Staples Reviews

Pros

All of the employees are very friendly and they will do their best to help you be successful, even as a new employee.

Cons

Tough for me to balance working at Staples with my other job because of conflicting hours, but that is the nature of working two retail jobs.

Pros

Great benefits and if your managemet the pay is good

Cons

The long hrs and work days

Advice to Senior Management

You have to remember that we are adults

Pros

-okay pay
-pretty easy job
-friendly co-workers

Cons

-few hours available
-not enough benifits

Pros

Really strong leadership team, well run, lots of professional development

Cons

Low salary, internal promotions are not done fairly as someone coming in externally with less experience can negotiate salary but internal candidates cannot. Typically receive 5% salary increase for a promotion

Pros

Good as a first job. Managers have a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of each employee and places them in positions to succeed. Co-workers are good and know how to work as a team.

Cons

Most managers seem to have their quirks. Not always honest (one or two managers have talked about making advancement opportunities more visible, yet in the months since there has been no change) and don't always have great leadership qualities. And certain managers seem to have a harder time recognizing good work than others, which can wear on you sometimes. Scheduling is horrendous for this busy store. Too often there are too few people during busy periods or too many during slow periods. Some people seem to have trouble getting days off depending on manager's mood. Management has had a few problems with HR and at times make it difficult for employees to leave on good terms.

Advice to Senior Management

Being there for the employees isn't just saying it, you have to do it.

Pros

It is a very friendly work environment, and the people there are really nice. I need to add six more words

Cons

It lacked the size and the work wasn't as flexible as it could've been. Need six words again lol cool

Advice to Senior Management

Just be yourself and ttry ot be the best person you can. Succes comes with hard work not easy work

Pros

It can be a fun place to work, depending on your fellow coworkers.

Flexibility in scheduling is satisfactory.

Hour availability is usually solid 3 seasons a year, that being the holidays in winter, inventory in spring, and back to school in the summer...

Each retail store has it's own environment. I've worked at really great stores, and not so great stores. It really depends on who's running the joint.

Our store is lucky and grateful to have a GM that goes out of way to make it fun at work, celebrating any holiday, birthdays, having potlucks, contests, etc. It really helps bring the store together.

Cons

Retail. It's rough being part time, unless you have another job elsewhere.

After the back to school season, there's a lull where hours are cut to the bare minimum. Then the complaining, gossiping, and paranoia starts.

The problem with retail, is that nobody cares enough to put in their best efforts, people will as little work as possible, just to collect a paycheck.

If there's no manager to lead, inspire, and praise associates as needed, then the slackers aren't really to blame- management is letting them get away with laziness.

Advice to Senior Management

Store leaders: They should be organized and knowledgeable when it comes to operations, empathetic and inspiring towards all associates, overall passionate about their work and always have a game plan. This statement really goes for any and all people in any workplace. All shall more than likely follow in their footsteps!

Pros

401k, low-level health care/dentist/eye care/life insurance/stock options. This is all bottom of the barrel, minimum level stuff, but at least they offer it. 401k is pretty good since they match up to 6% (or they did, they may not now).

They were good about giving me days off when I need them.

Cons

ZERO job security. I worked at multiple locations and the managers at most of the stores have no formal education (as in many of the people that run the store have a high-school diploma or less) and it shows. They are incompetent in most regards, even though many of them are nice people.

STAPLES does NOT value its employees. I watched 5 long term employees be fired (including 2 10+ year managers) because the general manager and district manager wanted to replace them with people that would do their job for MUCH less pay, and they did. This is just bad policy in my opinion. These people gave their lives to STAPLES and when the economy got bad and there were more people looking for jobs, STAPLES cut them loose and put people in with less experience that were cheaper. It makes me angry just thinking about it. Where is the reciprocating loyalty? There is none. All this equates to avoiding STAPLES as a form of long-term employment, you will be terminated when someone is found that will do your job for cheaper.

They PRESSURE you in to selling protection plans with no real incentive (other than threats and intimidation). At one point, they offered substantial bonuses for these sales, now they have been cut and they implemented a joke of a "bonus" which is next to impossible to achieve, and even if you do it will only net you $20-50 extra dollars a MONTH. The pay is also laughable, but not that much lower than Best Buy from what I heard (but still lower). That being said, the amount of pressure STAPLES puts on you to sale specific amounts of plans/attachments is much higher than other organization from what I have heard.

As an "EasyTech" associate, you will usually be stocking shelves and ringing people out. I had to ARGUE with management to fix customers computers since there were not enough employees schedule to do the work on the floor. STAPLES usually forces their stores to run on skeleton crews to save money. I would NEVER bring my computer to get work done on it at STAPLES and I fixed them there for years.

That is a long bit to read, but I guarantee you it is completely accurate, so think about it before you accept a job there. If you are going to be seasonal, I would say go for it just because it is probably comparable to other retail locations SHORT TERM, just avoid it for a long term career.

Advice to Senior Management

Focus on growing your employees and creating a valuable team instead of trying different ways to MANIPULATE your customers in to buying protection plans and attachments! (And yes, they tried 4-5 different psychological "tricks" to get people to buy more while I was there, the current one is acting like you (the sales associate) is doing something else and casually engaging the customer to catch them off guard in a very subtle manner. Before this, associates had to memorize a lengthy, rigid sales pitch that had to be recited every time).

Pros

employee discount and flexibile schedules

Cons

Low pay, lousy benefits for part time employees, customers are allowed to treat employees like dirt. Management doesn't seem to remember all the good things you did or the sacrafices you made when it is review time, but they find that one bad thing and harp on it and make it a reason to rank you low enough to not get a raise.

Advice to Senior Management

none

Pros

Financially strong and good restricted stock program

Cons

Not a good culture for me.

Advice to Senior Management

show you really care