Pros

Gorgeous surroundings, great coworkers, lovely customers, image, image, image. If you're going to work retail, and you like the freedom to really sell, then this is the place to be.

Cons

All that glitters is not gold. The great customer service Nordy's is famous for is only rewarded if the big dollar sales come along with it. There was a time when employees were appreciably thanked for thrilling a customer. Today the company pays lip service to that, but the standards of sales per hour keep rising despite the shifting economy. The message is "Give service, but you better make it snappy.
And profitable." What a better time to applaud employees who are still willing to spend their time with loyal customers even though paychecks suffer when we aren't shoving clothes into silver bags in record time. Instead, we are browbeaten about our sales, and always wonder who will be let go next.

Advice to Senior Management

Thank the people who are keeping your doors open during tough economic times. Even though your stock is rising again, we are getting by on a much smaller paycheck than we were before. And we're still here, working harder than ever, continuing to take time with customers to make them feel as special as we always have. Remember the faces that do it for you.

Pros

Good company culture and very few rules. Main objective is to use your best judgment. All about the the customer and providing the best service and experience for them

Cons

A very competitive environment and hard to move around. It is difficult to find mentors or work without feeling like it is a competition to move up.

Advice to Senior Management

Take feed back from employees seriously. Incorporate better training to employees new to the sales floor. Provide clear expectations for employees and encourage open communication.

Pros

discount, culture is more relaxed than competitors, buying is getting better, people, atmosphere

Cons

politics, senior management issues, no trust in employees even though they empower us to use our best judgment...

Advice to Senior Management

listen to employees more, keep an open mind, open all job opportunities to everyone and anyone

Pros

Good quality clothing, helps you train, and role play. Also, they don't seem to be pushy or hard when it comes to not meeting sales goals. they try to be fair.

Cons

The managers seem to hire teh same gender for one particular department and its hard to get into the other departments. They also dont like to keep temporary employees and they have associates taht may not like you to begin with.

Advice to Senior Management

To offer additional help to the new nordstrom employees as well as have the nordstrom employee get help from the older employees.

Pros

great pay, discount, good company and clean, happy environment, around clothes and shoes and accessories all day long; incentive to build client base

Cons

as ANY workplace has, there can be people who have crappy work ethic, as well as people who try to steal your sales...WELCOME TO THE WORKFORCE PEOPLE!!!

Advice to Senior Management

Please pay attention to the big picture- it is easy to get egocentric and self serving- and you must ALWAYS remember that you are setting the standards for everyone else. Offer better than 20% discount- make discount based on sales-start at 20% and offer incentive on a sliding scale!!! DUH!!

Pros

Nordstrom offers a plethora of growth opportunity
they make it a point recognize their best employees
they have great benefits
competitive salary
you get to be around fashion all day long!
employers are supportive of time off or vacations

Cons

ultra competitive- watch your back
nordstrom philosophies such as 'open door' or using your best judgement are not always upheld by management

Advice to Senior Management

i love working for nordstrom and have definitely found a career in this company. but i also find that we are not watching our managers closely enough. i have heard complaints from several different people that their department managers do not treat them with as much respect as they should, or they are 'moody' (unprofessional), have favoritism, or are just plain mean. I personally think you are in the wrong company if you cannot be supportive and kind to your employees.

Pros

If you are interested in any high fashion apparel and couture, this is the best place to work! You get to experience first hand what your buyers are looking for in todays fashion and you see a representation of that at the store. The employees are extremely kind and are genuinely out there to help you. Also, the Human Resource teams are always fabulous and extremely understanding and have a good knowledge of what the company stands for.

Cons

The management is extremely disrespectful to their employees and have absolutely no understanding towards them. Management also tends to gossip about their employees to other fellow employees which always ends up causing disputes. Favoritism is a huge problem and if you can not handle a cut throat environment for your bosses preference, this is not the place to work. In addition, be very careful of your fellow employees, even if they act as your friend, they will scheme behind your back the first chance they get.

Advice to Senior Management

Be respectful, understanding and kind towards your employees bcause that is the only way you will gain their loyalty. Remember, alot of the younger employees are still students and have other obligations in their lives to fulfill. Give proper time off, especially in the case of an emergency. Treat everyone equally and never play favorites. You expect your employees to act professional, but you must lead by example. And never, ever overwork your employees!

Pros

Recognition for working for a company with a great reputation, ability to move up within the company, easy transfers from store to store, as a corporation the company is doing quite well

Cons

If you work at a small store, you are overworked and underpaid because of the lack of sales, if you are in a smaller store- managers are at that store for a reason... they weren't good enough for the bigger stores and it shows, pressure to donate to nordstrom picked charities, little work life balance

Advice to Senior Management

Make sure that everyone hired would be good in a big store or at a small store. Don't loosen requirements for a store that doesn't generate as much revenue

Pros

Great clothes, clean, tidy, nice schedueling oppurtunities for students.

Cons

Very competive, catty coworkers, managers are sometimes inconsiderate.

Advice to Senior Management

Please be more respectful to others during hectic moments.

Pros

Friendly co-workers and strong customer service training. You can feel proud that you work for such a well respected company.

Cons

Dealing with angry and impatient people. No real room for any kind of career. Managers who have been there for years seem tired and true advancement is slow.

Advice to Senior Management

Offer clear opportunities to advance within the company. Try to promote closer relationships between sales staff and the sales support staff.