Costco starts off their employees at $11.00 and your pay moves up from there based on hours worked. Even part time employees can get full benefits and the benefits are some of the best in the industry. I pay $32/month for pretty much everything and it's not skimpy coverage. Wisdom teeth surgery was paid in full and most prescription co-pays come out to 10 cents per pill. The main reason I took off a star for compensation is that they make it very difficult to get a full-time position, and employees with more seniority will almost always be given preference. It doesn't matter what your education level is or how well you perform. I often find myself giving pointers to supervisors who are promoted over me because of their seniority. This is counter-intuitive and unfair to the most competent employees. One more thing: tips are not allowed. If they catch you accepting a tip from a member, even if the member insists, they can fire you over it.
I had to take a star off Culture/Values for the same reason. They take customer service very seriously and maintain a serious code of ethics. The shady stuff that other retail jobs have tried to pull on me will never fly in Costco. Even if they don't treat you great, they definitely treat most people fairly and stick to their principles. The only flaw in their values is that they do not value education and merit as much as they should. They definitely benefit from it, but don't reward the best employees accordingly.
You will not find a more
The co-workers here are really incredible. Everyone is so easy to talk to and always willing to help. Especially the supervisors, they do care about you and want you to succeed and they always give insight and tips & tricks so you can perform better. Unfortunately, the small things throughout the day that are out of your control, can really be demoralizing and just ruin the experience.
For example, when you are done picking and have a wrapped pallet, your scanner might say fluid load, Route 20, Stop 3, position RIGHT. So you go to the loading area and look for Route 20. The problem is, your scanner is not synced correctly to the written map they have next to the truck. So, if you don't go into the trailer and check the ordering first, you are screwed. This eats up a lot of your time, which overtime, will diminish your pick rate. Not only that, but a supervisor or one of the loaders will see what you are doing and be like "what's it telling you to do?", you say "to load", but they don't realize you need to double check the ordering. This gives off the illusion you are not working / doing it correctly, when you are. It's hard to explain, but it doesn't feel good.
I've mentioned this to my supervisor and they have told me it's fine, always make sure you double check the ordering, they will give you time (to help with your pick rate). Which is nice!
Another issue is there are several wireless dead zones in aisles. A lot of co-workers experience this as well. This hap
I left my full time job of 8 years to come here seasonally. Everyone talks such a big game about Costco, “Oh it’s awesome!” , “Oh, it’s worth it!”
I would say the only thing Costco has going for them is their insurance and Benefits. Really cheap and good. But, it comes at a price.
The micromanaging is ridiculous. The superiority complex of the “supervisors” (people holding the clip boards at the front end) was astounding. I haven’t been treated like an incompetent child since I was 16 at my first job. So at 33 with tons of experience in high stress jobs, I was baffled. I was effortlessly doing their work (it’s mindless, you just have to be fast, basically manual labor all day).
But I would occasionally get a supervisor who would come up to me. Point to the ground, as I’m hauling butt boxing groceries. And say, “that piece of paper next to you, it needs to be picked up. Make sure your area is clean.”
Or a day before thanksgiving and the lines are all the way into the clothing section. I had a supervisor come up to me as I’m boxing groceries and say, “I want you to sweep up the picnic area (the red tables where everyone eats their hotdogs and pizza). Although Costco employes someone to go around cleaning all day. I had to stop and do it. So I get it done in 10 minutes (I used to be a housekeeper at a hospital years back, I’m very fast). This seems to irritate the supervisor, and she tells me. “No, I want it done good and points to a couple who just stood up and d
ProsGreat insurance, benefits, retirement, mindless work
ConsNo set schedule, micromanaging to the extreme, physically demanding, demeaning
Costco is what you make of it. I worked there part time for 2 and a half years. Started selling TV’s.. then applied to customer service (Membership) for a dollar raise. After nearly losing my mind in customer service I ran for the hills to the Tire Department. Finished my time there. I eventually left because I was getting burnt out... Since I was the new guy in the tire shop, and since we didn’t always have cars to work on, I would constantly get sent back and forth between the shop and the registers up front to help the cashiers... this is called working “THE FRONT END” Dun dun dun....
