Kohl's Store Manager Program reviews

3.3

46% would recommend to a friend

(555 total reviews)
avatar

Michael J. Bender

72% approve of CEO

35% positive business outlook

Store Manager Program employees have rated Kohl's with 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 555 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Store Manager Program professionals have a good working experience there. Kohl's is rated in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) by Store Manager Program professionals compared to other employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.4 stars).

Reviews by job title

555 reviews
3.0
Feb 11, 2013

Doing Lots with Little

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Job stability and a somewhat predictable work/life balance for a retail management position. The company is also respected in the community and by its customers, making a management position a positive on one's resume. Employee discounts are generous and frequently enhanced for special events, making clothing one's family very affordable. OK, it's not a great reason to work there, but it helps.

Cons

Stores are run with very little payroll for the amount of space, merchandise and business that must be managed. Employee quality can also be tough as the company pays hourly employees minimum wage to start with meager annual increases. I had candidates get up and leave interviews when they heard the starting rate - which is not negotiable - on more than one occasion. The ideal job candidate is someone who doesn't need the money and is looking for something to do to get out of the house and will appreciate the generous employee discount (think: a spouse with a strong primary income in the family). Managers are placed under extreme pressure to produce new credit applications. This leads to wide-spread cheating that is a survival strategy for many. The program is supposed to be this: apply, get approved and you get a discount. The reality: apply and get a discount. By the way, the employee getting the credit account gets a small cash payout for the application. Everyone wins by turning a blind eye to the flexible ethics of this program. The customer gets a discount, the employee gets a little money and the management team avoids heat.

3.0
Jan 31, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fun building a team of part-timers, few full-timers, different backgrounds, experience etc. Easy to beat credit goals, fun to beat customer service scores.

Cons

After having spent 10+ years at another big box retailer, was surprised and confused at the micro-managing of the DM. For example blow out a credit acquisition goal on a Saturday but get a call Monday not congratulating on performance, but asking about why PT associate (always anonymous) called DM because they had to work recovery for an hour after store closed. Completely unprofessional.

4.0
Jan 8, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Competitive pay Above-average vacation time Caring upper-level management (from my experience) Great exposure opportunities for college grads Develop your management style/techniques while working for a retailer with national notoriety. Great people with great skills reside within the organization; these people are accessible and willing to help you grow. Lots of networking opportunities, which is key in moving up in the company.

Cons

Business is profitable due to low facilities/associate payroll and high profit margins Heavy workload Ambiguous merchandising direction Long, long hours It takes a lot of extra face time to get noticed. Bad visits could really set you back, depending on how you take the criticism. There are not enough hours in a week to get everything done, which can be frustrating.

Viewing 499 - 501 of 555 Reviews

Glassdoor has 21,484 Kohl's reviews submitted anonymously by Kohl's employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Kohl's is right for you.