sales associate

sales lead

assistant manager

store manager

builder

Build-A-Bear Workshop

If there was an option for zero stars, I would have chosen it. Build-A-Bear loves to sell the illusion of being a place where “dreams are made,” but behind the curtains, the reality is a nightmare — especially for the employees who keep the stores afloat.

As someone who worked in leadership, I saw firsthand the complete lack of support, accountability, and respect. Upper management is quick to talk about “family” and “fun,” yet they consistently undervalue, underpay, and overwork the very people creating those magical moments for guests. The workload is crushing, the standards are impossible, and the recognition is nonexistent.
Serving as management (SL, AWM OR CWM) only magnifies those issues. You’re expected to essentially run the store — hitting sales goals, driving parties, maintaining visuals, managing staffing, and delivering guest experience — yet you get none of the authority, resources, or support from District Managers and higher-ups that a role of that scope should have… unless, of course, you happen to be one of the DM’s favorites. Then and only then do doors seem to open. For everyone else, vacation requests, arriving late, leaving early — even when it’s out of your control — are treated as irrelevant, and you’re still expected to show up regardless of what you have going on, hit impossible goals. Chiefs are tasked with the responsibilities of management without the respect or compensation to match, and when unrealistic expectations aren’t met, the blame falls squarely on you.

The turnover rate for DMs is not great, and I’ve personally seen quite a few come and go in my district ALONE. This constant leadership churn only adds to the instability and lack of support, leaving store-level leadership scrambling to keep things together while higher-ups remain distant and disengaged. There’s no 1on1 training, no help, DMs somehow make to the favorite stores 2/3x a month, but the stores they don’t care about HAVE NO CLUE WHEN THEY’LL SEE A DM AGAIN!! 

Instead of addressing systemic issues, the company piles responsibilities on already stretched-thin staff, then turns around and holds them solely accountable when unrealistic expectations aren’t met. Morale is treated as disposable, burnout is ignored, and favoritism runs rampant. It’s not just unprofessional — it’s unethical.

To potential hires: be warned. While the sales floor might look like a whimsical dream, the culture behind it is toxic. No amount of teddy bears can cover up the fact that Build-A-Bear has built its business on exploiting the very people who bring those bears to life.

Until this company learns that “heart” should apply to more than just stuffing, my advice is simple: steer clear. Taking a job here will FOREVER mean that YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. 

Suggestions for potential managers who will apply: Become a manager there bc literally you’re going to learn EVERYTHING by yourself, then take your skills somewhere where they ACTUALLY appreciate you. I loved my job, my staff & the people I got to encounter every single day, and genuinely would have stayed, but after years of being repeatedly mistreated, having my concerns ignored, and watching leadership sweep MAJOR problems under the rug, I had no choice but to GET OUT. Even after leaving, I’ve continued to hear lies, distortions, and my conversations with HIGHER management (DMs) being twisted and talked able with people at the store. It’s disgusting. Just proceed with caution.

- Former Sales Lead, Assistant Workshop Manager AND CHIEF. 

I've worked at Build-A-Bear for over a year now and everything about that place is awful. First of all, the management shows up late all the time, I'm talking 30+ minutes late and then gets angry if any bear builders show up even 5 minutes late. The managers all talk down about all the other employees and managers, it is such a harrasment lawsuit waiting to happen. I have coworkers who are at my level who have been there for 6+ years hoping to move up. It's never going to happen. The store manager is gay, and although I am all for equality, ever since he has been there [two months after I was hired, he was an outside hire] he has hired men, exclusively. 
They used to give all four of the managers about 35-40 hours and then hire way too many associates and have them work for only 4 hours a week, if that. Now things are a little bit more balanced with the two lower managers getting 20 hours, the two others getting 35, and the rest being split among the bear builders. 
The main manager does NOT know how to do the schedule. He will forget to schedule a closer or an opener or leave holes during the busiest hours of the day. He does NOT give people breaks during their shifts. The other managers just let him do it without saying a word because they want him to get fired because they don't like him, so they egg us on to complain to the district managers because we think we have days off, but then we'll get a slew of phone calls begging us to come in because he did the schedule wrong. How about you do it right the first time and not leave our employees wondering if they can even make plans?!
I myself was promised a raise by my manager once I hit my year of working there and when I approached him to weeks later to ask if I could have it, he said that he didn't recall that conversation and said based on my performance they were going to need to see an improvement before offering me something like that, when I have the second highest numbers in the store. 

