retail assistant manager

beauty advisor

store manager

learning and development business partner

assistant store manager

Aveda

Working at Aveda can be a very rewarding experience for anyone. The brand truly cares about its employees and has a "People First" mindset. That being said, it's still retail and comes with every retail con you can think of. Aveda is first and foremost a replenishment business and it can be very challenging to meet company exceptions. The company's biggest focuses are transaction driving and high average sales. Both are accomplished through networking and eventing. If you do not have a passion for entrepreneurship, this is not the company for you. As a Store Manager, you are very much an Event Coordinator for your store. Partnering and hosting Events will make up the bulk of your position. The business model for Aveda requires events to bring in traffic. If you do not succeed at events, you will not bring in new customers which will negatively impact your store's sales and KPIs. Securing prebooked appointments for sales is a must.

Staffing is a challenge as no one applies and the ones that do don't last because they think they will only be cashiering vs servicing. Everyone is required to do multiple free services on guests such as facials, hair consultations, massages, and other "rituals" to connect and build sales. Aveda is a laid back environment, but with high demands around high touch customer service. The problem can be getting someone to buy anything after a free service. The SM is the only salaried position and will require single coverage open-close shifts as needed. You are salaried at 40 hours a week, but the expectation is you will work over that, at least 45 hours. The ASM is hourly at 35 hours a week, leaving a feeling of lack of support. SMs must clock in and out to document their time. SMs are never to leave early unless an emergency (with DM approval) and cannot clock in early either per HR.

Aveda's customer base is small, but loyal. With loyalty can come a sense of entitlement. While most retail deals with "Karen's", The Aveda Loyalist can be very demanding. Insisting on free samples of one of everything because they spent a high amount on hair care. Aveda also has a rewards point system that customers can get very upset if their account expires or there is a point discrepancy.

As an Aveda SM, you must be extremely proactive in forecasting results. This is in part done by completing a monthly business plan. For a 4/5 week month, you must complete a business plan (prior to start of month) detailing your plan to drive in new transactions as well as increase average sales. DMs are extremely particular and want as much detail as possible. DMs usually are pretty supportive overall, but very hands on to the point of feeling a little suffocated. Your DM will be in store at least once a month which can feel unnecessary at times.

The brand overall has saw a decline in sales due to pricing out their customer base. This has the company in panic mode. Their solution is to light a fire under Store Manager's to achieve unrealistic expectations with events. If you do not produce comp growth results, you will be placed on a PIP and later terminated. Job security is becoming threatened due to this and store closures. More and more stores have closed each year due to decreased sales or leases being bought out. The salary is great and above average for the beauty industry, but not worth the daily unrealistic expectations and lack of job security or advancement.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Pay is decent the establishment is beautiful the products are good quality for the hair and skin   

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Toxic environment! Teachers are turned against each other by Lead esthetician! Who picks your brains and harrasess and does not have your back! Always looking to write you up for any minimal thing! Full of drama and envy if you’re better than they are or if the students like you more!! Constantly complains about you to upper management for any reason! You’re dammed if you ask for help because this person will use it against you later on. It was very obvious that this person was threatened by anyone that can possibly take their job because person would make sure you are always beneath them! I highly recommend don’t be taken by the great job offer because this establishment has a Big turnover of staff. No one is there more than a year!

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Unfriendly unkind gossiping staff! Upper management has chats where they All gossip about the teachers with each other All across the different Aveda academies! Including all the Lead estheticians. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Disorganized, no lesson plans! Every day  changes the lesson plans with no prior notice! They don’t listen or care for your concerns! When they don’t feel like dealing with a challenging class they throw that class upon you. You don’t have One class to teach you will have 5 classes to teach ! Which makes students rebel and you don’t get to bond with them!

I've been working for Aveda for a handful of months now and can honestly say that it's been a really pleasant experience, maybe even one of the best jobs I've ever had so far; the management is understanding, well versed in the brand, and helpful, there's a ton of hands-on education as well as e-learning, and I feel proud to be working for a truly cruelty free, vegan brand whose products actually work and who gives back to the planet/communities around it. Honestly, a typical day includes completing daily tasks, taking care of guests, restocking, and enjoying the time you're spending with coworkers; the environment is professional but very relaxed. The hardest part of the job has been the sales goals due to the fact that Covid-19 has affected the business (and everything) very harshly, but the goals themselves do not take away from your pay or affect you negatively unless you're severely under your goal. With that being said, the hours are a bit rough; it is, for lack of a better phrase, a game of tug-of-war for hours, but this could be dependent on how many total employees are staffed. The pay is nice, though! Attendance policy is a bit strict (small point system), but nothing you can't work with. If you're looking to get into the beauty industry or are already in it, I highly recommend a job with this company. I believe there are opportunities at Aveda schools if you work with the company long enough if I'm not mistaken.

On A typical work day the first thing you'd do is check-in, go over the store goals and expectation for that given day, self-productivity/achievement goal(s), and evaluate/get informed on any store updates.  Make sure you are presentable and ready to work.  On the 'floor' you would greet customers, introduce them to the products and have the customers receive a 'wellness experience'.  This 'wellness experience' requires minimal training and is hands-on most of the time.  Educate the customer on any new products/events.  Ring the customer up at the register and thank the customer for coming.  At the end of the day, you would close out transactions (Supv.) and hold an overview on productivity, clean and organize the store, replenish any products and make the store presentable for the next day.

In my experience working with colleagues was like having an extended family, in every way.  The supervisors were understanding and compassionate.  My hair and skin was in supreme condition because of the products.  At the time, you got great deals on selected AVEDA spa locations.

