Working at Kohl's — Reviews by Employees

If you don't like working at Kohls, you don't know what work is -- especially restaurant work. I worked at Kohls for a year when I couldn't find a good job. I was dreading the experience after reading the reviews on this site. I'm sure there are good Kohl's and there are bad Kohls. It is entirely possible that I just lucked out and got a good Kohls.

Pay -- The pay is pretty crappy. It is a retail job. You don't exactly need a skill set to work there. But, with minimum wage, comes minimum work. If walking around a department store for 6 hours helping people find blenders, finding vacuum cleaners from the attic, and answering the phone while occasionally doing cashier work seems stressful to you, I recommend you find a way to get on welfare. Fast. Because this job is butt easy. Also, your customers don't expect much of you. Some of them yell. Some of them are rude. Who gives a shit? Try waiting tables or tending bar. Then you will see the evil people are capable of.

Respect -- Kohls is a corporation with over 1000 stores. You are NOT a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are a number. If this is a problem for you, work at a mom and pop store, or a locally-owned restaurant. Each has its drawbacks. One of the great things about Kohls is that you have half a brain, you will never be the worst employee there. Don't stand out. Stay in the middle. If you want to be the best employee ever (tm), go for it, but then you will probably get talked into taking a supervisor position (aka, people who have to do actual work). If you just stay on as associate, doing small things like staying an extra hour will make supervisors view you as the Risen Christ. It also helps to NEVER EVER bitch about your job. Nobody cares, and since it so easy, it only makes others hate you. Yes, stocking an aisle of toys for an hour and a half can seem like a real drag, which is why you should NEVER EVER wear a watch when you work there. If you don't wear a watch, it is like being in a casino. There is no time.

Benefits -- If you want it, you can get health insurance. That right there is worth the job for a lot of mothers looking for a little extra money. You get a 15% discount. It's not that great of a discount, but when you figure that you can spy all of the stuff you want and either hide it or put it aside for a day, you can get away with a lot. The longer you are there, the better you become at figuring out what is going to be going on sale. These are items you then stick in an obscure part of the store where nobody goes, and then retrieve later.

Job Security -- If you steal, you are gone.

Work/Life Balance -- You have to work a minimum of 15 hours a week. Management is responsive to requests for days off, and they also schedule around school and family obligations. When you walk out the door, you don't think about it. You walk in, you do your job, if you can even call it that, and then you leave.

Career Potential/Growth -- I've never wanted a career there, but everyone above me has started out in my position. So, figure it out. If that is what you want, you have the opportunity to pursue it.

Location -- Varies, obviously.

Co-worker Competence -- I wouldn't rely on co-worker competence. I've asked people questions. Sometimes they are helpful, sometimes they don't know, in which case I tell whoever is asking me that I don't know. Then I sincerely apologize (because I'd rather help them if possible) and then I walk away. How competent do you think customers expect you to be? Just say what I say: "I've never worked in this department before," or, "I just started." Easy.

Work Environment -- It's a frickin department store. If you've been to one, that is what it is like.



Anyway, sorry all the snotty teeny boppers on here haven't worked a real day of work in their fricking lives and think Kohls is a sweat shop. You have a rude awakening coming after college and high school.

Grow up.

I've been working here for about 3 months, thinking it would be a good way to get myself into work after having my first child, and OH! Let me tell you, I do not like it, one bit!

Pay: No complaints yet, seeing as I just did my 90 day review and haven't had a chance to get a raise.

Respect: The respect that I get is only from the people who are always on the floor, who don't work in the office, with the exception of one housewares person.. Rarely do I get respect from a manager. I get criticized even if I do get a credit application in, and the housewares lady I get no respect from? She is no manager and tells me (as well as a lot of other people) I have to get credits for HER, not the manager. She is no manager, and should not yell at all of us POS associates like that. Like someone else said, they do give out 'Yes You Did!' recognitions, but they're only slips of paper. No real incentives.

Benefits: If I needed them, I would definitely get them. All I have to say, they're good with this one. I just don't need them right now.

