Michaels reviews

3.1

44% would recommend to a friend

(9,670 total reviews)

David Boone

36% approve of CEO

36% positive business outlook

Michaels has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 9,670 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Michaels employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

10K reviews
1.0
May 27, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

1. If you need a part time job this is the place to go. 2. They now have coupons comming out the a**. Seems like everyweek there is a 40% coupon and always a coupon through email also.

Cons

1. the pay is higher than most companines in this area but it later evens out because they cut your hours, pretty much you end up getting 4 hour shifts two to three days a week. You burn more gas getting to work than what you are going to make that day. 2. The training is poor. They put money towards the training videos but you won't know until you become hands on. So the communication from the one who physically trains you is very piss poor, especially in the framing department when you have to deal on an everyday basis with customer's priceless artwork. In framing you are trained (if the framing manager is not lazy) maybe two or three times (days) and then after a week you are thrown to the wolves to manage the department by yourself because in most stores no one else is trained in the framing department but the actual framers. I have worked there for going on 6 years and corporate still sees no need to cross train other workers for the framing department which in good economic times makes more money than the store itself. 3. If your a college student, don't expect to get promoted, you are a threat to most store managers. After a year of working there, I inquired about moving up the ladder and was told I had to drop out of college to do that. Disgusting!!! 4. Most times there is piss poor store management with bad ideas, bad attitudes, and poor communication. But they always manage to keep their jobs, as awful as they are, so instead of reprimanding the poor management for their poor decisions and poor behavior, they get moved to other stores and cause the same ruckus and have the same low standards for themselves. Corporate needs to spend money on re-training these individuals to be better managers. 5. Heaven forbid you get sick. You can't call out because of the new infractions in regards to the attendence policy, you loose points for calling out of work. Now people come to work sick and spreading their filth and germs to other employees. Just becuase management didn't want to punish the frequent offenders, those who actually come to work, on time, on a regular basis have to be punish. How fair is this. Ridiculous!!! Now that people are in desparate need you shoved out all of those SOPs and force us to sign due to your lack of sense to punish offenders. 6. One thing they need to realize, THE ECONOMY SUCKS NOW!!!!!!! How many people do you really think are going to come in and spend $150 -$300 on framing a custom piece now? I am aware that people priorities differ but I'm pretty sure that food and a roof comes before framing a picture. Framing sales are low because of this. Framers can't sell to an empty store nor can they sell framing standing on a street corner. Stop blaming and punishing the employees for things they don't have control over. 7. I find it ignorant how the customers get more of a discount than your employees. Employees only get 25% and yest customers can walk in with multiple coupons and receive 40% off.

2.0
May 13, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You can come into contact with many creative customers. You may encounter professional artists working the frame counter, but otherwise, I know of very few professional artists or crafts people that shop at Michaels. Depending on the store, your other coworkers can become like family and that is very pleasant even though you all are under massive amounts of stress. These are the only two reasons I keep working here.

Cons

1. Unrealistic expectations for the hours provided: My work list averages 14-20 hours worth of tasks for every 8 hour shift I work. There is no way to accomplish these tasks with the amount of hours given nor following the standard operating procedures. As a manager, I have seen the hours alloted per task compared to the hours given by payroll, and the hours of tasks far exceed the hours alloted to accomplish them. Therefore, employees are overworked and pressured when switching from a task to customer service. 2. Inconsistent and humiliating: Policy only seems to serve until the store manager or corporate gets involved, in which case it is give the customer anything they want. I've seen two associates get warned for not "bending" company coupon policy to please the customer (this was recommended from corporate). The customer is now a repeat customer and belittles these two associates every time she comes in. Also policies seem to shift week to week and are expected to be implemented fully within seven days. I don't even see some of the part-timers for seven days to tell them about the policy change. Communication about issues with corporate is mostly non-existent. 3. Bad scheduling: Scheduling is now done by computer and is not balanced or professional. I cannot plan any time off without losing hours since I don't know from one week to the next when I'll be working. I no longer get a weekend off without requesting it. This is the same for other full-time framers. 4. Needless paperwork: After restructuring the store for simplification, there is 20% more needless paperwork and tasks to be completed. Currently I have to put the daily sales that print out in the morning on four pieces of paper throughout the store. This is only one example of the same repetitive task. 5. Punitive attendance policy: The new attendance policy may be so rigid to curb overtime pay and unscheduled hours, but it is unfair to penalize workers for calling in sick or spending an extra five minutes to finish a task properly. This policy only hurts the better employees and makes their priorities watching the clock instead of doing quality work. Many employees with children that get sick will be out of job if they get more than 6 infractions in a 6 month period. 6. Contrary initiatives: Michaels implemented a BE strategy for employees which includes BE yourself, but then implemented a dress code. These are contrary initiatives confusing several creative people and demeaning the employees personal expression of creativity (within professional limits, of course). Their ads say "Michaels, where creativity happens" but seeing every employee dressed exactly the same is not creative. Also, corporate has stated that Michaels will become less task-oriented and more customer focused, but the amount of tasks has almost doubled and the workforce reduced. What they are doing is not what they are saying. 7. Low pay and lack of benefits: Michaels is the lowest paying retailer in my community. I heard a rumor that Wal-Mart cashiers made more department managers, and upon researching the rumor at Wal-Mart, found out it was true. Only store managers and assistant managers make a decent salary, but if that salary is divided by the hours they work, it is under the current wage rate-of-living for my area. The healthcare benefits are adaquate, but you only get a weeks worth of vacation and 48 hours of sick leave after one year of full-time employment. 8. Poor training: Videotapes? Come on, you can do better.

3.0
Apr 28, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The positions are high paying, the communication from corporate and upper management is usually exemplary, the benefits offered are exceptional.

Cons

The managers are required to work unnaturally long hours (my typical schedule was about 6am-7pm, and I was frequently asked to work 7 day work weeks), The automated staffing system regularly underschedules people which ultimately falls onto the managers to cover, the work environment is pretty dirty (which is typical in a retail environment I suppose), corporate level management changes frequently and this causes changes in all of the rules and regulations frequently.

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