Chico's FAS Employee Reviews about "people"

Pros

The people are very friendly and helpful

Cons

Upper management changes a lot, causing change after change

Pros

Decent associate discounts. Great customers.

Cons

The more you give, the more is expected or required of you. Lots of burnout of staff. Upper management just doesn't care about anything but the bottom dollar. They often hire store managers with little or no real people management skills. Often stores are in constant disruption of having huge turnover of staff. Poor planning and communication to stores. Minute to minute changes of displays and promotions. Management says a lot about values but practices at the store level often leave people working most nights and weekends for weeks on end.

Pros

Wonderful clientele. Great team to work with on the store level! Generous discount and bonus structure! Upper management wants you to succeed and strives to support you! Great work/life balance!

Cons

Expectation of outreach events and appointments is unreasonable. Clients want to shop on a whim. A few enjoy making an appointment to have extra attention, but most are not used to or want to set up an appointment. In fact, they feel pressured when asked. Also, while special events on a limited basis interest our clientele, regular ones on a weekly basis make it seem less special. True outreach to get new clientele requires us to send people out of the store. Perhaps we could hire an outreach person per district to go to networking events and professional organizations. You should also consider directing dollars to join local business organizations, such as the chamber of commerce, to gain access to the professional women's organizations.

Pros

Coworkers are genuinely helpful and there are some smart people here... or used to be

Cons

Pay well under market value, will not promote you no matter how well you perform, terrible judgement when it comes to hiring managers, directors, etc... not very strategic, always scrambling, pivoting, and reacting and trying to pass it off as innovation. Super late in the game on basic things. Extremely understaffed where it's needed. I could go on... Senior leaders keep hiring their friends and don't hold them to the same level of accountability as other employees. Everyone I know is looking for other opportunities because we are overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated- leaders seem to think that 'appreciation' is a shoutout. If you're looking for real appreciation- i.e. career advancement opportunities, promotions where promotions are due, or market rate compensation- look elsewhere. Since the huge staff cuts this year, there are gaping holes still left unfilled. There is no barrier whatsoever between senior leaders and lower level staff, leaving employees feeling vulnerable to out of touch leaders who gush over "huge profits" in one breath and lament over budget in the next. Just know that when it comes to shareholders, we're doing great and when it comes to employees, we're understaffed, underpaid, and under-resourced. HR is probably going to respond to this, but people have been dropping like flies and there's been no real effort to improve retention.

Pros

I was allowed to work over the summer and during University breaks, so I always had a job to go home to. They helped me and I helped them. I liked most of the people I worked with and most of the managers were friendly and flexible. It was easy to request days off as needed or to switch shifts with other employees as needed. You are told at the beginning of your shift what your goals are for the day and exactly what is expected of you. I enjoyed my time there for the most part. Competitive wages for a retail job, paid more than minimum wage (approximately $9.50/hr to start back in 2008), small bonus for meeting goals, and raises almost every year across the board.

Cons

The only thing I did not like about working for Chico's was they were very focused on individual sales goals. They did not encourage teamwork. It caused some competitiveness and cattiness between employees as they compete for the customer that looked like they would buy the most, while customers only shopping the clearance section were mostly ignored. I had a coworker (who had more seniority and experience than me) argue with me in front of a customer that I was trying to steal her sales and I think this is an embarrassment to the company, I was just trying to serve the customer and do my job.

Pros

Lenient time off Great location for relaxed lifestyle and sun

Cons

Work life balance is lacking people work about 4 more hours daily than in nyc offices

Pros

Good discount and great customers

Cons

The company has definitely changed for worst. The starting hourly pay has gone down significantly as well as the bonus/commission structure. Revolving door with staff. Also, some members of management are very unprofessional. Gossiping and cliques are normal behaviors for the store. You can't make money if you don't have a happy and competent staff. And you can't have a great staff if you're not willing to pay for and train quality people. Moral is at an all time low. The store manager needs to go! Get it together!!!

Pros

Lovely people and a genuine effort to collaborate. On-site exercise facility and cafeterias.

Cons

Constant change in direction and goals. Meetings about meetings. Enormous turnover at every level. (People are relocated to Ft. Myers, hate it and leave as soon as they hit their 2 year mark—if not before.) Leadership plays favorites. Poor salaries. Constant re-orgs. New senior management brings in their own people and let's current employees go at a whim. No respect for outside opinions. Attempt to rebrand every season. Inability to determine who our customer is and what she wants. Long hours. While so far staved off, private equity is circling.

Pros

Living in Florida and waking up to sunshine only!

Cons

Awful job, very unorganized company. People are fearful for their jobs as this is the only company in apparel in Ft Meyers. People will throw you under the bus to save their job. Horrible!! don't believe the hype of any recruiter they will tell you everything you want to hear.Once they have you , your stuck because they make you sign a contract....if you decide to join, go as a part timer and do not sign a contract!!

Pros

Not having to drive into the city for work.

Cons

Can be laid off every 6 months. Corporate office was taking over by new people over two years ago and cut great workers and brought in all their friends. No growth, you will not only do the same work, but get more duties for same pay. Pay raises the same across the board, no matter how hard you work or don't.