retail sales associate

sales associate

software engineer

director

senior software engineer

NIKE

Nike Global Security has the distinction of being the most dysfunctional and toxic department I have ever worked at. The department has a long term deeply embedded obsession over the most unimportant minutiae while real security issues are ignored or not even recognized.

 Management which refers to itself as “The Leadership” is made up almost entirely of individuals with little professional background or distinction who were some of the lowest performers as officers. There are a few bright exceptions but not enough to change the dynamic. If you show concern for your staff, report supervisors for abuse, or do anything to give “The Leadership” any reason to question your absolute loyalty your career potential is done forever at Nike. 

There is no seniority system which means you can never obtain a better schedule of your choosing even if you have been there 20 years. Brand new employees are often given prime shifts with weekends off while long term employees with excellent work records get mid-week days off on graveyard. Your shift will change about once a year unless you are on “The Leadership” good guy list then you might get to keep your shift for a decade or more.

The annual Nike Coaching for Excellence review process is supposed to be a fair process, tailored to help each employee become successful and reward hard work based on specific criteria. Your annual raise and bonus is dependent upon this individualized process. On several occasions multiple supervisors including the current WHQ security manager gave officers review forms with other employee’s names on them. Every time they sheepishly returned 90 seconds later with the same exact form but with the name changed. What this meant was the hardest working employees would get the same exact raise and bonus as someone with write-ups. There was no actual review process. This had the desired effect of artificially keeping officer bonuses and raises low which left a bigger piece of the pie for “The Leadership”

In one 18 month period when I was assigned to an offsite post I only saw my supervisor once and only because he was required to meet with me for my annual review. His office was less than 5 minutes away. Some leaders won’t leave the office unless they are going to McDonalds.
Nike presents itself as a socially responsible company but at its World Headquarters it practices an in your face style Caste System. Some departments receive expensive gourmet coffee and snack bars stocked daily, catered lunches, beer and liquor bars, parties etc. If you are a lowly on the bottom V Band employee in Global Security you get none of those benefits.  Nike has no problem covering a $1 million dollar liquor tab at its annual North American sales meeting but when you are required to perform bike patrol on the Nike campus they make you pay for your own helmet. 

Nike was recently forced by the State of Oregon to end an illegal 25 year practice that denied security officers the ability to take legally required meal breaks. Even worse they ignored the States original order to end the practice in 2017 and had to be threatened a year later before the multi-billion dollar company finally stopped taking advantage of its lowest paid workers. . At Nike social justice is just a buzz word to get more people to buy their overpriced products. CEO Mark Parker could care less.

Supervisors and managers will lie at workers compensation hearings and back date state required forms that they never filled out. Supervisors will disrespect and belittle officers for years before being called to task. Nike HR will cover their tracks and lie as well. If you email “The Leadership” with a question they will call you with the answer because they do not want officers to have a written record of anything in order to avoid accountability. These guys are shady from the top down. There are much better companies out there that value their employees and treat them with respect. 

If you are thinking of applying with Nike Just DON”T Do It!

No two days here are the same. Whether you're on the floor working in sales or in the back working with inventory. Days fluctuate from being hectic to being so slow that your legs hurt from standing in one place all day, but that's all typical stuff for a retail employment place. Management lacks severe communication skills, but ironically requires it as a skill upon applying for the role. The place, with the influence of management and those above them, isn't as fun as it used to be. 

It's becoming a reoccurring thing that we're not treated like people but as replaceable bots- which I guess is what we are to an extent. When they're hiring based on availability, but not hiring for the days of the week they need filled, it gets taken out on the people who are already working there with a availability. It's we either open up more days to work or we get fired, when most of our availabilities are already maxed out. Me for example, I have 5 days of availability, meeting the requirements with 3 cherries on top. But I still face the risk of termination because of the company's inconsistent and everchanging availability requirement. I can't fully blame the hiring manager in the store, because I know it's coming from over their head, but they could also try a little harder to not hire people just because when they're supposed to be hiring based on availability. We've had a near 15 new addition to the team and still don't have coverage. I mean hours got cut because of how much money the stores not making during the slow season, but you can still hire 20 plus people to not work the days you actually need covered. The schedules of which are slowly becoming less and less consistent. Interfering with a steady sleep schedule and therefore productivity.

The coworkers outside of management are so dope! People are from all over the world, diverse backgrounds (unlike management... only one person speaks a second language, but yes! we're all for diversity and inclusion). Management, who gets paid more obviously, doesn't represent the multicultural team or consumer, can't properly interact with those who come in not speaking english as a first language. But the associates are expected to translate, which isn't a problem, but it's something that definitely should not come free. Translators (multilingual people) are such saviors and a great addition to teams, and should be treated as such. 