Job Security: HORRIBLE. They are CONSTANTLY hiring people for POS, and for a company that prides itself on being able to open more stores rather than shut down stores, they best STOP hiring so many people so they don't have to be unlucky enough to have to shut down a lot of their stores. And then they complain about hearing their employees' complaints of hardly or no hours? THEN STOP HIRING PEOPLE SO YOU CAN GIVE EVERYONE HOURS!

Work/Life Balance: Can't complain... yet. I asked for hours of 3 until closing during the weekdays and any during the weekend, because as a single mom, I have no one to watch my daughter until 3:45 or even sometimes 3, when my mother gets home from her job. They've been able to give me those hours, and I am glad.

Location: Great. It's a few blocks from my house, I can get there in at least 5 minutes.

Co-Worker Competence: Eh. Not perfect, but good. There are some workers that are just lazy as heck and don't want to finish recovery, complain when they do have recovery, complain when you hand them recovery, and complain if you're POS and call them up for backup because there's a line. I don't know if it's a problem anywhere else, but at my store, that's how some of the floor associates are.

Work Enviroment: It's okay. The breakroom's good, floor is good, pretty much alright.

Okay, this review is comming from a Hard Worker currently working for Khol's--seems to be the opposite of most of the reviews on here. I'll take it in a step by step fashion, explaining each rating.

Pay Currently -1

Khol's is not at all competitive in the pay scale right now. Course, I don't have any other company to compare this too other than in the past. This may be because of the economy. When i first started working there i recieved a $2.50 raise when I was promoted to a department supervisor. This was before the economic bust. Recently, I was promoted to an Area Supervisor and only got like a 30 cent raise. I was told it was due to economic conditions. I have no reason to believe it isn't anything other than that as I trust my manager is telling me the truth due to the fact that she has given me a substantial raise before. I also think it has to do with the company losing money cause they continue to expand during an economic downturn. I can understand their budget concerns. I believe i will be compensated in the future for my loyalty to the company should i remain employed here when the economy recovers.

Respect 5

I recieve respect where respect is due. If I perform badly, I recieve criticism. If I do a good job, I am likewise recognized. I welcome criticism, it tells me how to proceed to improve my skills while focusing on my strengths. The biggest show of respect is two promotions in the last year. It also gives me goals. Nothing worse than a stagnant job.

Benefits 4

Kohl's gave me benefits as a part timer. As a full timer I recieve stock options, 401 K, health insurance, paid Holiday (You will always be off for a holiday, except maybe christmas eve where you get paid time and a half plus holiday pay). Vacation benefits could be a little better. That is why I gave it a 4 instead of 5. It takes two years to get a full week accumulating over a horrible 10 year period to 3 weeks a year.

Job Security

Its Awesome. No lay offs at all.

Work life Balance 5

Never expected to work "off the clock" or bring your work home and this attitude is strongly encouraged by management. Never been denied a request off except during certain periods unless you have an "emergency".

Co-worker Competence -5

This is a major issue with kohl's payroll budget right now. Due to the low pay currently offered, the staff is less than quality. Most of the time, they refuse to go beyond their own job roles. Turnover rate is so high, most are in training or haven't been their long enough to be Competent. Becuase of the excellent work/life balance, Call outs and time off request make most employee's unreliable and eventually terminated, leaving very few workers who are dedicated and team orientated.

Work Environment -5

Due to the above issue, the work environment suffers. In addition, kohl's will turn off the air conditioner during non operational hours, making it hot and uncomfortable for workers. During store hours in the day, the temperature is set in the high 70's.

