Sears Salaries, Bonuses and Benefits.

What are the average starting salaries, bonuses, benefits and travel requirements like at Sears?

What do you like best about working at Sears? Are there any great perks or special treats for employees?

Very little, no, no, none.

Nothing, No none at all.

Sounds like you work for Sears at a capacity that doesn't suit your needs. So why are you working there?

The Host just asked a question. I work at Sears and I answered correctly about my psition.
Yes your correct it doesn't fit me, but now I know.
Other people that may thing of Sears for a job will now know too, so they don't have to get hired and waste time there to find out.I think thats what these forms are for.

Maybe someone else who works at Sears who gets great starting salaries, great bonuses, great benefits and great travel requirements, who loves to work at Sears with great perks and special treats will make a comment and tell us all about it. , but till then, I'll still be waiting.

I worked for Sears up until about a year ago. Salaries are OK (or at least they were when I started). Raises aren't much. The company is going to more of a "Pay for performance" model, relying more on bonuses than raises to reward people. Bonuses sound nice if you are in a part of the business that is doing well, like Home Services where I worked. Not always good for other parts, like the retail part of the business. Pay for performance also keeps their costs down because base salaries are kept low, slowing down the pace of salary increases over time.

They have been cutting back on benefits the last few years, citing that they need to do so to be competitive with Wal-Mart and other big box retailers. That in essence said to me that Sears really saw the industry benchmark as mediocrity. I understood that they needed to take steps to survive, but I didn't want any part of that sort of attitude. While not the primary reason for my leaving, it was a factor.

Travel really varies depending on position. I personally didn't have to travel that often.

Performance-based commission is the best business model in sales. If there are other depts. in Sears that don't benefit, then hourly is best. But I don't know of any company who will give you a high base salary unless you have 5+ yrs sales exp. w/CONFIRMED track record,unless you're in pharmaceutical sales or a highly specialized area. But they are extremely anal with their reporting. They keep you on a short leash. After training is over, a lot of companies remove the base salary. People who don't do well in the performance-based model are complacent people, or they are just not a food fit for sales. We SELL at Sears. We sell everything. The days of just ringing up the customer are over. I have not worked for Sears before, but I was hired because there was no one qualified to manage with a track record of success. A lot of companies use to just hire from within. This is not the case any more because outsiders can bring in fresh ideas. Sears fell behind with all the home depots and Best Buys etc... They got complacent. But they are positioning themselves to decapitate their competitors. So expect changes in the way they hire and train. Expect changes for the better.

Anonymously said: Sounds like you work for Sears at a capacity that doesn't suit your needs. So why are you working there?

sounds like u work for the corporation..

Host said: What are the average starting salaries, bonuses, benefits and travel requirements like at Sears?
What do you like best about working at Sears? Are there any great perks or special treats for employees?

I can only speak for kmart. bonus whats that. its like pplaying a baseball game and the rules are changed in the ninth

I'm not in management,just a (very over-qualified) sales associate. But, I choose to work at Sears because I want to. I knew what I was getting into when I signed on. The pay is mediocre. What do you expect? Sears is competing with WalMart, Best Buy, HH Gregg, etc., etc. Margins are slim and selling is key. Those who work hard to learn their products, apply sound selling techniques, and generally have a good attitude make decent money (nothing to brag about). But that's what you're signing on for. BTW, I'm actually excited about some of the changes Sears has made recently and are continuing to make that, I believe, are better for the employee and the customer. Question is "Can it still be profitable?" Can't have everything!

Allen in Tennessee in Maryville, Tennessee said: I'm not in management,just a (very over-qualified) sales associate. But, I choose to work at Sears because I want to. I knew what I was getting into when I signed on. The pay is mediocre. What do you expect? Sears is competing with WalMart, Best Buy, HH Gregg, etc., etc. Margins are slim and selling is key. Those who work hard to learn their products, apply sound selling techniques, and generally have a good attitude make decent money (nothing to brag about). But that's what you're signing on for. BTW, I'm actually excited about some of the changes Sears has made recently and are continuing to make that, I believe, are better for the employee and the customer. Question is "Can it still be profitable?" Can't have everything!