The people above our managers are also very delayed with their communication, thus delaying productivity in the store. We can't send a lot of stuff out until someone tells us where it's going, but they don't respond for days so now the store is set back and clogged. We have things to send out, that are taking up space in inventory, which prevents us from storing the new things we've received in shipment. 

The hardest part of the job  is having to overcompensate in work because there's no proper staffing and no communication. There's a lot of back and forth that goes on in a day to day. But this job is the easiest of any other retail job, if you can keep a "punch in and punch out" mentality then the day will fly and you'll be home in no time. 

Your coworkers and the people you can meet are gonna be the best part of your day. You never know what kind of consumer is gonna come through the door, or the connections that your colleagues can set you up with. For a lot of people, this is a big networking opportunity. I've gotten a bunch of advancement offers from people who I take the time to genuinely get to know, consumers and colleagues; I've learned about career fields I never knew existed that I'm actually interested in.


Everything you need to know!
Discount
-30% off in-store, it stacks on all other promotions, clearance and discounts going on as well. Ex: if clearance shoes are 30% off this weekend then you get another 30% on top of that as well. 
- 40% off nike.com (including online clearance)
- 30% off at converse store and online store 
- 50 % during the holidays at converse each year
- if you are employed at Nike for 5 years you get the discount for LIFE. YES FOR LIFE. 
- you can add immediate family members to your discount as well
- they have a team that watches what you and your family buy and if they think any of you guys are reselling and you’ll be let go quick

What’s working there like? And starting out like?

Very chill Monday-Friday but busy on the weekends. When you are first hired you will go through a 3 day training on Nike technology and history then will head straight to the floor. 
They will then put you in every “zone” to try out where you will best fit at. These include men’s apparel, women’s apparel, men’s footwear, women/kids footwear, register, and Back of house (stockroom). If your put into the back you will unload trucks which are usually no more than 100-300 boxes and will process the shoes and apparel so the floor team can use to stock them. BACK OF HOUSE IS THE SPOT WHERE YOU WILL DO THE MOST WORK  BUT ALSO BE FORGOTTEN ABOUT, the plus side to it is you’ll never deal with a customer ever and they usually let you play your own music in the back as long as it’s censored. The rest of the sales floor is simple. In footwear you will put shoes away, restock shoes in the morning and make room for new shoes to come out each day. Same thing with apparel except with clothing. Register you will sit up there all day and wait to ring people up, sometimes it’s slow other times your ringing people up all day long. 

What is growth like at Nike? Can you move up?

Yes you can move up. However each person’s experience is different. 
The process for moving up: 
Part-time-Full-time-specialist(supervisor)-coach(assistant manager)-assistant head coach(co store manager)-head coach(store manager)
DONT LET THEM TELL YOU THAT YOU CANT MOVE UP CAUSE OF THIS OR THAT. It’s all lies honestly. And yes you have to interview for each spot including moving from part time to full time. 
They will tell you
1. You cant go from part time to supervisor or manager 
2. You need to be in your position for a year before moving up 
3. You can’t move up because you have a wright up
I’ve seen part timers go to Assistant manager after a month or 2 just skipping past full time and specialist. I’ve also seen part timers go to full time in under a month even though they’ll tell you that YOU have to wait a year before doing that. I’ve been moved up a position even though I had a wright up just because they liked me enough. 
Key takeaway: you can do and go wherever you want if they “like you”. You upset one manager and it gets difficult to move up anywhere. 
You’ll also realize as a pro and a con that everyone knows each other in each district all managers pretty much know of each other and they get passed around each store periodically to get pay bumps even though most times they’re moving laterally. That’s also a con cause if your managers don’t like you then most of the other stores won’t like you either. 

They also favor veterans as well. I’ve seen veterans go from part time to co managers in about 3 years while many others that have been with the company for 12 plus years struggle to make it out of Assistant manager or full time. 
 
Over all it’s chill if your gunna do your 5 years and head out which is what most do since it can be so difficult to move up for some people. 
Some move up fast if your liked others stay at the bottom if your unliked based off personality not qualifications. 


50/50, and here’s why based on pay, culture, and benefits. 
Overall rating, 5 stars for the company, 1 star for my store. As is the case with many places, the company is a great company but the store falls short of trickling company values and attributes down, so the potential experience falls short.
To be fair, Nike does pay it’s associates more than most retailers. And on top of that they offer full benefits and basically uncapped pto accrual. After 200 hours, you have to use some but you still accrue more pto while you’re out on pto. Not too bad. You also get Christmas, Thanksgiving, and June 19th as paid holidays off. All other holidays you either get an extra day off during the week the holiday falls in and a paid day or you can work on the holiday and get the paid holiday (8hours) + time and a half for the hours actually worked. More than generous.
My gripe is that they don’t compensate managers fairly based on experience, responsibilities, or tenure. The communication is sub par between management, there’s more talk about work and less actual work to lessen the workload. The sky is always falling and no one seems to consider in the moment of panic that this is retail, the job is never “done” and that’s just part of the job description. Instead of leading with positivity and fostering excitement about teamwork and what can be accomplished and then accomplishing it, it’s sighing and overreacting to the tasks that haven’t been completed. The team feels all of that. The athletes that show up optimistic and ready to roll up their sleeves and please, they feel like their contributions only fall short. The burnout is real. 
That being said, again, this is entirely dependent on the store you’re in. I’ve had experiences at other stores that are the opposite, the hard work ethic and fun tone started from the top and the whole team felt like they were going home when they went to work. Every day felt like a triumph and it showed in the processes and in all areas of the store. 
In the grand scheme, Nike dedicates a lot of time and resources into career advancement. That process can be expedited by your willingness to attack your training, receive feedback, and relocate if necessary. There are constant trainings that come from corporate and specialized teams whose jobs are to educate and provide the resources you need to succeed. 
Overall I would say work at Nike. The company itself is second to none, just hope that your store reflects that. I don’t regret one second of the years I’ve spent with Nike and you’ll be well equipped to do whatever comes next if Nike is just a foster job until you move onto your forever career. Just remember that it’s still retail, and has it’s retail trademarks. If you’re there for a summer job, it’ll be fast paced and hard and exhausting. Depending on the attitude you bring, exhausting can be exhilarating. And if you’re there for a career, you’ll have a rollercoaster of a time but you’ll get the most out of what the company has to offer, which is A LOT. But again, that experience will be affected by those directly above you so cross your fingers. It’s worked out for me, and it hasn’t. It’s a toss up but one that’s more than likely worth taking. 

A typical day involved generating  daily lesson plans for the children, working with a team of four other co teachers in a classroom setting  with a predictable schedule. The morning consisted of dropping the children off to the classroom where three tables were setup to enhance cognitive, fine motor, and mathematical thinking skills, the classroom was also available for quieter activities like reading or drawing and a climber for gross motor exploration. Followed by morning snack and recess. After recess the children would come in for whole group circle time where academic curriculum was discussed, songs were song and group readings and discussions occurred. Then small group activities were available for exploration and learning goals. Children were then given the opportunity to explore the campus on a walk, do a art activity or work in small reading and writing group which was designated by learning needs. Then lunch and nap would occur, during nap the teaching met to generate daily power point notes about the day, team meetings, lesson plan development, time schedules and classroom needs were attended to. After wake up quite activities and sensory activities were offered followed by afternoon snack, recess and pick ups. 
 Working in a team of four taught me to be collaborative and flexible in my teaching. I learned how to generate lessons based on what we saw the children interests were as well as how to create lessons using all of our observations and assessments. I also learned how to generate a daily schedule for the teachers that allowed the flexibility in life and in work well still keeping the schedule consistent and predictable for the children. We also learned how to work off of each others strengths as individuals. I discovered that I am high energy and run large group and outdoor activities the best while another co worker was great at organizing the room and making it aesthetically pleasing, while another was great at written communication and organization, so we learned to create our schedules and lessons around that. 
   The children and their enthusiasm to learn was always my favorite part of my job as well as seeing them master a skill they had been struggling with. I also loved the relationships that I built with children and their families over a three year span (practiced continuity of care where we followed the children from birth to age three) growing and teaching these children on a daily basis over a three years span really allowed for a solid relationship to develop and allowed for trust and understanding to be enhanced. The con to working for a corporate center was having several managers over seeing your work which resulted in conflicting learning and center goals. I also didn't feel like I was challenged or given the opportunity to advance in my teaching career.

Stepping into my new role at Nike a few months back, excitement filled the air. Dreams of working for a brand I admired intertwined with the promise of a dynamic retail experience. However, that initial enthusiasm quickly dissipated, replaced by a wave of disappointment as I navigated a workplace characterized by disorganization, questionable management practices, and an environment that chipped away at my morale with each passing shift.

