Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's Employee Reviews
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Crew member
Crew Member (Current Employee) – Reston, VA – February 7, 2018
I am a crew member at TJ's.
It is a fun easy job if you like people. If you don't like people, do something else. If you do, you will enjoy it. also stocking is like being paid to do light exercise.
It is a fun easy job if you like people. If you don't like people, do something else. If you do, you will enjoy it. also stocking is like being paid to do light exercise.
Pros
lots of snacks
Cons
retail and relatively low pay
Management can make it either great or terrible
Crew Member and Department Manager (Current Employee) – Saint Petersburg, FL – October 29, 2018
-Well-rounded workday because no one is on register or stocking all day; everyone does a mix of both.
-I learned to receive daily truck shipments, unload pallets, track inventory, write orders, merchandise sections.
-Management varies widely from store to store and will 100% determine your work experience. Bright side: managers review you every six months and you review them every year, and they can be transferred to other locations frequently by the company.
-Workplace culture can be overly laidback or overly micromanaging depending on management.
-The hardest part of the job is managing interpersonal interactions.
-The most enjoyable part of the job is the variety of tasks and the amount of personable freedom rather than being chained to a register.
-I learned to receive daily truck shipments, unload pallets, track inventory, write orders, merchandise sections.
-Management varies widely from store to store and will 100% determine your work experience. Bright side: managers review you every six months and you review them every year, and they can be transferred to other locations frequently by the company.
-Workplace culture can be overly laidback or overly micromanaging depending on management.
-The hardest part of the job is managing interpersonal interactions.
-The most enjoyable part of the job is the variety of tasks and the amount of personable freedom rather than being chained to a register.
Pros
good benefits
Love it!
Customer Service Clerk, Management (Current Employee) – Silver Spring, MD – November 14, 2018
I have worked for Trader Joe's since 2004 with one short break when I stepped down from management to have my kids. I have worked there part-time since with an average of 30 to 40 hours per week. Some of my co-workers work fewer hours than that and are still able to work consistently. TJ's is a great place to work, especially as a first job. There are multiple food tastings for crew and depending on what store you work at, there are store events that help bring the crew together. I highly recommend giving this one a shot.
Pros
flexible hours, bi-annual raises, free vision and dental benefits, 10% discounts, Food
Cons
can be busy, lots of standing and lifting
Challenging but fun environment working with a diverse staff.
Manager Assistant (Former Employee) – Palmdale, CA – December 13, 2018
Learned about food quality, customer satisfaction standards, time-management and physical demand. Got the opportunity to sample products regularly, depending on Management staff. Typical day would be repetitive work, depending on management staff. Workplace culture was work hard and smart or one ends up running register most of their shift. Hardest part was getting time off for the holidays, most enjoyable was trying new products.
Great place to work if you're a student or have a family.
Crew Member (Former Employee) – San Jose, CA – July 21, 2018
I worked for Trader Joe's for ten years and it was quite the fun adventure. I enjoyed the culture in the early years of my Trader Joe's career but as time passed the company started to change and become less of a mom and pop store.
I transferred from my store in San Jose, California to the store In Fort Collins, Colorado. The culture at the new store wasn't as welcoming as the store back in California. It made me feel like it was time to end my ten-year streak and find something that speaks to my passions and interests.
I recommend this company to those that need health insurance for their family or if you're a student who needs a semi-temporary job.
I transferred from my store in San Jose, California to the store In Fort Collins, Colorado. The culture at the new store wasn't as welcoming as the store back in California. It made me feel like it was time to end my ten-year streak and find something that speaks to my passions and interests.
I recommend this company to those that need health insurance for their family or if you're a student who needs a semi-temporary job.
Pros
Great first job
Cons
schedules, benefits
One of the best places to work retail
Crew Member (Current Employee) – Brookline, MA – July 11, 2018
The team-oriented and supportive culture makes the work experience stand out. Managers are superb. The responsibilities change with the hour and the day, so crew members have a chance to learn a wide range of tasks and skills. It can be physically demanding, however, the crew is urged to ask for help and told not to exceed their abilities. The store has an excellent customer base, only a limited number of tough customers. Pay and benefits are well above average. If you apply, you will quickly learn why Trader Joe's employees seem happier than those elsewhere--it's not faked. It's a great corporate culture and workplace. You can learn what it's like to be on a team where folks have your back, and you have theirs.
