What Employees Really Think About Working At Costco

Almost everyone has heard of the wonder that is the bulk purchasing metropolis of Costco. It's a place known to make customers completely abandon their planned budgets but somehow still feel justified with their purchases. In fact, shopping at the warehouse store might make you feel so good that you start to wonder what it would be like to work there. Not only would you be able to find out the real reason that Costco employees check your receipt at the exit or what it means when the store bell chimes, but you would be earning some money in the process. Before making the leap, though, you might want to hear what current employees are saying about their work experiences.

Luckily, to receive answers to these inquiries, you won't need to go around interviewing Costco staff or waiting on your Uncle Gerald, whose friend of a friend still works there, to call you back. As with most questions on your mind these days, Reddit has come to the rescue with a recent thread. The thread asks current Costco employees what they think about the job, mentioning that the original poster's wife is considering applying but would like some feedback. The post has garnered quite a few notes on how Costco workers feel about their positions. It seems that, as with every job, there are pros and cons to working at Costco.

Retirement is a goal that many dream about while working. The thought of not having to head into work each day, instead just lounging about or playing a round of golf, is certainly something for most to look forward to. That's why taking your retirement savings seriously is an important matter. It becomes even more sobering when you look at the number of jobs within the private sector that have access to company retirement benefits, which, according to a recent study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is only 68%. When you consider that Costco is one of the employers offering retirement benefits like a 401K to its employees, the job certainly starts to sound enticing.

Over on the Reddit thread, the 401K is mentioned as being not only a pro, but essentially a standout benefit. "My 401k at Costco was so fat I rolled into EFT's to replace my monthly so I could retire early and be more available for my daughter," one worker claims. When a commenter inquired further as to specifics, the same person went on to share that, "the 401k is matched up to 6% and they gift you additional $$ to your 401k twice a year." Several others also reference the 401K as being a plus in the comment section, a sign that it must be worth at least looking into.

Unfortunately, stress is something that generally comes with working a full-time (or sometimes even part-time) job. In fact, in a recent study done by the American Psychological Association examining stress and its causes, 69% of the individuals surveyed identified their place of work as a significant stressor in their lives. According to the Reddit thread, though, it seems a Costco career is considered to be a low-pressure option.

In fact, as one Redditor points out, a teacher was featured in an article from CNBC a few years ago for leaving the education industry to pursue a career at Costco and reported feeling far less burdened by the job. Another user agrees with this notion, saying, "I have a basically zero stress job. That's probably the thing I like most about my job at Costco. I go in, I do my 8 hours, and I go home. Nothing comes with me once I walk out of that building." 

While this is great news to hear, it is important to remember that most positions still have some level of difficulty that goes along with them. "I'm also an RN and whether you're a nurse or working at Costco, people can still be cruel," another commenter advises. They do go on to mention that even so, they consider their job at the bulk supply store to be at least less stressful than their job as an RN.

With many things, the level of enjoyment that you will get out of an activity often depends on the people you do it with. Traveling to Disney World, for example, won't be overly fun if you're with someone whose personality resembles Eeyore from "Winnie-the-Pooh" (unless, of course, your personality happens to resemble Pooh Bear). Not only this, but the simple truth is that emotions (happy or sad) can be infectious, and there have been studies done to prove it. With that in mind, it makes sense that the individuals you are surrounded by at work day in and day out can affect your experience of the job.

The Costco workers who chimed in on the Reddit thread certainly seemed to agree with this sentiment, with many of them mentioning that who they work with can make or break their experience. "Even when the day is god awful and feels never ending, having a good team makes all the difference," one Redditor shares. Another chimes in with, "you'll find likeminded people and there is usually somebody you'd want to hang with after work." Even though in one comment an employee mentions experiencing a bad work environment, another commenter chimed in with, "If you ever spend time in a warehouse with good morale it's a whole different story."

As far as the employee satisfaction level goes, it seems that Costco ranks pretty high overall, with employees rating the company at nearly four out of five stars on a popular job-finding website. However, you can imagine that most of the jobs found at the massive chain have pretty repetitive tasks. Some might even border on boring, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. There's no shame if this is what you prefer in your day-to-day work. But based on some of the employee reviews, it seems that this can lead to a lack of fulfillment for some.

As one Reddit user who mentions they work in the pharmacy puts it, "I am looking for an out. I want more fulfilling work because it is very mundane." With the work being so routine, it's easy to see why someone who craves a bit more excitement might not be a fit for the job. Another employee agrees with this sentiment, stating, "I'm grateful for the benefits and wages for work performed, but I want out to do something more fulfilling and better paying." It seems that the key here is to consider if the job is something you would be able to do long-term. If not, then you might want to just stick to shopping at Costco.

One thing that always remains consistent with jobs, especially the ones that are public-facing, is that there are going to be ornery customers. With so many different personality types in the world, you're bound to come across one sooner or later. Whether they are making a jerk out of themselves at the deli without even realizing it or asking if they really have to call the entrée by its stupid name in a restaurant, there will always be ways that they get under your skin. It's no shock then that Costco employees mention dealing with this behavior on the daily as well.