For anyone that hasn’t worked the front end of Costco before (packing groceries and cashiering), it can be quite arduous. Sometimes the lines never end. And people will load their cart until they can barely push it. Sometimes they have two carts! So guess what you gotta take all that stuff out, put it onto the belt, and then pack it all back into the cart without squishing or missing anything. On Holidays it can be an introverts worst nightmare. I’m talking lines back to the rotisserie chickens!! I heard a seasonal guy came in and quit on the first day before his shift was over... Oh, and everyone has to help out on the “front end” when it gets really busy. You don’t have a choice. (Unless you work in food) If need be they can and will send you outside in 90 degree weather to push carts. And they don’t discriminate!! If you are new, chances are you will be pushing carts at some point. Front
ProsPaid holidays, Free food during inventory, Benefits are great, Free membership, job security
ConsSchedule is erratic, People can be rude, Takes a toll on your body, Costco becomes intertwined with your very existence
Great health benefits, but very inefficient management and a constant overburden of work.
My typical day at work begins at 5 a.m. First thing in the morning I key out (remove product from our inventory) products that have either been returned by customers or damaged/expired within the warehouse. Usually takes between 1-2 hours to complete this task. Depending on the day of the week, we will ship salvage or donation items, process RMA paperwork from vendors, and manage inventory of items brought through RTV.
I've learned that through hard work and perseverance at this company, you can move up fairly quick, but there are quite a few politics in play that will keep you from doing so if the time isn't right. Typically when a new job is posted, they will interview all of those applying, but pick someone who is getting paid the least out of the candidates and usually does not have the experience for the applied job. If you're too good or valued in your specific department, very rarely will you be able to move or get promoted out of that department even though you are heavily qualified for the new job posted.
Management at my particular warehouse is very poor. Very focused on payroll and cutting hours/people in order to save the warehouse money. Very poor planning when it comes to department moves or rearrangement, usually we will move a department 4-5 times within several days before it actually stays in that arrangement for a few months at a time. When major moves are planned, there isn't enough manpower to finish it before the store opens (10 a.m. - So roughly 5 hou
Prosmedical, dental, and vision benefits
Consinefficient management, overloaded with jobs/tasks, lack of communication between managers.
It has been awhile since I worked as a cake decorator/Baker for Costco, but it was one of those job experiences you will never forget, and not in a good way.
Working for Costco was the worst job I have ever had.
Truthfully, I don't even know where to begin on why I think this.
Now that I am in a well established job with people working under me, working at Costco taught me how to never treat your employees.
First off I was a very hard worker. I did my job and never complained. My manager noticed and praised me.
In front of everyone.
You probably know where that is going.
Because I was . . . 20? 19? there were a lot of jealous older women who thought I didn't deserve the praise. As a result, I suddenly talked behind my managers back and purposely left messes behind for others to clean -- among other countless flaws, etc.
Because of this, I was also "told on" for "eating" baked goods during work hours and was constantly brought in front of management where I always denied these allegations. I knew who told on me and would tell them fervently that I knew it was this certain someone and that they are lying. Despite everything, I was constantly picked on by management to the point that I was watched religiously for the smallest of mistakes. These mistakes include:
1. Being sick and taking an extra five minutes to go the the bathroom to take care of business and in doing so was told I wasnt allowed to take an extended break and was written up for being
This is a tale about two faces of the company. First we have COSTCO that every knows and loves. The warehouse where we all shop. We all love it. It's a great place that treats their employees with respect and pays them fairly. This is not that Costco.
The Costco that I am talking about is tucked up in small town in the Pacific Northwest in Issaquah, WA. I am talking about corporate headquarters and specifically the IT department which has become the largest department at Costco's "Home Office". The IT (sorry, Costco still calls it IS like some throwback to the 1970s) department is an afterthought to their main business. When most companies are digging deep into their data using the latest tools to win a competitive edge, Costco simply doesn't care about any of it. Costco has an IT department because they need to pay people and do other regulatory things on a computer but believe me they could hardly care about IT.