The company itself is not awful. They do have some perks and benefits, but that's only if you're full time, and you're only full time if you're a manager, and you're only a manager if you can move up.. Remember how I said some girls were waiting six years? Most of the time, they hire from outside for management, so good luck. 
The management is where they falter. I've heard this not just from my store, but from a multitude of stores. It's not a fair place to work. The managers have a horrible sense of entitlement and leave the bear builders to do all their dirty work while they sit in the break room and eat pizza. When I work, I'm on the floor alone 99% of the time, regardless of how busy it is. The reason the lines are so long isn't because of inadequate staffing, it's because the managers refuse to lift a finger.


Before I go, let me give you an example of a situation.
Recently, I was listening to a woman telling me  she never knew if she was going to see her granddaughter again. 
My manager was behind me while this was happening. When she left she shook his hand and I gave her a hug and told her that I would pray for her. She said that I was a beautiful person and she appreciated my manager and I listening to her story. When she left I turned to my manager to tell him what an amazing lady she was and he told me "ugh. she was so annoying. i'm not a therapist. if i wanted to be a therapist i would have gone to school for it."

Wow, right?

Build-A-Bear Workshop was a great starting job, something to put on the resume for work experience, not somewhere I would recommend a long-term investment. Made some friends and loved working with some customers and making their experience fun. 
It's a two-faced job. In the beginning it's a magical kids store where you can make families days and have fun but after a while the true colors of management starts to show making it stressful and dreadful to go to.


Job/Life Balance: Poor
Schedules don't come out consistently meaning you can't plan anything because you haven't received your schedule for the week. Hours constantly change. Constantly getting asked to come in early the day of the shift. Constant call outs then guilt tripped into covering for someone on your day off but if you need someone to cover you, no one wants to because it's their day off. Calling out when REALLY sick makes you unreliable. 
WOULD NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS WITH A SECOND JOB OR SCHOOL!


Compensation/Benefits: Poor
Congratulations you get paid birthday! That's it. If you want a day off you better request it off at the beginning of the year because if someone else requests it off first you probably won't get it. 


Job Security/Advancement: Neutral
You won't be going anywhere unless you choose to leave because it's always understaffed and constantly hiring new people because people don't stay long. Got to sales lead pretty early in the job, easy advancement there but not worth it. Sales lead got me a very small pay raise with 10x more work.


Management: Poor
Love them as people but not as managers. Take the easy way out and take credit for work everyone else is putting in. They get dibs on anything, leaving hours early, getting days off, getting day shifts, getting weekends off, working at the station they want to (aka avoiding the stuffing machine at all costs). 
They push you really hard to do one thing but turn around and slack off and do the opposite. 
They hide in the back a lot and leave bear builders out on their own.


Job Culture: Meh
Being a HIGH traffic location it gets very busy, very stressful fast. 
Training is poor and is one way the job becomes stressful. There is no set one way to do the job. You watch videos in the back and then a different person each time trains the newbie, bear builder or manager can "train". Then you are constantly corrected for doing something "wrong" even if it's the exact way you were trained.
Pushed to oversell everything. I get the point of trying to get a customer to buy a little bit more but they want you to push these people until they are angry and annoyed with you ESPECIALLY when it comes to Build-A-Bear's Bonus Club. At this store if you miss ONE email it's not good enough and you're told to try harder.
Everyone gossips, I enjoy being around my co-workers as friends but hearing some of them talk about other co-workers to me you can't help but think they do the exact same thing to you. Everyone I work with doesn't seem to enjoy it there so we all rub off of each other creating a negative environment. 


Working at the workshop is overall a pretty fun experience. Its great if you don't want a typical retail job and obviously if you like stuffed animals and such. Due to the nature of the store, and Mall of America specifically, it can get overwhelming at times and you have to push through when it gets busy. (Mainly weekends, holiday times, and busy seasons like spring break, summer, and little rushes around Christmas and Valentines.) 

