Whole Foods Reviews

Current Employee – been working at Whole Foods

Pros – The pay is ok, and my coworkers are friendly. Hard work seems to be recognized for the most part. Amazing selection of food to shop for after work with your discount.

Cons – Constant deliberate labor shortages leave one feeling as if they are just barely scraping by. Not a tremendous sense of job security.

Advice to Senior Management – Stop pushing for ever-smaller labor budgets, especially as a store is opening to mixed customer service reviews. Plentiful workers are happy and serve customers better.

Current Employee – been working at Whole Foods

Pros – Great co-workers! I hang out with many of my Team Members outside of work and my first boss is now my best friend. No drug testing. Personable customers. Great food! Time goes by quick.

Cons – There are a lot of people who just suck at managing people. I've learned to be a great boss by observing these sloths and doing the exact opposite. Gossip!

Advice to Senior Management – Please read and take action on our Leader surveys! I know a few people who scored terribly low (my Team Leader and Store Team Leader) and they still have jobs. Why even have the survey if you do nothing with the information?

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Whole Foods

Pros – The overall benefits are good. the pay and time off is a big boost to morale. there is a lot of transparency in how the company runs.

Cons – There are only two stores in our city. Therefore if you wish to move up you may have to move out.

Advice to Senior Management – Stop piling on "weekly sales" without advertising. Have a more centralized and distributed consistant recipe guide.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Whole Foods

Pros – a lot of diversity among the employees
good health benefits
convenient to work in a grocery store, always bring shopping home

Cons – working in a grocery store doesn't allow a lot of room for intellectual growth
i want more money than WFM offers

Advice to Senior Management – it is normal for a company's culture to shift over time as it gets larger, but don't lose sight of some of the things that make WFM a good company still

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Whole Foods

Pros – A supportive environment.
Values driven
Employee centric

Cons – Pay can be a bit lower than industry standards.
Poor performing employees are able to stick around

Advice to Senior Management – Review compensation structure. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Whole Foods

Pros – great environment for foodies.
lots of ways to grow and learn new skills.
job can be very flexible if you need that.
great employees
discount of healthy stuff!
very supportive of students.
supportive and understanding when crappy customers complain.

Cons – benefits could be better.
constant threats of cutbacks due to low sales, yet new stores are popping up everywhere, taking job hours away from many loyal employees who view their position as their long term career choice.

Advice to Senior Management – we know the company is doing phenomenal, stop putting pressure on middle management to streamline employees and cut budgets. bring back celebrating diversity to the job.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Whole Foods

Pros – The management team is great. They listen to any concerns employeees may have. My fellow employees are really friendly and more than willing to lend a hand when needed.

Cons – I know $9 an hour is considered good pay compared to a lot of other places, but for the amount of work we do, the pay should be more. But I guess that's just a drawback of Capitalism.

Advice to Senior Management – Either higher pay or hire more employees. Other, than that, I have no complaints. I must say, however, I do not agree with Mackey's stance on healthcare.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Whole Foods

Pros – I love my customers, I love and believe in the things whole foods say what they stand for. I Love my co workers 97% of them. Hate no one. I was once very proud of saying I worked here. I love the job I do and the customer are happy with me and that feels great. When everything is going great for your boss things are the best.
  I love the benefits people are crazy if they say other wise. Show me were its better. This is the best company ever.

Cons – Some come to work, work hard and please customers. One rotten apple appears(co workers),will you know the saying. You pay for what other co workers or superiors do. If your boss doesn't do his/or her job or doesn't follow the rules even if you cant say or do anything you'll pay. Blame rolls down hill. Lower management blocks you from upper management. We all sign" at will papers "ya know. And some how the people that really care pay while fast talk gets your superior passed under or over or a free ticket. You have no one to get legal whole foods advice from. And no training to what you can or should do,...Thrown to the wolves and the slipperiest snake gets out. For the most part ,as i see it at this moment. The open door is steel and very heavy and quit a few people, well you know. And some can't find it. There are to many people here that are not passionate about the things the company stands for.People are hurting begging for help they cry quietly because they fear they will loss their job. we are push into situation, tough ones without relief,, then shoot down when the best don't come out. Even when we ask for help we are ignored. I keep holding out faith that some how a few bad ones got pass my store leader and he didn't get where he is because he doesn't care or wont see the truth. Although I feel cut off from him he seem to be a good person.

Advice to Senior Management – If you find the real bad apple the bushel will stop rotting. If you find the ones that are passionate about there job and the belief system wholes foods says they stand for,your store will rocket up to the moon and your people will work to the bone for you and believe in all you do even if they are not sure why. If people are afraid they wont talk and they don't feel good about their job or the core values, something will suffer. Your money comes from the people, the people in direct contact with them are your biggest value. They should be first on the list not ever the last. People need more training on all levels of jobs,, do's and don't's before things happen. This store could be greater.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Whole Foods

Pros – Employee Discount, No accountability in your job, 35-40 hour work weeks, good benefits, Austin is a fun city, and the mission of Whole Foods is pretty cool (too bad it is just a facade).

Cons – Sr. Management is a joke. John Mackey surrounds himself with like-minded hippies who are still living in the late 80's when it comes to doing business today. Plus, Mr. Mackey has embarassed the company publicly on several occasions. Leadership is very secretive about future plans internally. One day you may have a job and the next, it may be eliminated. There is no accountability for mistakes or bad decisions for leadership, yet entry-level and associates at the HQ are held to a higher standard. Promotions are all from within and you need to think in the box, follow directions for 15 years, bite your tongue, just to be considered for a leadership position. Everyone is homegrown at the store which means you are surrounded at HQ by some pretty cool people but without enough formal education to do it right, and relatively little experience outside of Whole Foods.

As a professional, my career at Whole Foods was challenging on one front - Deal with the drama. Other than that, I feel I languished because there is lack of opportunity, a myopic perspective, and a military-like chain of command.

Advice to Senior Management – Get rid of John Mackey and clean house with the Sr. Leadership. Someone needs to run this company with applicable experience running a fortune 500 public company. There needs to be new blood. Times have changed and you are now mainstream. There needs to be a different train of thought and not the same shameful tactics employed by used-car dealers.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Whole Foods

Pros – looks like it might be a good work environment, fun, and potentially present opportunities down the road. I am looking forward to it.

Cons – Pay seems a little low. Note sure about exact career path. Aside from that everything seems to be pretty well done.

Advice to Senior Management – I guess is I was management I'd try to continue to increase the value that their team members provide to clients and customers.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend