Whole Foods Reviews

Pros

Good benefits I understand (although they don't cover a pre-existing condition)
20% discount
Casual workplace
Team members I've worked with are generally very likeable

Cons

Unfortunately, I see a lot of favoritism and empty threats. Every day I do to work, I hear something along the lines of getting yelled at, getting written up or getting fired. When I first started working here, I was super impressed with the work ethic until I realized fear is the main motivator...

Advice to Senior Management

Positive feedback goes a long way. Unfortunately, all I ever hear is threats of being fired, written up or getting yelled at. Maybe it is just my store but if John Mackey wants to build a company based on love and respect, he should probably look at how individual stores are managed.

Pros

Great policies that incent employees to work hard and support each other. Good food served there. Immediate feedback on a job well done. Fast paced retail environment with interactive customers.

Cons

Pay is not too high. Offices are crowded and interruptions happen often.

Advice to Senior Management

Set really clear boundaries for middle managers. Avoid mixed messages for Team member level employees. Every power struggle spends energy that could be going into profits. Make gain sharing a little more fair. e.g. if Whole Body always does great and prepared foods doesn't (one requires much more labor to make and sell product.) Rotate teams through both or combine for gainsharing.

Pros

Benefits package
Hourly pay higher than I would get elsewhere
Great, interesting coworkers
Working with talented people with best food and products anywhere

Cons

Some workers are kept around to fill a niche within the department though they really are not great workers
Nepotism
Panel interview process sometimes seems as a waste of time when decision has already been made who will get the job
Very difficult to move up within company

Advice to Senior Management

Keep being supportive and insuring talented team members stay on with the company. Find more ways to connect with team members to insure communication and team member happiness.

Pros

Education, product and health knowledge, discount, great people, Tons of growth opportunity

Cons

You must be very dedicated to move up, and it usually takes time because they want to know how bad you want it, and they want to make sure you are ready to move up

Advice to Senior Management

:)

Pros

- Life/Work balance: You decide your schedule and you work only those hours.
- Knowledge: You learn a lot about food, nutrition and health.
- Benefits package is very good.

Cons

- Not career growth options unless you move into Marketing or other In-Store department.
- Low salary.
- Repetitive work.

Advice to Senior Management

I wish regional management was more consistent with programs. They try too many things all at the same time without a very clear direction. This causes waste of time and work.
I would like to see that the eco-frendly image of the company was applied more consciously and the interior of the company. There is a lot of food/product waste as well as not very environmentally friendly consumption of office supplies and non recyclable materials.

Pros

Very challenging but very rewarding. It's a stressful job but you are all in it together and that makes it great.

Cons

Sometimes the customers can be a bit of a challenge. You have to really love working with the public.

Pros

Good benefits, decent salary, great people, 20 percent employee discount and they are good about promoting from within.

Cons

Short breaks, long hours at times, training use improvement.

Advice to Senior Management

Time for training could be improved by increasing it especially for employees moving up in the company.

Pros

The environment was great, great people and very interesting. Time goes by fast- even on long shifts. You don't dread going to work.

Cons

As with most jobs, compensation could be better. Of course, the customers are sometimes frustrating- the job requires you to have patience.

Advice to Senior Management

Overall, I was satisfied. It was a great first job to have and definitely broadened my work experience as well as skills.

Pros

discounts at mac like 300 dollars off new computer, 7.50 movies tickets and a lot lots more

Cons

flexible schedule that can have you working till 11:30 pm. some employees are lazy!

Pros

Higher pay than most in retail. Knowledge and information on food. Co-workers and supervisors aren't so bad, and generally most people on the staff are great. You meet some really awesome people. And the customers seem to become real familiar in a way I don't see in most grocery stores. Can be best bet for a student, especially one that's more careful of what they eat. 20% of expensive food is still expensive, but at least it's something. It's a place I'm not ashamed to say I work, haha.

Cons

It's retail. You still get crappy customers, random hours that change a lot without working out in a cycle of sorts. There's favoritism. Pretty much all the cons of working in a fast paced retail environment, but maybe a little better because you're getting paid more than the bare minimum.