Each day you work, you are assigned to stations with your break typically in the middle of your shift. You are going to be greeting and helping guests, encouraging additional items, making bears, ringing guests up, and providing an experience. Additional things like restocking, cleaning, online orders, and more can be tasked out for part of your shift or things to do between guests when it slows down. Hours can be like a 4 hour shift or you can do full 8 hour+ days too based on your availability and what you work out. Getting hours is also performance based mainly but they can always be changed or adjusted depending on how busy days are, expected traffic, and if there is payroll room. You need to request time off far in advance before schedules are posted, or make sure that you can get your shift covered by another coworker or trade a shift with them. Some holidays you get off like Thanksgiving or Christmas when the mall isn't open, and others you might have to work but can get time and a half which is nice. The guests are also generally nice but you can get some more rude people, crazy kids who run around, and some people who lack any common sense. 

The staff culture is pretty friendly and as long as you don't create or insert yourself into drama, you shouldn't have a hard time fitting in or just being able to go in and not have issues. You can send and receive recognition posts/cards, sometimes have special appreciation days and treats, and you have some time to chat between guests or on breaks and such. You'll also generally be accepted no matter how you identify by coworkers, but guests are always unpredictable. 

Store management is pretty good overall. They have some room for improvement like any job, but overall they try and look out for you and work around issues the best they reasonably can. As long as you are friendly and are doing your job, you shouldn't run into many issues. Company management is a bit messier and doesn't care about you as much, which is a common theme among retail jobs. Pay is on the lower side and there is a sales bonus which is based on sales goals which can be tough to hit. Policy can get kinda hairy and inconsistent too throughout the company.

If you want to grow, there are opportunities to do so depending on your performance and store/company needs. 

I have worked in the retail industry for over a decade and was  recruited for a management position with Build a Bear, that's is important to know because Build a Bear is structured very differently than other retailers. 

First ,despite the pay differences, all members of management are supposedly on an equal level and we were encouraged to coach across the board. I think this is a good idea in theory, but, I don't feel it's really works...I think it can cause confusion for the associates (they often don't know who they should listen to) and it (at my store anyway) can cause tension amongst the managers. I don't know if it's just the store I am at, or if it's the company's culture, but, my coworkers are incredibly nitpicky...its ridiculous. I had associates tell me that they like the job, but, are nervous being around the other leaders because they feel they are constantly being watched and judged (which they basically are), when I brought this up I was basically told 'too bad we are a company that focuses on coaching and development', which I get, but, at a certain point it just becomes micromanaging. I believe a good leader knows how to pick and choose their battles, otherwise you'll make yourself crazy.

Secondly, I totally disagree with the sales practice we were taught at Build A Bear...asking open ended questions is nothing new to retail, but, directing all those questions at a child (who of course is going to want everything we show them) is just...gross. It is constantly putting the parents in the position of having to be the bad guy and ruining the experience for them. We have gotten NUMEROUS guest complaints about our sales tactics. 

Finally, there was just something a little...off about most of my coworkers.  Everyone just seems to think that this job is oh-so-important and that it is just the greatest job ever...it's like a cult or something. I know I'm just a jaded retail employee, but, I've been around long enough to know that at the end of the day we are all about the bottom line just like every other retail operation on the planet. 

Now, for the good: the benefits are great, the company actually gives management money for team-building (I've always had to pay out of pocket at other companies) part-time leaders get paid time off and part time associates get an extra day's pay in September. Since the job is more focused on customer experience there aren't a lot of crazy floor sets or anything like that, you are able to focus just on meeting the guests needs. And, of course it is nice to be able to just have fun with the kids and enjoy your time with them. 

One more thing, there isn't a lot of room for advancement here, and I am actually wondering if this company will survive the long haul....I know they recently closed a lot of stores and I have heard they haven't turned a profit for a while.

