives them no training and no hours to boot. They should take a page out of bigtime competitor Sephora's book. They treat their employees beautifully and even send them away to make-up and color technique classes. I've never heard of any such thing happening in any Ulta stores.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend