Trader Joe's Reviews

Pros

Good pay and benefits for type of work.
Respect and support from supervisors.
Friendly colleagues with great attitudes.
Flexible schedules.
Positive, honest feedback, plus as much career training and growth as you desire.

Cons

Physically demanding with entire time spent on your feet.
Minimal labor saving equipment utilized.
Like most retail, required weekend hours.

Advice to Senior Management

Although there is some virtue in keeping things simple, Trader Joe's could benefit by being more open to labor supporting technology. Connecting management and employees through email and social media would facilitate company communication. Equipment investments like conveyor systems at the cash registers would speed check out for customers. Better product handling and shelving systems would reduce wear and tear on employees and improve efficiency.

Pros

They offer flexible hours which is especially helpful if you are a student. They offer top rated benefits which include health, pharmacy, vision and dental coverage. The employee share of the health insurance premium is minimal. They also give you an amount which equals 3-5% (depending on your years of service) in an account for you to draw on for paid days off. Each year the company deposits 15.4% of your gross salary into a retirement account.

Cons

Working weekends is a requirement. Hours can vary. Having an unpredictable schedule from week to week makes it hard to have a normal life.

Advice to Senior Management

If schedules were fixed and more predictable, it would improve the quality of life for the employees especially those that do not make the fantastic salaries of the captains.

Pros

Salary opportunities in trader joes

Cons

Scheduling you for the week

Advice to Senior Management

Dont have power trips.

Pros

Pay, Benefits, Retirement and the freedom to be yourself.

Cons

Central Management focus on selling the changes that need to happen versus being honest why the change needs to occur. It creates lack of trust and supports that the crew are not capable of recognizing they are trying to sell the topic.

Advice to Senior Management

Crew Members may not like change, but as the company grows it has to. Be honest about why changes must occur to continue to grow the company. Those that will baulk at the idea are the ones how are skeptical of change anyway. Try to sell them and they create the negative and unsupported sentiment that under minds that change.

Pros

Overall vibe of the Stores is much better than any other retail job.

Cons

Very intense environment that demands a lot of focus and dedication. As with any retail environment, one is pulled in many different directions throughout the day and you must deal with the frustrations.

Advice to Senior Management

Watch out for the "toe the line" atmosphere that seems to be in play as the Company grows. As people become afraid to say no or that's not a great idea to Senior Management. things get tense. We have a great thing going and at times great never seems to be enough. Adding on more and more expectations makes the Crew very tense. For God's sake, get rid of the asinine Helmsperson role. Stop telling me that sales went up because of it. How in the hell could we have possibly isolated that one thing as being responsible for that when we finally focused on many of the other things that we did at the same time such as keeping the shelves full. This is not a "CEO" bash but rather a comment on people in general and how they are so hesitant to just admit that it was a stupid idea and we just want to get rid of it. I don't think that Dan is being told the true story about how merchandising is letting the stores down on availability of product. Sales are being hindered and the Stores are hamstrung. Regionals are afraid to tell anyone or they will seem like trouble makers. As with many retailers, the Stores are the ones expected to meet a certain standard on in stocks and performance but the rest of the Company is not. It is the long running issue in retail that the face of the Company, the Store, is expected to swallow all of the difficulties where that is the last place that should have to. It seems that, as the Company grows and continues to be wildly successful, everyone want their piece and will not upset the boat in the name of or under the guise of focus and discipline on execution.

Pros

The crew and our development together. The customers and helping them out. The benefits are some of the best you can get anywhere.

Cons

It is sometimes difficult to have a balanced life. Expectations are fair and high. It can be challenging to complete what needs to be done in the time given.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue to invest in our personal development as well as development for the company's sake so we all benefit at the end of the day. The new health plan is a great example of investing in us.

Pros

Good place great environment, great benefits, good community

Cons

not enough hours and physical labor can be strenuous.

Advice to Senior Management

communication about new positions

Pros

Benifits. Good student job. You can move up if you can manage to keep all the balls in the air...

Cons

Favortisism. Management prefers kiss-asses who will do their work for them. New review system for part-timers finds any reason possible to withhold raises. This change has just taken place and unfortunately puts TJ's on the same track as other big corporate grocery retails. Which is selling out employees for more profit. Their trying to sell it as a better method of reviewing employees, but it's nothing more than another move away from being an employee friendly company. Which will eventually come back to bite them in the ass just like it has Safeway... May be the begining of the end of Trader Joe's as we have known it !!!

Advice to Senior Management

Go back to what made you different to start with. The general public is sick of seeing Corporate Greed in action ! Why would you go there ?

Pros

Opportunity to move up in pay quickly. If you are willing to do more than just show-up and punch in and out you'll do well. Yes it's demanding work, yes the hours are tough but you won't find a better benefits package anywhere. Step up to the plate and take an order then move to the next order. Throw ideas for cross-selling and merchandising to your manager. I wrote every order that you can write for four different stores. Take a chance, move on your ideas. Trends are easy to pick-up, move on them while they are HOT. Back off when they turn cold. Keep moving forward...you won't get an opportunity like this at many other companies.

Cons

Very demanding work. Great health insurance that you will need. The saying goes, 'It's not if you'll get hurt at TJ's, it's when." Work safe, lift correctly, ask for help.

Advice to Senior Management

I had 7 different "Captains" (GM's) and 4 different regional mangers. Only one captain wasn't competent. Most were 'old school' captains that respected their crew. In fact, they fought to what was right when corporate was trying to move in the wrong direction in regard to employees.

Pros

I love my full time crew.The store is up beat and the customers love it.

Cons

The stock room is small and sometimes challenging when looking for merchandise.

Advice to Senior Management

Some of your employees are not as wonderful as they appear to be as with any place of employment.