REI Reviews

Pros

Good relationships to be built with your coworkers If you can get insurance it is very good, but it takes time to achieve. Management was wonderful. Coworkers were helpful. Work/life balance was important for management. Management will treat you well. You can make a lifetime career out of your time at REI. It just depends on what you want to do with it.

Cons

Pay is low. When you are working part time you cannot expect large paychecks. It simply does not make sense. It takes a year to be qualified for insurance or tuition reimbursement, then you have to maintain weekly hours to keep it. The rare rude customer can be annoying but they aren's a deal breaker.

Pros

You work with really cool people

Cons

I can't think of any

Pros

-401K for part time folks (it is an amazing benefit as a college student) -REI employees actually LIVE the core values of the company. There is so much RESPECT and INTEGRITY -Decent pay as a student working part time -Amazing customer base. -It is great to work with such a great return policy because you really get the opportunity to help customers out. -Discounts are pretty good (if you like outdoor stuff) -Award...

Cons

I honestly don't have many bad things to say about REI. It really holds a special place in my heart. I suppose one con is membership sales. Not that they are very pushy or anything but they sometimes keep employees just because they can sell a lot of memberships.

Advice to Management

It isn't really much advice for management as much as it is to HQ. Work harder to promote the people who want to be loyal to you. I have wanted and would still love to stay with REI in a professional capacity but it's a narrow road with a pretty rugged path. I'm still trying though!

Pros

The people. Everyone I work with lives and breathes the products and services they are selling. The amount of product knowledge and experience due in part to great training programs, is really a few steps ahead of competitors. Everyone is very welcoming and friendly, to the point that you begin to develop true friendship with your coworkers. You get the sense that REI employees want to be there. REI's company goals in...

Cons

Compensation quite low/not livable in my opinion. Unpredictable hours make work/life balance a challenge. Slow advancement unless you are on a management track.

Pros

Cool products, awesome employee discounts, fun work events and coworkers

Cons

sometimes management can be neglectful

Pros

Collaborate work space and flexible hours, great culture as well as benefits ranging from product discounts to health insurance and 401k

Cons

Overall positive work experience, no cons

Advice to Management

Management needs to keep up the good work and maintain the REI culture

Pros

Friendly coworkers, great gear discounts, relevant industry to personal interests.

Cons

Single-minded focus on converting customers to members.

Pros

-Outstanding benefits, even for part-time employees -Great discounts -Amazing co-workers and even most of the customers are out of the ordinary retail people. -Yay Days and #OptOutside changed my life.

Cons

-Pay and hours structure leaves little room for growth. -The schedule is in-line with retail and has a bit of randomness which makes holding a second job difficult. -"Full Time" entry-level positions are still not a living wage. -Management/Admin positions seem to be the only ones that actually pay well.

Advice to Management

Enable ALL of your full-time employees to make a living wage and work towards regular hours for people who hold a second job in order to make ends meet.