Everything at Costco is geared towards the warehouse employee. Your first day at work is a couple of videos about people working in a warehouse, everything is geared towards them. In fact most people that are at HQ are former cart pushers, meat cutters, bakery workers, stockers, etc. They pride themselves in promoting people from warehouses to HQ and it shows. Most of these people have zero management skills. Especially in IT where layer upon layer of management have no background in computer technologies. Therefore management is clueless and makes so many du
Prosfree parking, free membership
Consslow, dull, no flexible schedules, low pay, low vacation, old technologies
Otherwise good place to work that's held back by nepotism and management
Costco absolutely lives up to its reputation when it comes to being an overall positive workplace that offers good benefits. There were no doubt days that I had fun while I was at work, and days where I wouldn't even realize my shift had begun and ended since I was so active. Members have also in my experience been generally pleasant to be around, which is more than can be said for other big-chain retailers.
Even with that being the case, the warehouse that I worked in suffered tremendously from nepotism, lack of communication from upper management, and a lack of competence from the managers when it came down to training.
There were, for example, times where my schedule was changed without my knowledge, and I was simply expected to know without being told. There were also times when my manager would tell me certain things about stocking only to be contradicted by another manager or another veteran employee later on. This made my initial training period more of a headache than it needed to be.
Nepotism also runs rampant in the warehouse that I worked in. I worked there for about 60 days, and in those 60 days I never saw a specific handful of employees do what was expected of the rest of us. Many of them left their trash for others to clean up, but because they've been there a long time, my managers rarely ever said anything to them. They were also rarely ever given the same work load that newer employees received.
The lack of communication was also a large issue.
ProsOverall positive work environment and good benefits
ConsBlatant nepotism, lack of communication, and no solid training program
A great job for in-between jobs or transitional points in one's life.
Worked here for 4 years. Decided to leave due to personal matters but honestly I'd be lying if I said I didn't regret it. I wished there was more job opportunities within the warehouse I worked at but that can be chalked up more to being due to COVID making things difficult as it is. Still, finding other jobs right now and how things are treated differently does broaden my appreciation to the job.
I only worked on the Front End which is arguably one of the most hectic departments but the staff for the most part generally are working to help one another more often than not. Supervisors cared, not all, but shockingly even the managers cared and worked to improve things for both the workers and members.
On the Front End especially you really are shown a lot of ways to grow and move around the company: Many chances to cross-train in different departments and get training and work in said different departments. Despite being a Front End Assistant I ended up working in places like the Liquor Store and even helped break for the Gas Station attendants. Even covered shifts when need be.
Additionally at least as far as my warehouse went it was the most nicest places as far as those who might be dealing with things personally or in their personal life and try to work with it and around it. Far more than any other company and job nowadays that feel like will twist their noses at you at the slightest show of weakness.
My only concern and problem is just poor organization and communi
Pros• Management that cares for the most part, • Great pay and benefits package, • Generally good work flow, • Chances to grow and move around the company
Cons- Mediocre at best work/life balance (It is retail, especially post-pandemic. But still worth bringing up.), - Poor organization between management, - Poor communication between management and staff
Much more physically demanding than you would expect
My time with Costco was relatively short. I helped with the process of a new warehouse opening, which was exciting and new, but not for everyone, especially being outdoors in winter with 8 hour shifts after minimal training. There was a lot of encouragement, but the working conditions were less than ideal.
Management was sometimes difficult to deal with. Some of the managers were incredibly nice, supportive, and encouraging, but there was a disorganized structure, with the largest issue being a lot of disrespect for the cart crew. The culture is worlds different between cart crew and regular duties of a front end assistant. Managers will come outside to micro-manage the cart crew, asking why you're behind while you're visibly doing as much as is humanly reasonable. I would definitely say that my black and brown coworkers caught the most flack for the same performance. Not all stores have a cart donkey, and you may be expected to push literally more than 6 tons of carts. Fighting carts uphill in the wind, rain, and ice is not for anyone with physical disabilities, and if you have any, this job will exacerbate them.