I meant to add that I have had good to very good managers (of course their focused on the bottom line, that's what pays the bills). Plus, the atmosphere at our store is fun and laid-back and we're still always ranked as one of the best in the region.

john in Youngstown, Ohio said: sounds like u work for the corporation..

Looks like you need to read the whole statement before commenting.

I just left a management position at Sears. I think that for non-salaried associates, its a fantastic place to work. I do think the company has overloaded their Store Coaches (new name for managers) to the point that they have to choose between being customer or process focused. I love Sears! I hated having to make the decision to leave, but the stress of trying to keep up with both ends with no help from any lead, coordinator or even the Store GM was having an irreparable effect on my health. I hope this company returns to prominence one day, but I hope they dont sacrifice too many people in the process.

It is so bad at my store in East columbus ohio my assentant manger was stealing just to make ends meet . we have a jerk for a distric manger Steve . to be nice this guys is a first class jerk . just a no class jerk . has casued me to loose good employees

I actually like my job at Sears. I work in the lawn and garden department and enjoy it. Co-workers are fun, managers are nice, and business isn't too bad. Of course, it really depends on the store you work in. The store I work in seems to be one of the better ones from the comments I've read on here. I guess it's hit and miss..

Sears cares nothing about long term employees. They are just looking at the bottom line. Be careful, very careful corporate people. You might be next.

To answer you question more directly (what you really wanted to know) the starting wage is $8.00 for a cashier or MCA who cleans out fitting rooms. That's what it is in my area anyhow. Raises aren't so good, I started 4 years ago at 7.00 and now make 8.40 and hour. blah. But hey, I really like the people I work with and I have fun with them. The worst part is dealing with customers... I've never met so many rude people. I had no idea people even acted the way before I started working there.
As far as a carrer there, you COULD climb the ladder...but you'd have to put in a lot of effort and really get lucky before you'd break the 15 dollar per hour mark, which in MN is mediocre pay.

Anonymously in Barrington, Illinois said: Looks like you need to read the whole statement before commenting.

Looks like you need to find something else to do. This forum is set up for different opinions. You do not always have to agree.

Yes the pay is low. But the company allows you to contribute to 401k as a part time person. Also as a part time worker, you get health insurance, with a copay of $15, that's pretty low. Health insurance for 2 people is only $200, comparable plans are 3X that amount. It's not a bad place to work.

JUDITH CHERTES in Some where in USA, Illinois said: Looks like you need to find something else to do. This forum is set up for different opinions. You do not always have to agree.

Why don't you read the dates, maybe this does not apply any more? Why would keep feeding into negative, if u don't like it.

Dental Insurance. What do Sears employees do when they want Dental Insurance?? Please be specific. Thanks in advance.

hi, i would like to know how much sears pay for a part time job in jewelry section in texas?

Just accepted a position in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma said: Performance-based commission is the best business model in sales. If there are other depts. in Sears that don't benefit, then hourly is best. But I don't know of any company who will give you a high base salary unless you have 5+ yrs sales exp. w/CONFIRMED track record,unless you're in pharmaceutical sales or a highly specialized area. But they are extremely anal with their reporting. They keep you on a short leash. After training is over, a lot of companies remove the base salary. People who don't do well in the performance-based model are complacent people, or they are just not a food fit for sales. We SELL at Sears. We sell everything. The days of just ringing up the customer are over. I have not worked for Sears before, but I was hired because there was no one qualified to manage with a track record of success. A lot of companies use to just hire from within. This is not the case any more because outsiders can bring in fresh ideas. Sears fell behind with all the home depots and Best Buys etc... They got complacent. But they are positioning themselves to decapitate their competitors. So expect changes in the way they hire and train. Expect changes for the better.