Pros
corporate culture, management, team support
Cons
Can be physically demanding
Worst place I have ever worked
Sales Associate (Current Employee) – Pasadena, CA – January 9, 2019
They talk a good talk but do exactly the opposite. Management frowns upon initiative and punishes through bad reviews and no salary raise as well as reduced hours, which eliminate people from their health insurance plan. The only way to stay employed is to endure constant mental and verbal abuse by up to four daily managers who watch every move you make.
Pros
part time
Cons
Management
Had potential to be a great place to work. Poor management mucked it up!
Customer service (Former Employee) – Colonie, NY – September 23, 2018
Came into work, managers didn't care what I had to say. Mixed day of working register and working product. I learned that management is very important and can easily NOT work. The culture of TJs is, if you're not friends with everyone, you're the outsider. If you're not friends with the manager, you're criticized much harder. There's no room in a job to play favorites. The hardest part of the job was watching my "associates" do very little work for the same, or even more pay, and then have to listen to scrutiny about how I could do a better job. The most enjoyable parts were the few people that held the place together. Some good friends came out of that place. We really worked hard, yet were rarely rewarded for it.
Pros
Hour lunch
Cons
Only an hour lunch, no other mandated breaks
fast-paced, fun work environment with amazing co workers mostly
Assistant Manager (Current Employee) – Federal Way, WA – October 5, 2018
Working for trader joe's for six years gave me a lot of new interpersonal skills as well as helped me to develop skills i already had. I love the people I've gotten the opportunity to work alongside as well.
Pros
benefits, fun atmosphere and cool people
Cons
Long hours short turn-arounds and such varying pay among management staff.
Fast paced teamwork environment
Mate (Former Employee) – Monrovia, CA – November 26, 2018
Trader Joe's has a very strong company culture and identity. There is a big emphasis on hands on training that is ongoing for all employees. From the entry level up through management all employees are held to high standards of integrity and workmanship in their day to day. Employees are expected to keep seeking out ways to improve their work and the company at large. Corporate welcomes ideas not only from entry level employees but from customers as well. For the sake of the growth of the company they make great efforts to listen to the the needs of employees and customers. Quality of life is a big consideration. The amount of paid time off each employee is allowed is huge, and increases with more hours worked. The most difficult part of the job is dealing with customers that take advantage of just how far TJ's will go to provide amazing customer service. People return product that is long expired, or plants they've killed, or empty bottles of shampoo they've used, etc. Customers will abandon responsibility of their children while in the store, confident that the employees will babysit the kids and keep them out of trouble. For the most part the customers are great, but being so giving opens the door for the few opportunistic ones to take advantage.
Pros
great benefits and insurance
Cons
management is VERY competitive
productive and fun family workplace
Lead Sign Artist (Current Employee) – Gaithersburg, MD – August 1, 2018
I love coming to work everyday and seeing my regulars and family coworkers everyday. I think the Art Department needs to have an Art Director Position with competitive pay and degree requirements for the laughable introduction pay and workload requirements. It has amazing benefits and the management is understanding and overall amazing. I've learned above and beyond the amount I thought I could learn at a grocery store.
Pros
free lunch, free water, gym membership, free dental, free eyecare
Cons
pay
Warm and Welcoming environment to be working at.
Section Leader (Current Employee) – Plainview, NY – September 25, 2018
Trader Joe's working environment is like working with a family. Everyone helps each other out. It is a fun place to work. We all joke that working there is equivalent to attend a "therapy session" since we all talk about our problems to each other. However, it is labor intensive and gets pretty stressful during busy times. Nevertheless, you can always count on the support from management team. I would recommend Trader Joe's to job seekers but be ready to roll your sleeves up and so some hardcore laboring tasks.
Pros
Get a good work out while getting paid. Good benefits.
Cons
Easy to get hurt.
Excellent work experience
Picker/Packer (Former Employee) – Lacey, WA – January 6, 2019
Workdays were fast paced and fun and provided a lot of exercise if you really put the grind to the gear, the management was on top of their training and always respectful to their employee's, the culture was welcoming and no one looked down at you which was amazing, the hardest part was getting done early and having to go home, and the most enjoyable part for me was how competitive it was there and all the friends I had made during my time there.