My training focused solely on the footwear department, leaving me inadequately equipped for other crucial areas. This became painfully evident when I was repeatedly asked to "go charge," a task shrouded in mystery due to the lack of training. Despite my repeated pleas for guidance, management displayed a frustrating mix of annoyance and disbelief, seemingly shifting the blame onto me rather than acknowledging their inadequate program. After months of this frustrating back-and-forth, they finally provided the necessary training, only to inexplicably refuse my offers to charge afterwards. This inconsistent approach and lack of clear communication became a defining characteristic of my experience.

Adding to the chaos was management's questionable presence. Instead of actively leading and ensuring smooth operations, they often occupied the front of the store, engaged in prolonged, non-work-related conversations. Meanwhile, the store itself devolved into disarray, with departments left "trashed" due to understaffing. Witnessing this blatant disregard for both efficiency and employee well-being was demoralizing, to say the least.

While some colleagues were fantastic individuals, the team spirit was dampened by the presence of others who, unfortunately, mastered the art of avoiding responsibilities. Witnessing this unequal workload distribution added to the overall feeling of frustration and unfairness.

The initial honeymoon period, where everything seemed manageable, quickly faded. The constant disorganization, lack of support, and inconsistent expectations took their toll. Calling in sick or requesting time off for emergencies became a nerve-wracking experience, often met with disapproval or guilt-tripping tactics. This blatant disregard for personal needs solidified my decision to move on.

In conclusion, my time at Nike was an unfortunate exercise in mismanagement and employee neglect. The lack of training, inconsistent expectations, and overall disregard for employee well-being created an environment that was both frustrating and unsustainable. If you're seeking a positive, supportive, and well-managed retail experience, I urge you to carefully consider your options. My experience at Nike serves as a cautionary tale, not a recommendation.

The Nike campus has a super appealing campus and physical work environment that the company has spent a lot of money investing in and is constantly under construction, which is also a negative, but they are forward thinking for their employees. Nike has several cafeterias and lots of options for meeting rooms and really allow you to explore around the campus when you need some time from your desk or you need to impress a client.

Nike also goes pretty far for training and entertaining its employees with large, social and collaborative workshops, or pop-up shops on the main campus, or food carts and "farmers markets" from local businesses from Portland that you normally don't have access to in Beaverton. More importantly, the workshops are very impressive and you have a lot of opportunity to grow your network, career, and knowledge, which was probably my favorite aspect of working at Nike.

Unfortunately, Nike is very much a startup culture for its size and age so it tends to latch on to an idea and go all in on this idea. This means that a lot of money and people are thrown at this idea and everything else is cut and thrown away. Nike has a pretty bad reputation around town and locals for how they treat employees, especially contractors and temporary employees, and it can be very, very difficult to get a full time position at Nike. Once you get a full time position, you end up taking a pretty serious pay cut anyways. Second, Nike teams are very siloed and management is, of course, pretty terrible at recognizing this. The culture is very cutthroat and most people are worried more about keeping their jobs than they are about fixing these issues. This trickles down and a lot of good ideas never really get very far.

In conclusion, Nike definitely is a very good physical environment to work in and they are very forward thinking about this. It will be exciting to see how they adapt to this in the future. Nike has done some pretty exciting work and it is very cool to check out in their quarterly meetings. Unfortunately, do not expect to get a full time position at Nike, it’s probably not going to happen. You could spend 3 or 4 years working at Nike and still be working on a contract, or even be cut. You’ll find that the majority of employees at Nike are, in fact, contractors, at least in my experience and the culture is very cutthroat and siloed. You’ll definitely learn a lot about yourself while you work here.

I will preface this by saying I am part of the healthiest team I've ever been on.  I enjoy working with everyone there, and the secret is everyone gives their all.  Not everyone has this experience at Nike, unfortunately.  Like any company, it's the managers who make it!  I'm proud to say I've had really good ones.

A typical day at work for me involves talking to all sorts of different people, a ton of meetings, and delegating work to over-worked people.  I make plans and roll them out to my team.  I enjoy leading them -- we're a low-key bunch, which is necessary for the work we're doing.  

Many of us are in different time zones and nations, which is both fun and hard on the sleep schedule.  Personally, I think it is rad to talk to people in India at 7am, Nederlands at 10am, and then China at 8pm.  (Not all in one day for me; it is a super rare occurrence.).  As a global organization, we all need to compensate for time-zones, and I know other people have much heavier schedules than me.  It ultimately depends on your responsibilities.

People are very polite and I think that my greater department places a big emphasis on conduct, which I've come to appreciate, because it teaches and supports better ways of being.  When leadership expects more of you and exhibits the same behaviors, it's very admirable.

I feel like the CEO has a good vision and has the people's best interest in mind, although there was a lot of shuffling around when he came to be CEO.  This sort of thing happens frequently, and I was skeptical, but he keeps on winning over my trust.  