Performance based pay commission is only good if you've got a good manager, and many of us don't. My department pays straight commission (no base or hourly wage) plus a bonus. The problem is we don't get a protected territory, and many managers just keep hiring and hiring as many people as they can get because they don't have to pay us unless we sell... kind of like a restaurant manager who hires 50 servers and then just gives each server 1 table. The customer gets serviced the same, but the employees don't get the opportunity to make much of anything.

Bonus is based on sales numbers, but there is a minimum amount of work you have to meet to qualify, and when managers over hire then nobody in their department qualifies.

It's an o.k. second job for me. The hours are flexible but can't live off it for an only job.

Anonymously in Rockford, Illinois said: Why don't you read the dates, maybe this does not apply any more? Why would keep feeding into negative, if u don't like it.

People are feeding into negative because this is still a democracy. If you don't like it change the station.

Sissy in Rochester, New York said: The Host just asked a question. I work at Sears and I answered correctly about my psition.
Yes your correct it doesn't fit me, but now I know.
Other people that may thing of Sears for a job will now know too, so they don't have to get hired and waste time there to find out.I think thats what these forms are for.

Maybe someone else who works at Sears who gets great starting salaries, great bonuses, great benefits and great travel requirements, who loves to work at Sears with great perks and special treats will make a comment and tell us all about it. , but till then, I'll still be waiting.

I worked for them as well and the company is having a lot of issues. I held a corporate position and relized the company is pretty bad off. The CEO just quit...go figure

That is the funniest thing i have all day. I work for electronics over at Sears and I do my job very well. But, any idoit can ring up a tv but, selling the service and selling it truthfully is the hard part.
Sears is currently hiring anyone that can count till at least 5 and is between the ages of 17 and 21. No prior work experience is necessary. They will hire at least 2x-3x the amount of people they need to for any sales department anytime of the year with these applicants hoping that something will stick. They also expect the seasoned associates to train these associates how to sell which I WILL NOT DO because they are my competition and plus I am not a babysitter.

I worked for Sears up until 6 months ago as a cashier. I can tell you that overall, there is very little the company does to keep employees happy, but that if you work at a location with good managers it can be different. At the Sears I worked at you were payed minimum wage and there are NO raises for cashiers. They will tell you this is because you can really "earn as much as you want" by selling credit-apps to people (you got $2 per app and had to get atleast 5 per month to receive the bonus). There were only a few people at my store who were really good at it and most did not even get enough to see the bonus money, but if your gifted at pushing plastic (ack!), good for you?

At my store the store manager was pretty nice as long as you did what she wanted, and if you got 100% on a customer satisfaction survey she would give you a large bar of chocolate. Obviously not company-wide policy, but just trying to rove the point that it can depend on your management.

I ultimately decided to leave though because I hated selling credit cards to people I knew would only get into more debt from them, and because I didn't like that even though I worked so hard to be an excellent cashier, it was still all based on the numbers and if you didn't sell enough protection plans (another rip off) you would get disciplined. And on top of that they expect you to come in on your spare time to do computer training (you always have more to do), but never actually tell you that you are supposed to and then get mad when you don't. And a LOT more reasons.

But I do have to say that many of the people I worked with were great.

Sears tries to stay competitive with other retail chains, you get out the job what you put in the job, when I started I was part time and in a six year time span I have been promoted to senior level management, some of my peers have taken twice as long to accomplish this... retail is just that retail... there are long hours and if your family is more important to you (which it should be) then retail in general should not be the job for you.

I worked for Sears for 8 months. My store manager realized that if his commission sales people did the job he would save money. Why have an salaried person do the job when a commission person can do it. Sears wouldn't lose money, just the commission sales person. When challenged on this policy, the store manager told us that we came to Sears for a job, they didn't come to us.
You work about 25 hours a week and will bring home about $800 a month. On commission, you make 6% of anything you sell. You sell $100 then you get $6. If you sell a credit card application you get a $4 bonus after your fifth credit card app for the month. On average Sears makes $700 in the first 6 months on a new credit card. So after you have made Sears $4200 you get $4.
I was fired for challenging a store policy on handling a certain type of order. Apparently you can't ask questions at Sears either.