Pros
Discounts within Trader Joe's
Cons
Tipping over your EPJ
Great work environment
Crew Member (Former Employee) – Tustin, CA – November 15, 2018
Each Crew Member was given a new task every hour to keep the day from getting boring. Most enjoyable part of the job was working working a section of the store and being responsible for keeping it stocked and looking nice. Management was respectful, kind and helpful. Worst part of the job was working registered with lots of repetitive motions. I learned Teamwork, working efficiently, Customer Service.
Pros
Well paid, Great Management, Full-time, Good Benefits
Cons
Work most holidays and weekends
Quickpaced work environment
CREW MEMBER (Former Employee) – New York, NY – August 15, 2018
Working at Trader Joe's I learned about the sense of urgency it takes to work in customer service. Having to cater to so many customers at once can be stressful. The easiest part of the job was the work as far as working the cash register and stocking shelves. The hardest part of the job was accommodating to the customers when the store was very busy.
Pros
Discounts and raises
Cons
Management
Great place to work in the retail industry
Mate (Former Employee) – Hollywood, CA – July 7, 2018
Trader Joe’s is a great place to work if you are willing to put in the time , effort , and dedication to culture and core values. If you enjoy working with public and with others as a team this is a great place to work at. For crew members the pay is competitive but once you are promoted as a mate / Manager the pay and over all package is even better .
Pros
Great place to begin a career in retail management.
Cons
Must be willing to play the game of politics and never voice your opinion unless asked .
Fun and exciting place to work
Crew Member (Current Employee) – Fresno, CA – January 9, 2019
I enjoy working with and for the members Trader Joe's. The company as a whole is a great place to be. Working in a Trader Joe's store will tune your customer relation skills or you will decide that a customer engaged career is not for you. Either way this work environment will help you define yourself in the workforce.
Pros
great benefits, great work environment, major holidays are yours
Cons
not enough full time employees, variable work hours and days.
Fun, fast-paced, and physically active workplace
Crew Member (Former Employee) – Bellevue, WA – September 19, 2018
I had loved working for the company. The co-workers I had were incredible and most often hippie/ healthy. The environment was fast-paced and full of physical activity. Management is very encouraging and understanding. Hardest part of the job for me was how physically demanding it was, I have scoliosis and it imposed on my health often. Most enjoyable part was the team as a whole, everyone supported everyone to become a better version of themselves.
Pros
Fun and competitive
Cons
Physically demanding
repetative
Grocer (Former Employee) – Federal Way, WA – September 27, 2018
For a grocery/retail type of job it's not bad. The paid time-off is terrible, but the medical benefits are good, along with the retirement contributions. They are continuing to become more "corporate" though. To go into management and make good money, the requirements are awful; each week you start with a 10 hour closing shift (1-11pm) and end with an opening shift (4am-2pm), and are on your feet the whole time.
Pros
Good medical benefits
Cons
Horrible paid time off, and horrible requirements to go into management.
This is a terrific job for anybody of any age.
Crew Member (Former Employee) – Saugus, MA – April 30, 2018
I loved everything about this job. The money and benefits were excellent.
TJs management style leaves a lot to be desired. I was never comfortable with the way they managed the stores the last few years. originally, there was a captain and first mate and al the trainees. They changed this to the captain and all other managers were equals. Most of these people know nothing about managing a staff. Very frustrating much of the time.
The workplace culture was ok. For most of us older workers it tended to be juvenile at times. You can expect that anywhere.
The most enjoyable part of the job was people reacting to you as a TJs employee outside the store. There were always questions about the products, etc.
As a TJs employee you had a certain identity. Cool
TJs management style leaves a lot to be desired. I was never comfortable with the way they managed the stores the last few years. originally, there was a captain and first mate and al the trainees. They changed this to the captain and all other managers were equals. Most of these people know nothing about managing a staff. Very frustrating much of the time.
The workplace culture was ok. For most of us older workers it tended to be juvenile at times. You can expect that anywhere.
The most enjoyable part of the job was people reacting to you as a TJs employee outside the store. There were always questions about the products, etc.
As a TJs employee you had a certain identity. Cool
Pros
There was always plenty to eat. Breakfast, snacks, trying new products
Cons
Management style
Overall rating
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Ratings from women
3.2InHerSight Score
2.9Personal Development
3.6Career Opportunities
3.0Family Support
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