Technology wannabe with a thick layer of inexperienced IT managers - Software Engineer Nordstrom Employee Review

2.0
Mar 22, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Relatively stable Retail company. - Opportunities to learn ins-outs of Retail as Nordstrom is multichannel - stores/online, full price/off price - Pay is relatively good compared to other retailers. Compared to technology companies like Microsoft/Amazon, pay is less unless of course, your hiring manager is your buddy.

Cons

- Inexperienced IT managers - This is the single major con in my view. Make sure you interview your manager while you are interviewed. In Nordstrom, IT managers can make or break your career ( & in many other companies) but there are times when you get screwed up because of your manager's inexperience and that happens quite often and prevalent in many teams. For example, managers ambush engineers during appraisals with surprise feedback (frequent feedback/conversation is a myth), change goals at last moment, prioritize their own interest on top of company goals. - Some teams are great and some are really screwed up. In the sense, some teams make 'modernization' a goal but don't really know how to quantify their goals and how to plan out the execution. Lots of immature technology decisions are made which hurt the team and company in the long run. One of the teams I would stay away from is IT Supply Chain & Merchandising unless of course, your hiring manager is your friend because talent can only get you so far. - CTO left less than a year. He was a great guy and brought lots of changes (in the right direction) but he left and now it's starting to become a mess again. That's never a good sign. - They are continuously leaking talent and hiring as well but the attrition rate is quite high.

Explore other reviews about Nordstrom

5.0
May 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great team, great management, brilliant engineers

Cons

Not enough salary for the time given

2.0
Jun 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Decent base pay, somewhat autonomous, great tip potential.

Cons

The company has changed for the worse since COVID. When I came back the mood of the entire store had shifted. Gone were the days of comradery, customer focus, and taking pride in a job well done. In its place there is a new culture of cutthroat sales, a severe decline in customer focus, and worst of all a new focus on profit over customer satisfaction. When I was told that the amount the store charged for a shoe shine was not enough to do the best job I could for a customer I knew things had gone downhill for the company. Not to mention I watch a manager prey on a mentally disabled person in order to secure a sale, when the person could not understand what was being offered. Sad that such a once great company is now just another greed ridden corporation.

2
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