The work inside is good and rewarding. It's still a high volume retail environment, but if you can just focus on what's in front of you, it's smooth and tends to go fairly quick. I'd say it wasn't too much to handle for being close to a living wage. It seems like overtime is fairly easy to get. There are a lot of opportunities to cross train, and there's a lot to do
ProsPotential for upward movement, lgbt+ safe environment, decent pay with raises
Cons3 Minute clock in window, Cart crew is difficult, extremely demanding until you've worked there for some time
2.0
Ingeniero/a en prevención de riesgos | Chihuahua, Chih. | Mar 28, 2018
Pésimo, área de Gerencia con empleados que dan mala reputación a la empresa.
Administración que no toma en cuenta tus aptitudes para ofrecer puestos.
Panaderos sin poder explotar sus talentos siendo desperdiciados en otras áreas.
Todos los trabajadores tienen que doblar ropa por varias horas de su turno sin excepción a pesar de que tienen trabajo pendiente que no pueden dejar incompleto y tienen que hacer horas extra sin paga ya que le dan mas prioridad al aspecto de la tienda que a cosas más importantes.
Aunque el empleado necesite o su Gerente de área le pida quedarse tiempo extra, Recursos Humanos niega el pago de las horas extras trabajadas, aun así cuando el Gerente de la tienda haya autorizado tales horas, o en algunas ocasiones el pago de tales hora/s termina siendo pagado meses después.
Preferencia por el área de panadería siendo la única área a la que aprueban horas extras sin excepción y pasan por alto el robo de producto, la producción y el consumo de la merma.
Gerentes, usualmente mujeres, son ascendidos principalmente por su trato interesado con otras personas y/o relaciones sentimentales con otras empleadas/os y no por su desempeño, nunca dan el puesto a quien se lo merece por su puntualidad y excelente desempeño en su área ya que no se asocia con los de gerencia haciendo favores fuera de su área.
Recursos Humanos pasa por alto muchas cosas y cuando ya no te necesitan hacen hasta lo imposible para correrte de la empresa, por ejemplo, un gerente ofreciéndole un bocado de pan a un empleado general de la tienda para ser captado por l
ProsOfrecen caja de ahorro, fondo de ahorro, servicio de gastos médicos menores y mayores.
Truth about Costco, the reviews below sound fake ;)
Gday from Australia we have know 3 Costco warehouses, heaps of burnt out overworked employees and are managed by a few NOT all idiots that just got the promotions because either they are american, kiss behinds very well or they have personal relationships outside of work (everyone knows whats going on outside work fellas ;))
We all seen the induction video, we promote from within.
Employees will be promoted within 6 months to a year.
Not a good idea telling this to 480 newly hired employees.
Which after 2 years are still being harassed by management for not clocking on time for lunch, or being tormented for not being as fast as superman.
I love it when jobs are posted on the notice board, because it makes me feel like I have a equal chance like anyone else. WRONG they already know who they are going to promote (the behind kissers).
We are told everyone should apply to show your interest,
Ahhh...
Mate you gentlemen already know everyone is interested how about this..
Don't post up jobs that you have already filled, it's just playing with the perspective of the employees in Costco. (yea they say things like, I tell everyone the managers are like nazzis, but the company is excellent).
What happened to take care of employees?
Ohh yea that one only applies at the induction, shhh
Funny how it does not say anything about managers on the code of ethics.
It should read: Just do as they say, never answer back, only they know best any new ideas might get you counselled.
Haven't you
Prosgreat video on day 1
Conscan't think of any, it's so great like the roman empire
Useful skills are gained but its Not a very Challenging job for a University student- Go in, do your job, and leave
I have been working there for almost 2 years now and though there are some positive aspects to working there like the pay and flexibility with school, my experiences working for Costco have been negative and I'm not impressed with the way the company works. Yes its true that they treat their employees well, but you basically have to work there for years to get what you want. A company like this runs its ideals based on seniority, so the people who have been there the longest tend to get what they want such as vacation, certain days off and so on. The managers can be nice people, but they really need to do a better job in terms of how they run the company and pick favorites which is lame. They help you out and such by letting you know what needs to be done but communication among employees is absolutely terrible. Work life balance for a college student is better when you're going to school because you only work there weekends, but the summer is horrendous for that. I told my manager that I wanted friday, saturdays off till September and she said it was fine, but these past weeks my days off changed which just ruins your week because you have to change your plans and whatnot and I wasn't even told about it.
