Pros
I have been working here for over a decade. I appreciate that we have diverse job duties. We work the register, grab the carts, write section orders, stock the products and work on the sales floor to help the customers. There are many over-educated and overqualified people that work in our store. We remain with the company for the great benefits, a fun and interactive work environment (not in a cubical), good pay and yummy food. When I tell people where I work the first thing they say is, "I love Trader Joe's!" I am happy to work in a retail environment where the employees and the customers are happy. Trader Joe's policies make helping the customer and keeping them happy very easy to do. They work with my available hours and will work with you in you are a top performer. Overall, I LOVE my job and can rest easy even though I never figured out what to do when I grew up.
Cons
Reviews and pay raises used to be quarterly and now are only every six months. Pay raises used to be variable and performance-based. Pay raises are now capped and you either get a raise or you don't based on whether you've met expectations. The job can be physically exhausting and many of us have bodies that are breaking down (backs, knees, wrists). The schedule is newly computer-automated, but they are trying to work with the crew and their availability to get people the hours they need. As the company grows there are many changes with which the old-timers are having trouble. Although we had the best benefits package in the grocery business (and maybe in all of retail), they are cutting benefits to make the company more competitive/profitable. And the Affordable Care Act is effecting benefits for those who work less than 30 hours.