I worked for Sears home improvement for 6 months. I drove an average of 1,750 miles per week was put up in Hotels in another state for nine weeks with no other living expenses taken care of. It finaly came to all of our attention if you sell they will not pay you, if you put in a discrepency they will ignore it until it is over the 30 day grace period they give you and the say sorry there is nothing we can do because its past the 30 days. Their policy is basically there to screw the sales rep everybody gets paid except the sales rep. they allow for the contractors to bill for anything they feel and then charge the sales rep. In the last six months I sold over 650k of product after they cancelled jobs because the contractor thinks they are to far away when all is said and done I have netted 440,000 in gross sales with an average of 10% commission I should have earned 44,000 nope they have only paid me 29,000 and this weeks bucks report states I owe them get this $47.00 I have only been paid 420.00 in the last six weeks although i can prove i am still owed $4,970 in just bussiness that has already been installed they tell me that it is waiting for funding to pay them but the customers all paid cash 3 months ago.

Host said: What are the average starting salaries, bonuses, benefits and travel requirements like at Sears?

What do you like best about working at Sears? Are there any great perks or special treats for employees?

the average travel is suppose to be 1250 miles per week, they just started paying mileage at 20 cents a mile as of novemebr 2008. beware of what product they have you sell hvac is a total wast of time, you make half the money as a kitchen, siding or windows rep yet you do 5 times more travel and have that many more expenses.

Your PA's SUCK

Host said: What are the average starting salaries, bonuses, benefits and travel requirements like at Sears?

What do you like best about working at Sears? Are there any great perks or special treats for employees?

i want to know .

I have been working for sears now for a year and a half,,I use to love going to work but as the days go on I hate it more and more,they dont care about the customers they dont care about the workers,,all they care about is numbers,,P.A. s is their number 1 if you dont buy a P.A they wont make sure you get the best service if your appliance fails!!! you want to cancel a pa they tell you to call the 800 number b/c canceling it in the store brings the store numbers down, with everything thats going on in the world sears needs to be happy the doors are still open,,but it you get a sale without a P.A. you get hammered then if you get the P.A, wHAT ABOUT INSTALL? CREDIT? oh and now scats [when the customers fills out the online survey]P.A. brings the big guys bonuses...not all are we sales reps we are also cleaning crew[we do that for free]

I have been working for sears now for a year and a half,,I use to love going to work but as the days go on I hate it more and more,they dont care about the customers they dont care about the workers,,all they care about is numbers,,P.A. s is their number 1 if you dont buy a P.A they wont make sure you get the best service if your appliance fails!!! you want to cancel a pa they tell you to call the 800 number b/c canceling it in the store brings the store numbers down, with everything thats going on in the world sears needs to be happy the doors are still open,,but it you get a sale without a P.A. you get hammered then if you get the P.A, wHAT ABOUT INSTALL? CREDIT? oh and now scats [when the customers fills out the online survey]P.A. brings the big guys bonuses...not all are we sales reps we are also cleaning crew[we do that for free]

Special treats? lol thats funny,,,maybe the specail treat would be them hiring more sales reps to fill the floor and fight to make a pay check,,,we stand there 9 hrs a day with 6 other reps on weekdays and way more on the weekends
Like I said I use to love working there but as the days go on the more greed and less care for the customers and workers I see.

dos of illinois in chicago, Illinois said: Sears tries to stay competitive with other retail chains, you get out the job what you put in the job, when I started I was part time and in a six year time span I have been promoted to senior level management, some of my peers have taken twice as long to accomplish this... retail is just that retail... there are long hours and if your family is more important to you (which it should be) then retail in general should not be the job for you.

You say you were promoted for hard work, good. But also your peers and bosses were quitting and opening up positions above normal. I worked for Sears, I know much of their "employee retention initiatives" which is to force employees out and hire new ones.