I accepted a position with BABW as a Chief Workshop Manager under the assumption that I would have fun at work and have work-life balance. I interviewed and was hired under one DM, only to have her retire the very same week I began training. I got stuck with a DM that, well, was overbearing (no pun intended) and just a little bit psychotic. I won't divulge her name, but if you are seeking employment in Kansas, Arkansas, or Oklahoma, then beware...she micromanaged like no other DM I've ever had, and she would criticize and complain with this goofy, weird smile on her face. Besides having a DM that acted as if she still wanted to be a store manager, the culture of the company is quite odd. Everything is expressed in "bearisms," which gets old fast. They use non-industry terms for ADS and UPT, which means you sound like an outright fool when speaking with someone outside the company. If you are not obsessed with BABW then you are treated as an outsider. The purpose of the store is to sell directly to children and then get the parents to agree to purchase everything. You essentially help over-privileged children get what they demand, and you make the less fortunate children get upset with their parents for not spending +$50 on an item that costs $8 to manufacture. Also, am I the only one that realizes that essentially the company has created a way to bring child labor to malls? You have children wait in line to build their own animal, and then you charge them for it! I built a fantastic team of employees, and I based all of my decisions on strong personal morals, ethics and integrity. Sorry to say that if you possess these qualities, then they will try to sweep you out of the company. When I expressed my distaste for selling to children, I was attacked by my DM. Not only would I yell from the mountaintop, "don't work for this company if you have a soul," but I would also stray away from purchasing anything. The "skins" are made in child factories in Vietnam, China, and a few other third world countries. They are coated in a flame-retardant, which has been proven to cause cancer and disrupts the endocrine system. If those are the type of products that you want to sell to unknowing customers, then by all means, accept a position with this inherently evil company. By the way, I am not a crazy Christian, but have no religious affiliation. I simply believe in what is right.

I personally love the company and everything that I’ve learned. A typical day is far from typical. The good thing about this job is that you NEVER know what’s going to come through the door. If you love kids, and being a day maker, then this is most definitely the job for you. When they say “anyone from 3-103,” they really are not kidding. We aren’t just making bears, like everyone thinks. Your making someone’s life change, its hard to see a lot of the ill children, or every some adults that come through the doors. But despite who, or what they’ve been through , our job is to make them feel normal, and as if its just yo9u and them in the store. At that moment in time, no one else is there. Its all about the experience you give to your customer to make them feel that the trip was worth it. Treating everyone as if they’re your family member who hasn’t visited in for ever. A day at BABW may vary, but mine mainly revolve around visuals, which is all visuals for the store, inside the mall and outside, and merchandising things to make sure things sell out properly. Keeping the stockroom organized and easy to get to. Processing and receiving all merchandise when shipment comes. And over all basically being like a back-up manager, running the floor, tending to guest, and being one of the 3 main cashiers during busy holiday times. This job truly is like a second family. Only one and everyone that works for this company stays for years. it’s a vary hard job to leave, being that its only part time is a bit of a down fall and the pay. But my experience and 5 years well spent there, I wouldn’t change it for the world. You make life long friends at this company, whether its with associates, or customers. The hardest part of this job for me was breaking out of my shy shell and do group speaking, but truly the hardest thing for me was saying good bye when I quit. The most enjoyable part was just every day to day event. Not knowing what fun and excited life you were going to meet and possibly touch. Helping with tons of charity events and seeing all the kids smile, when I should up in our mascot uniform. TRULY A JOB THAT EVERYONE MUST ASPIRE TO BE LIKE


I graduated High School in June 2018. About a week later I saw the small kiosk in my local mall was hiring, so I went right away for an application. I was scheduled for an interview that Friday, and I was called later that day saying I got the job, and I’ve been working there ever since and plan to stay for a long time.
Let me start by saying that since our store is a tiny kiosk in the mall, buisness can range immensely from day to day. Some nights I just got to hang out with my cool coworkers and play around while other days it feels like there is no end to the amount of bears needing to be stuffed! 
One day in particular will live on in my nightmares forever - July 12, 2018
Better known as “Pay Your Age Day”

Stores around the world were closed before the doors even opened.
However... our small kiosk in the mall was open, and man, the line stretched all the way out the mall. I can still hear the cacophony of the hundreds (perhaps thousands) of crying and screaming adults and children.
The line was eventually cut off due to safety concerns, but by the end of it, the people at the end had waited 8 hours.
We had all hands on deck, all of us worked overtime, but at the end, we all went out for pizza that weekend to celebrate our success, even if we were worse for wear.