In my case, I'm in University, so I don't get weekends off unless I book it off in advance due to their policy. Also another issue I've noticed working for this company, especially since I've been there a while is that they like to over-rely on you (students particularly
Prossunday pay, flexible with school, you gain some useful skills on the job (team player, working hard, communication skills)
ConsVery boring and repetitive, You're thrown in any department at times without warning, ridiculously short staffed, Favoritism, Lifers are too comfortable (over-rely on you), they are never happy most of the time which makes going to work bothersome, Management is disorganized, lack of communication, work-life balance isn't that great, company policies are run based on seniority
Great working team and Benefits, poor management and work expectations
Started off as a stocker while in school, got decent hours over the summers and holidays. Free membership was nice and i loved working with my team because everyone was focused on more than just pure productivity and the daily slog. Granted, merchandising in any retail job is tough but over time I got used to Costco. I got along well with most of the management team and never had any issues about work schedules or hours per week or even job performance. Lots of perks to merchandising such as flexible break times, less customer interaction compared to membership or front end employees, and a relatively relaxed vibe due to the lack of mental and emotional stress.
After graduating and some management changes, I was told I was no longer considered to be ready for opportunities I wanted to pursue. I came to realize that true to any other job, Costco is a corporation and you are merely an asset. I started seeing less and less people working and the demand for our performance increased constantly. The newest batch of managers after I left school and intended to work permanently at Costco, while nice people, seemed to have no sense of what they're supposed to be doing as managers, not workers. Upper levels of management seemed to also be ignorant of the limitations and capabilities of the team and the staff as a whole without acknowledging why performance seemed to be dropping. Hours were cut from our team at an increasing rate and a lack of bodies and training time meant some nig
3.0
Food and Beverage Assistant | Aberdeen | Oct 14, 2018
something else
I started costco at a delicate time in my life and i have to give them credit that costco helped me develop and growth and helping give me the time to find myself and become the hard work and confident worker i am today. The pay and the pay rises are amazing once your past the three month probation period. The holiday pay and benefits and pension plan are very generous compared to most companies with entry level basic jobs like this but honestly there was so drama.
The store i worked at everyone was shady and rumors spread like wildfire it wasn't even funny. so many people were trying to throw others under the bus professionally and socially. Literally the department managers are trying to screw the others over with the warehouse managers and it's like whats wrong with you. I was lucky to have a manager i did for the last year at costco cause she made things so much better for a lot of us and we honest about what was going on and how she hated the changes that were forced on us which were the worst thing. The management and how they handled doing new things. Like for example they would get an email saying we couldn't do something 'give cups for the drinking fountain' or be something equally stupid and if you forget and did it cause you were off the day they started the new thing you'd get into trouble or yelled at just cause. There were also certain time we were put on the line of health and safety. Like I almost emailed HR because our warehouse manager wanted me to do so
ProsFree membership, great benefits, great pay, flexible hours
Consfixed 5 day week, poor management, shady coworkers, negative workplace
Questions And Answers about Costco Wholesale
How often do you get a raise at Costco Wholesale?
Asked Sep 24, 2020
It was every 1040 hours, if you’re full time it takes about 6 months to complete to get a raise of $1.00. Last year they did away with $0.50 raises and all raises are now $1.00 which is good
Answered May 17, 2023
1040 hours complete
Answered Mar 30, 2023
What is the best part of working at the company?
Asked Dec 7, 2019
meeting customers/ members exchanging ideas, and recipes and inter acting
Answered Feb 3, 2023
Nothing absolutely nothing
Answered Jul 23, 2022
What is the promotion process like at Costco Wholesale?
Asked Oct 8, 2020
Decent
Answered Jan 23, 2023
The promotion process was favorited.
Answered Jan 23, 2023
What tips or advice would you give to someone interviewing at Costco Wholesale?
