Manager (Aka: Mate) - Mate (Assistant Manager) Trader Joe's Employee Review

3.0
Dec 30, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great company with AMAZING products and insane, but well-deserved customer loyalty. Pay is outstanding by retail standards (subpar when compared to other industries, though). Benefits are solidly above average when compared to other companies in a wide range of industries. Leadership knows what they're doing and has a handle on the idea of compassionate, supportive coaching of crew members vs. an old fashioned "do as I say and get back to work or you're fired" approach. So that's good for morale AND productivity. The crew is amazing. If you, as a manager, earn their respect, they'll walk through fire for you and do whatever it takes to make the customer's day, week, month, or year. Love the people I work with and the customers I serve every day.

Cons

For a Mate (manager) the hours are absolutely horrendous! Yoi will hardlt EVER see your family. The waterfall sched blows and is applied unevenly. Salary for mates is terrible--even last year's so called "raise" was just swallowed by taxes.

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5.0
Jul 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great place to work all around

Cons

Nothing really bad to say

4.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Great way to meet people, socialize, and learn customer service -Always tasked with different things every hour -Friendly crew who will always help you to learn and get better at your job -Get a slight pay raise every 6 months -No outside commitments and amazing benefits if you work full time (about 28 hours a week for every 6 months) -Will take time, but find your friend group, stay with them and have fun, you can't please everybody -Care for your body, do not overdo it with physical labor, its a retail job and you only have one fragile body for yourself, get help or insist about your pains

Cons

-Not many, unless you are stuck in a bad store with bad management -I had some good luck of working in 3 great stores, so YMMV -Sometimes can get cliquey like you are back in high school -Getting promoted up to store management may involve buttering up and being a "yes-person" -Care for your body, do not overdo it with physical labor, its a retail job and you only have one fragile body for yourself, get help or insist about your pains

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