I have worked for several Kohl's stores, in two states (Kansas being one of them). I have worked exclusively in 3 seperate districts for 3 different district managers, but have helped out at other stores and in other districts, as well, so have seen a mixture of stores and employees. I have held a range of positions from part-time sales floor and cashier, to Visual Specialist, to Executive (Ass't Store Manager)
Overall, Kohl's was decent company to work for; good benefits (401K and stock program are great!), but since switching to "Store Structure" a few years ago, the work environment in the stores has deteriorated. Payroll is generally very tight; associates are expected to complete workload that takes longer then payroll allows with little help and "man" multiple departments by themselves. Executives are required to work minimum 9 hour days, but usually end up working 10-12 hour days on average to make up for the workload that does not get completed by their associates that are hourly.
The "Yes We Can" policy is insane! We bend over backwards to do ANYTHING to make sure the customer is happy! I understand we are there to provide customer service and generate repeat customers, but being able to refund almost all $$ for items purchased in 2003 (for example) seems a bit too much for me!
On the flipside, Kohl's is a corporation that is growing rapidly, opening many new stores every 6 months nationwide. The policies and processes are being refined constantly and the stores really are "micro-managed" to follow procedures and make every store consistent. When a store is run by Kohl's procedures, by people who know what they are doing and are respectful to one another, it could potentially be a great place to work.
Unfortunately, I got into a bad store, full of peers that were very disrespectful and ruined my experience with Kohl's. I got sick of the people I worked with and realized it was not changing anytime soon (no support from higher up) and also got sick of working the odd retail hours and giving up my weekends, nights, and holidays.

PAY- I personally find the pay pretty descent. It is more then what most retail stores pay. I started from 7.50$ and now I get 10.75 however took me 3 years to get it. I would have move up sooner but it was partly my fault that I didn't so I can't really say much. As for pay raise they are slim however your lucky you even get a raise. I worked at a company where they don't even give raises! I think if you agree to get paid that amount then you have nothing to complain about!

Yearly Salary- I think I made about 10,000 last year however with my new position I should make a bit more.

Respect- I think this varies from store to store. This is going to be different in every store. All stores have different management and staff. At my stores the staff is totally awesome. I get along with just about everyone there. I'm a people person so people like me and I don't judge. As for management I think we have a pretty good team. I get along with all of them. The managers love me but I have also been there for 3 years. I couldn't ask for a better management team!


Benefits- I personally don't have benefits at this time however I hear they are awesome. Very few retailers offer part time benefits so i think this is a plus for Kohl's.


Job Sercurity- Our job sercurity is decent. Your not gonna catch every single shop lifeter that comes in the store. I think our lp is pretty good in catching the theives.


Work/Life Balance- I like to work so it doesn't bother me that I work a lot. However if I need a off day all I have to do is request it. I don't have much of an outside life besides my daughter. I dunno Kohl's doesn't really affect my life.


Career Potential/Growth- Since my career is fashion design then there could be growth. However I don't know if I will go that far.


Location- I think our location is good. It is right near a movie theatre and lot's of food places. There are retail stores next to us. The best part is that there is no mall near us. We have everything that the retailers at the mall have. Some people dont like going to mall's so they just come to us since it is closer to them.



Co-worker competence- I love my co-workers and they love me. We are one big happy family. The one's that have been there since we have open are my friends. We get along great.


Work Environment- I started as a sales employee. Once I started to learn other things I did other task. It is good to learn everything because that will get you hours. I am now the supervisor for the JR dept. and I love it. Although it can be a hard at times I enjoy my job and I do what I can do. I have been in retail for almost 10 years and I plan to make it a career. I think Kohl's can be a good place to work for. Retail is not for everyone and if you don't like it then don't do it. I think kohl's has their pro's and con's. However like I said it is based on management of how great it is to work there. I agree that some people get away with murder but well that is anywhere you go. For the most part though I enjoy working at kohl's.