This position was as close to a perfect escape from my full-time job anyone would ever get.  Mainly, because I enjoyed what I did and made extra money doing it.  Unfortunately, if you are a single parent with responsibility, holding this position can be very challenging. And you will sacrifice much of your 'quality' time with loved ones, especially during the Holidays.

Aveda is truly the most rewarding retail job. Aveda provides incredible training, they coach to success, and the education is abundant and ongoing. The brand is truly inclusive from the people they serve to the products they make. The love and care that goes into the science of the product formulations for every hair type, skin type, and concern is just absolutely next-level. The charity work and partnerships aren't a gimmick and the company is fantastic in keeping everyone updated and invested in the charities and partnerships they foster. There are monthly bonus opportunities, yearly raise opportunities, paid holidays, vacations, and TONS of employee programs, plus a great company discount and great health benefits! Aveda and Estee Lauder truly care about employee wellness and it shows. Employees aren't trained to sell, they are trained to discover needs and provide solutions which creates such a unique, service-based shopping experience. The downside is that it's retail. Retail hours often interfere with personal life, especially weekends and holidays however flexibility in scheduling will vary by team.  Also, like most retailers, there are sales goals but if you are coachable and accountable and have the will to succeed, the goals are a piece of cake!

What is the best part of working at the company?
Enjoying making someone's day when they're dealing with skin issues or issues with their scalp. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part about this job working with this company is that the new owners do things very differently and it seems to have changed as well the customers has attracted. Therefore making products that cause a lot of sensitivity.. which in return When I am introduced to a new product I am also the guinea pig and it can be difficult if you're allergic to something. Aside from that working with an employee who Banks their head on the office store and thinks it is looking like a :-) is also very difficult because then when the store manager gives you no support and tells you you have to be the psychologist to this person who is your one and only employee who doesn't like you. . That makes it extremely stressful every single time I come into work.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment is very different. . There is no restroom in our stores therefore more of a chance for me to get sick as I continued to try and hydrate myself it was also very scary because a lot of people were coming in sick putting my health in jeopardy

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Come in and turn off the alarm make the tea make sure that entire store is set up right with the right fixtures and pricing, Dust and  reorganize everything possible

The company’s mission is great, and people working on the front lines really care. The problem is from the top- they just don’t listen. It’s incredibly frustrating. There are clear methods and strategies that are ignored and when the company in under performing its the front line that takes the heat for executing a broken strategy. Mass lay-offs and firings, unrealistic performance improvement plans (when you are simply executing the program) and micromanagement to where you are filling in your calendar for every task you ever do to justify your existence as an employee. It was all just so sad because Aveda attracts like-minded people who want to make a difference in the lives of others. Also there is a bit of an ego-issue. There are leaders who are self-serving, and do whatever they can to position themselves in a bright light, even if that means compromising relationships and sacrificing you and the work you do. It luckily didn’t happen to me, but I watched it happen to 3 of my colleagues and the leadership team wouldn’t believe my team members or even consider it was happening. Definitely some toxicity happening there. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
I loved the product and sales education; it made working with and helping our clients very rewarding. It was fantastic to see our clients come back with their success stories after using our products.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
We went through three managers. The first manager was great; he came alongside us as we were training and built customer confidence into our interactions. The second manager interrupted our product recommendations and pointed our clients in a different direction than what we saw was best. This created confusion for the client and downplayed our training and expertise. The last manager started as I was leaving. He was very upbeat and created a fun experience for staff and the clients.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
We were "on" from the minute we walked through the door. It is high-energy and upbeat. There is constant work to be done, from answering phones to unpacking, stocking, cleaning, and providing client care. This made the day go fast. There was no after-work camaraderie as most of us had businesses, other jobs, or were taking courses..

Being a part of Aveda is being a part of an unfocused organization where the leaders run around aimlessly barking orders to try to drive sales.  Upper management is very unclear and unfocused and are trying to push too many initiatives to their SDP’s and then on to their accounts. They are completely disconnected from what their accounts actually need to succeed and try to just suck the money from small business holders pockets. Aveda has no respect that there are actual people working at their company and the upper management takes a dictatorship approach which is completely demotivating to the sales team. They need to listen to the saying that proper planning prevents poor performance.  They do not allow for proper planning on product launches and initiatives which sets everyone up for failure.  They had a mass lay off in 2019 and hired 100 new team members just to carry out the same insane implementation tactics they have always used. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Hopefully upper management wakes up and listens before they drive their team and company further into the ground.

Pros:
Aveda's products truly are top-tier—innovative, effective, and smell amazing.

The brand's commitment to environmental sustainability is admirable in theory.

Cons:
Ethically questionable leadership decisions make it hard to trust those at the top.

Career development is stagnant—there’s little to no support for learning or advancement.

Employee appreciation is virtually non-existent. Hard work is overlooked, and feedback rarely feels genuine.

The culture is demoralizing. You’re expected to give 110% in return for minimal recognition or reward.

The physical workspace is outdated and uninspiring, especially for a company that presents itself as forward-thinking.

The company often appears to prioritize nature over people, which feels ironic when the human experience inside the walls is overlooked.

Trust is a major issue internally. Office politics run deep, and transparency is sorely lacking.

Advice to Management:
People are the foundation of any sustainable mission. Start treating your employees with the same care and integrity you claim to show the planet.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Retail assistant manager 2 salaries reported	$21.50 per hour
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Store manager 13 salaries reported	$70,538 per year
Learning and development business partner 7 salaries reported	$84,000 per year
Assistant store manager 13 salaries reported	$24.54 per hour

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