Kroger Reviews

Pros

Some of the best reasons to work at Kroger are the benefits and on the job training. The benefits include employee discounts and health insurance. Many of the skills learned on the job transfer well into other settings and better jobs. This is a good first job because of the oportunity to gain valuable people skills and make positive first impressions on future employers and coworkers.

Cons

Some of the downsides of working at Kroger are schedules, compensation, and coworkers. Due to the nature of the business, schedules are only made for one week at a time and requests for time off are 'only requests'. This makes it difficult to make future personal plans. Compensation starts at minimum wage and everyone starts as part-time. This is not enough income for a single income household with dependents. Because this is a great first job, many of the coworkers are 'unskilled' and this can cause intense workplace frustration.

Advice to Senior Management

I have personally witnessed the success of the recent procedure change for the front end. The dramatic impact that it has had on checker scores, and customer satisfaction is impressive. Funny what a difference simply unloading a customers cart can make.

Pros

Kroger is a fortune 500 company with good benefits. There is flexability with scheduling and overall in most stores the people are great.

Cons

Quality of life is a negative. You are required to work very random schedules including nights weekends and holidays. Compensation for responsiblities isn't adequate.

Advice to Senior Management

Overall a good place to work. I would recommend to other people. The biggest downside is the random schedule and nights, weekends and holidays.

Pros

You get to meet a lot of people, including employees and customers.
There are a lot of good opportunities for advancement.

Cons

Employees gossip too much.
All employees, except managers, are unionized.
Senior management expects a lot, with reduced hours compared to the past.
Employees tend to feel entitled, instead of thankful to have a job.

Advice to Senior Management

Set more realistic goals and offer more assistance with new programs.
Store management is required to "wear too many hats".

Pros

THe benefits and work experience was amazing

Cons

The constant turn around hours and work life balance was not there.

Pros

Kroger is a good company. The pharmacy division is a well-run division in my opinion from my experience working with them.

Cons

The downside of working at Kroger is that sometimes information does not pass from corporate to the stores in a timely manner.

Advice to Senior Management

I would have to say that if I had to offer some advice or feed back to the leadership at Kroger.

Pros

theres alot of good people

Cons

managment sucks and they treat there employees like crap

Advice to Senior Management

pay attention to people who work there ass off instead of making them feel like they are never doing enough. and remember how little we are paid and how much you ask us to do.

Pros

Nice staff, relaxed management, great breaks, unionized, clean store and overall good vibes.

Cons

Didn't train very well, had to learn everything myself and no praise for good work. Sometimes there was nothing to do.

Advice to Senior Management

Get to know the staff better, have a list of objectives for each position and shift

Pros

The friends you make are worth it. It helps pay the bills and if you are full time you can get insurance. You get to work with the public if you like that sort of thing.

Cons

Work holidays and seven days a week if they need you. No room for growth really unless you are willing to commute to another city. There are only limited advancement positions.

Advice to Senior Management

You are no better than the next guy. It would be more impressive to the customer if you came down off your high horse and acted genuine, like a real person.

Pros

Part time health insurance
Extreme flexibility in scheduling (this is fairly common but is also direct supervisor dependent)
Unionized
Can transfer within the Union area and keep seniority
Pay increases are modest but reasonable

Cons

Management tends to be aggressive and incompetent
You will work the holidays (most 24 hour locations only close for holidays 3 nights a year, Thanks giving, Christmas, and New Years)
There will be a good portion of people who have been there much longer than you have and they are not always nice.

Advice to Senior Management

You guys really need to start treating people with a little more respect. You are losing your good employees. You should try not to do that... When you come down from your office to the floor take a minute to see whats going on before you start criticizing. You might be surprised that you don't have to.

Pros

If you don't mind living your whole life in the store, good pay
Potential for moving up, if you want to - I worked with Co-Managers who started as baggers

Cons

Unofficial 13-hour shifts
Unrealistic expectations
Employee discount on Kroger brand items only - 10%
6-day work weeks
Scheduled 32 hours during holidays to avoid giving you extra holiday pay
Absolutely NO work/life balance