One thing I can say is that it is very difficult to advance, even if you come in somewhere below your actual level.  Sometimes I take a lower level position with full intention on rising, and. in the past I got promoted very quickly.   On the other hand, there is a lot expected out of you, so it really depends on the team and leadership.  It is easier to move laterally than to move up, I've found.  You truly need to be your own best advocate and recognize your own worth. I've learned that the hard way here.  Don't be afraid to negotiate.

I love working here, I really do.  Yet, many amazing and talented employees leave because... they can't advance!  I've seen it so much, that it's pretty much reasonable for a person to leave Nike to learn something about whatever their industry is, and then maybe come back.

Retention needs to be taken more seriously by HR.  It costs the company much more than money, as tribal knowledge and meaningful connections are lost, due to not enough attention to this aspect.  Maybe this is an issue with the tech industry overall.


I had the privilege of working at XYZ Company for the past two years, and I must say that my time there was truly invaluable. From the moment I joined the team, I was impressed by the company's commitment to fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.

One of the standout features of XYZ Company is its dedication to employee growth and development. Regular training sessions, workshops, and opportunities for skill enhancement were always available. This not only allowed me to expand my skill set but also gave me a sense that the company genuinely cared about my professional advancement.

The management team at XYZ Company deserves special praise. Their open-door policy and willingness to listen to employee feedback made me feel like a valued member of the team. They were quick to recognize and appreciate hard work and dedication, which served as a great motivator for me and my colleagues. Clear communication channels were established, ensuring that everyone was on the same page and working towards common goals.

The workplace culture at XYZ Company is something I will always cherish. The camaraderie among colleagues created a friendly and supportive atmosphere that made coming to work each day a pleasure. Teamwork was not just a buzzword; it was a core value that permeated every aspect of our projects. Collaboration across departments was encouraged, leading to innovative solutions and successful project outcomes.

Furthermore, the company's commitment to diversity and inclusion was evident in its hiring practices and interactions. Employees from different backgrounds were treated with respect, and their perspectives were valued. This fostered an environment of creativity and openness that I believe contributed significantly to the company's success.

In terms of work-life balance, XYZ Company excelled. While the nature of our industry sometimes demanded extra hours, the management consistently ensured that employees were not overwhelmed. Flexibility in working hours and remote work options were provided, showing the company's understanding of the modern work landscape and the need to balance professional and personal commitments.

In conclusion, my experience at XYZ Company was beyond positive. The emphasis on employee growth, the supportive management, the collaborative culture, and the commitment to diversity all came together to create an exceptional workplace. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have been part of such an incredible team, and I carry the skills and experiences I gained there with me as I move forward in my career.







I was given a temporary position at Nike that offered me the opportunity to learn new skills. Management wasn't perfect, but was a step up from what I'd experienced in most prior positions in that there was usually at least an effort made to work as a team and listen to all members of the team (not just those in management). Co-workers were passionate about their work, usually respectful of others, and generally made an effort to excel in their individual areas of responsibility. Finger-pointing when things went wrong, and trying to push through shoddy work when deadlines were tight were the worst behaviors I witnessed, and they were limited to a few individuals. One of the more challenging aspects of working at Nike is that their policy of hiring internally, and encouraging employees to stay in a particular role for only a few years at most, means that often times an entire group will be made up of individuals who have only been in their roles for a short time and are "making it up as they go." While this means there is a considerable amount of "re-inventing the wheel" and lost knowledge, it also means faster innovation as there is a constant influx of new people with new ideas. Unfortunately, Nike is engaging in the typical corporate strategy of using temporary labor / contractors to fill positions that are truly permanent and simply rotates individuals out after a year or so in order to avoid legal difficulties. After they could no longer extend my contract, due to the 1 year limitation, they asked me to train my replacement. There was no expectation that the position would become unnecessary anytime in the near future, but there was no available "headcount" to make the position permanent. Several other positions, such as administrative assistants, in the group were handled in the same way. Nike's culture is a bit unique, and they expect permanent employees to buy in to the idea that they are the best, their product is the best, and everyone should be doing things the way they do them. It is jokingly described as "you must drink the Kool-aid." It's possible to pick up on a mild feeling of fanaticism when talking with long-time employees, and lacking that enthusiasm or passion when interviewing will automatically disqualify a candidate for most positions.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Retail sales associate 50 salaries reported	$20.16 per hour
Sales associate 5 salaries reported	$18.20 per hour
Software engineer 20 salaries reported	$141,650 per year
Director 13 salaries reported	$200,477 per year
Senior software engineer 19 salaries reported	$152,132 per year

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