I have read through the other reviews and I have to say I am extremely glad I didn't come across this sight before I applied to Kohl's. Maybe the Kohl's I work at is one in a few that is actually nice to work at. I have been there a total of three shifs so far all 3 in the evening and everybody is so polite and smiling and laid back. I work in the woman's, juniors and men's dept. and the whole environment is so relaxed. I can't wait for this Sunday when I work because it will be the first "crazy" shift where things actually get hectic and I work the fitting rooms, I'm so excited. The down side is it only pays 7.25 but I don't mind because we get paid every friday and I have a day job also. They are very flexible with the hours and even called me tonight to ask if I wanted an extra shift but I had already made plans so declined and that was that. I am truly sorry for anyone that works or has worked at other Kohl's and has had a bad experience there, but know if you ever move to Rapid City, South Dakota you can apply at the Kohl's here and you really can "expect great things"

i am the only kohl's corporate worker on this site. Not recommended but certainly not the worst gig you can get.

I worked at Kohls a few years ago while I was in college as a jewelry associate. I really liked working in jewelry because I seemed to get paid more than all of the other POS Associates in my area. The one major thing that sucked about it was that we had to count the jewelry EVERY morning, it was tedious coming in at 7 in the morning and having to count all that jewelry correctly. And if you didn't, the nasty jewelry supervisor would give you an earfull. She is a NASTY woman and is the reason why I quit. If it wasn't for her I'd have stayed there happily. But this woman had already driven another woman to quit before me. She's a downright nasty human being and talks down to everybody (she also leaves nasty notes around telling you what you did wrong).

I liked the people i worked with, along with my co-workers (except for the nasty jewelry supervisor who thought her crap didn't stink). Although, I hated how they would always make me a credit greeter. They would stick me by the front door and then as customers would walk in, I'd have to hassle them about opening charge accounts. They would make me do this every weekend, which was the only time i'd work during school time. I hated doing this and when figured maybe if I didn't get any applications, they'd put me back in jewelry. Nope, didn't work. I'd STILL have to do it.

The location was good, although the area is kind of going downhill now. But it was only about 15 minutes away from my house, so it was easy to get to. I only worked there for a few months so I hadn't qualified for benefits yet. I really didn't mind my job too much besides the fact that my back and legs would be so sore because we would never be allowed to sit down for 7 hours out of our 8 hour day. Management, for the most part, was always very kind to me but I couldn't take the harrassment from my supervisor anymore and quit on the spot one day when I was least expecting it. I still go in there from time to time and always look for that wicked woman. I'd love to give her a piece of my mind.

After reading the posts here at this site, I feel so glad to work at my Kohl's store. My experience has been almost the complete oposite of most of the poster's. I began as a part time POS associate and within a very short period of time became an area supervisor. My manager and assistant managers work very hard, and treat the associates with respect. Yes, there is a huge push on credit...but have you been to other stores lately? It's across the board in retail. Yes, associates who perform well in credit do get more hours, but doesn't that make sense? Who would you give more hours to? The associate who by performing their job well also increases revenue, or the associate who looks at a clearly stated factor of their job with disdain? Seems like a no brainer to me. Is the job perfect, no. Anyone out there found the perfect job, yet? Right, I didn't think so. Job turnover at my store is not a real issue....but I've got to wonder, is it always the manager's fault? Seriously, we've all worked with the person who puts more time and effort in brushing their teeth, than in doing their job. If they get called on this, do they turn around and start to hustle...or are they more likely to quit in a huff and trot off to the next 'dead end job', cursing the injustice of the managers? At the end of a working day, my feet hurt, I'm tired of dealing with demanding customers and sometimes whining associates...but I also know I've done my best and with some of the nicest people I've ever met...so, yes I like working at Kohl's.

You know, I just got off work and it wasn't the best night. I still walked away realizing what a great job I have. I am a beauty supervisor and I love it. I make good money and I have good benefits. I am under the complete realization that I am working a retail job. The hours, pay and work enviroment aren't expected to be top notch. I still love my job. I also worked for Mervyn's, so I compare them alot. I feel kohls is a great company. As a customer and an employee for two years, I am happy with where I am at. I even switched to another store this part summer and was forced to come back to my old store by a terrible manager at West Plano. I realize Monica was going to do everything to get rid of me. She didn't take care of me but the company did. I was able to stay at my position and my old store made sure I had my benefits, job and pay still. This company has proved it's self to me and I am grateful to it!