Poor workplace environment undercuts the product's potential - Anonymous employee Instacart Employee Review

3.0
Jun 18, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Well-intentioned employees Great location in the FiDi Excellent benefits

Cons

- Inexperienced managers are common. When I was at Instacart, I saw a severely diminished sense of morale and upward movement among my team because managers were promoted with no evidence of good management. Turnover of employees at all levels seems to be high. - Overall lack of process. It seemed that the more difficult problems persisted the longest because of a lack of team focus and wherewithal to solve them. Some projects were prioritized because they were low-hanging fruit that made managers look good - but didn't solve a real problem. When there are processes, exceptions are made when convenient leading to problems down the line. I believe people make these exceptions because they are undersupported in a search for better solutions. - Company goals can change suddenly and without warning from quarter to quarter. I've seen a focus on short-term profit motives halt progress on projects in motion. These decisions are poorly thought out and articulated by executives who seem to not grasp their effect on long-term productivity of employees and the long-term health of the product.

Explore other reviews about Instacart

5.0
Jun 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible schedule and independent work environment with good earning potential during busy hours.

Cons

Pay can vary by day and vehicle expenses like gas and maintenance add up quickly.

2.0
Jun 21, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fun going out and talking to people. You will interact with people everyday. You control how much you get paid. Lots of flexibility in the time between accepting an order and traveling to the store and beginning to shop. It isn't pedal to the metal to get to the store like DoorDash is. You can also cancel batches after accepting as long as you keep your rate under 15%. This is different from DoorDash where your rankings will suffer if g.t. 2% cancellation rate.

Cons

There's a learning curve and it takes a while to learn each chain of stores' items. Once you become proficient at one store, the algorithm will lowball your offers relative to other less-experienced Instacart shoppers. Overall, Instacart shoppers likely get paid similar or less than the store's regular employees.

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