Now, apart from that day, everything is usually smiles and fun. I have gotten to know my boss and coworkers well and I love them all, it really feels like a family. We all get along and everyone is incredibly kind.

This is my first job, and despite everything, I don’t think I could ask for a better one.

Seeing the happy kids and parents taking videos of the heart ceremonies,
Helping someone pick out a new outfit for their furry friend,
Talking about pokemon with passer-bys, and my favorite part;
Seeing the awkward look on teenagers faces who SWEAR the animal I’m stuffing is for their younger sibling and totally not for them.

My life at Build a Bear has been great thus far, and I hope that even with all the people angry at us for the whole “Pay Your Age Day” thing, the wholesome joy and love at Build a Bear workshop will live on forever.

The Upper management expect Miracles from you at all times and if you miss something, then you get in trouble instantly. The phrase “over worked and under paid” is an understatement. 
It seems like you’re expected to force people into buying when they don’t want to or dont have the money to spend (build a bear ain’t cheap!) and if you don’t do this or you are unable to get the figures you’re asked for, instead of training you, they put you on a performance review. 
There’s a serious lack of hours being offered with some staff only working 4 hours a week, and when you have got extra shifts, they get cut cos it’s so quiet. For what is expected of you on a day to day basis, NMW is not enough to be paying us, especially if you’re going to cut our shifts. 

The management in store are great except one is the area managers whipping boy. And it must say something about the company the fact that there’s so many people jumping ship constantly. I’ve seen 3 different managers and 3 entirely new teams in the space of a couple of years. 

The sales plans and targets are usually unrealistic and the changing of the public and the area are never brought into consideration. But yet if the results are not met, then there’s no explanation in the world that will stop them coming down on you. They expect you to force items on people and make them spend money they don’t have. 

The company expect you to be available at short notice to work but then if you want to book time off it’s always an issue and a struggle to get this pushed through. And dont even think about getting ill! 

As for a work/home balance, there’s always messages, calls and meetings that are mandatory, so even if you’re not working you’re forced into, at very least, thinking about work on your days off. But yet these calls etc never get paid to you for your time. 

The other staff I work with are amazing though and I’ve made some really good friends from it, but unfortunately this is the only good point about the job. 

My advice, if your thinking of applying for a job with this company, don’t. After 6months to a year, you’ll be looking for a new job anyway. The company needs a complete overhaul and rebranding to get any where near the figures they expect you to come up with.

Bear Builders are asked to memorize a lot of functions to keep an interactive entertainment experience functioning, while at the same time they are asked to navigate ever-escalating requirements for corporate's insistence on high pressure sales tactics. The low hourly rate is the amount I was offered when hired, and even though my Chief Workshop Manager was charismatic, performance reviews were often delayed (and their associated pay raises were delayed, as well).
I was a top performer- 100% or higher on the various internal metrics for the store wherever I was placed. And I was not paid what I was worth.
There is an incredible disconnect between corporate and workers in the stores, and that has only become more apparent since Pay Your Age Day.
Although this job may be easy to get as an entry level position as I suspect the general turnover of the position will only continue to increase as more and more sales stunts are pulled, I very strongly recommend steering clear of it.
It really breaks my heart to say so, too, because I was under the Build-A-Bear spell, so in love with this company for the majority of my time with them that even now I would love to go back to make the days of children and families. I will never forget how it moved my soul to help a little boy with cancer make his favorite Paw Patrol character, how his family and I cried together. I loved performing birthday parties. Making furry friends is fun and wholesome and wonderful (even if the process ends up involving incredibly taxing emotional labor for which no training is ever provided- it is surprisingly common for people to come to the store while processing grief and I've never felt more gross than when I was upselling- "building a transaction"- with a family who just lost a father.) This job taught me how to sew a basic stitch, which has come in handy more times than I can count over the years.
Even now I would love doing this job, but I can't afford it. I need to be paid a living wage.

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