One Reddit commenter put it in the best way, simply saying, "Love the job hate the members." A comment in response does point out that the members are what keep Costco running, and thus jobs flowing, but the comment still sums up the general opinion on the subject. "The worst part is rude members. They do take serious care of their employees, I will say," another Redditor, who works as a morning driver, shares. Even an employee who mentions they were with the company for 11 years before leaving for a higher paying opportunity shares that "you can definitely get some real a hole members." The takeaway here is that if you are planning a career at Costco in a customer-facing position, you may need to develop some thick skin if you haven't already.

Just as with coworkers, when you're working with a manager consistently during the week, their management style is going to dictate whether you enjoy it or dread clocking in. An overbearing manager can make team morale feel low. On the other hand, one that is approachable and responsive might make you feel more motivated at work and even lead to increased productivity. While this can be true of any job, when looking at the comments on the Reddit thread, it's clear that this is one of the feelings employees have about working at Costco specifically.

The feeling is so strong on this, actually, that even people with reported bad experiences working for the company mention that if they had a different manager, their opinion would likely be different. One worker who posted on the thread mentioned they previously enjoyed working for the company, but that all ended when they changed stores and met a manager with whom they didn't quite jive. "I chuck it all up to management, communication is poor, got a GM who isn't the best either. Overall, I regret moving stores, but Costco in general is a good company to work for." On the other end of the spectrum, an employee who has worked with the company for over 25 years shares, "I have the absolute best managers and that makes it easier." With that many years under their belt, the argument is certainly compelling.

Healthcare is an important factor when job seekers are scrolling through postings, and the sad truth is that the options out there are fairly limited. Not every job offers healthcare. In fact, in a KFF study that was done in recent years, it was found that only 49% of companies in the private sector offer healthcare benefits to employees. That leaves 51% without any work-provided coverage. These numbers certainly make Costco, which is in that 49%, look good.

It seems that many of the responses from employees were praising the healthcare offered by Costco, with some even mentioning that they were only staying due to this perk. "The main benefit is the health insurance. Full health, dental, & vision is about $23 per paycheck per dependent. Prescriptions are all $3, the hearing aid benefit is so big it covers the complete price of 4 different units they sell," one commenter shares candidly. "Their health insurance is pretty damn good for $20/paycheck as well," another adds. Yet another commenter goes as far as to say, "I'm not a favorite but the reason I stuck around is for the good medical insurance." It seems even those who do not feel overly positive about the position in general appreciate the value of the offered health benefits.

Of all the perks that Costco holds, one of the most consistent benefits referenced is the wage. And it actually makes sense when you consider that one of the reasons they pay so well is to reduce turnover-associated costs. All the hours spent training, onboarding, and interviewing new hires have a cost that can be negated by keeping current staff in their roles. By paying a little bit more than other stores, Costco attracts new employees when positions do open (no one has a 0% turnover rate after all) and retains the old ones. It's a true win-win scenario.

As is to be expected, the Reddit lands (and beyond) are full of people impressed with Costco wages. One Redditor points out, "The way Costco is structured, you get a raise for every 1040(I think this is the current number) hours worked." That's a truly exciting thought for those who found the flat rate itself attractive. Another also points out that there are expectations that go along with the higher wage, "You're getting more than Target or Sam's or Home Depot, but I guarantee you're doing a lot more work than those employees." It makes sense, considering the sheer size of the stores. The average Costco is 146,000 square feet, and even the world's smallest Costco, in Alaska, is a half of that – it's easy to see how you would quickly surpass your daily step goal during a shift.

In many jobs, senior employees are rewarded, a business decision that does make sense. If workers remain loyal to the company by staying with them, they earn rewards like higher job security, additional opportunities to sign up for overtime, more paid vacation time, or preferred schedules. The goal of using seniority to dictate these things is typically to make the playing field more fair. It's a method to make sure that Wanda, the cashier who has been working with the company in good standing for five years, gets promoted over Amanda, who's only been employed for a day and a half. 

While logical, it seems to be a theme that grinds current employees' gears because it seems that seniority dictates the schedule you will be working at Costco. One commenter who previously worked at the company chimes in that "days off were assigned by seniority choice." This means not only the shift times, but the shift days, are determined by the length of time you have worked for the business. If you are planning to fill out an application, you may want to consider that you might not be working your preferred shift schedule right away.

It's natural that people will come and go from jobs, especially in the retail industry, where the turnover rate is a bit higher. But when those people leave a position, and it doesn't get filled quickly — or worse, isn't filled at all — certain departments become understaffed. When places don't have enough employees for the volume of customers they are dealing with, the workers who are still kicking often end up having to pick up the slack.

Similar situations are referenced by Costco workers on the Reddit thread, with some feeling that they are overworked. "I'm only part-time thank god. I can't imagine staying there another 3 hours each day," a Tire Center employee claims. She goes on to say, "Our department is very understaffed and we are all overworked." This isn't just happening with the jobs in-store either, as another commenter mentions that they work as a morning driver and the job has "great pay and benefits but Texas region has been running skeleton crew." It seems that this is a pretty unanimous feeling for many Costco employees around the internet, with another Reddit thread calling into the void to ask if all Costco locations are understaffed, and several workers confirming.

With few prerequisites or degrees required for retail jobs, it makes sense that the level of turnover in the industry would be on the higher end. After all, many work these types of positions to pay the bills while pursuing something else. But the general consensus from Costco workers is that once you gain employment with the company, there is a good chance you won't look for work elsewhere. When you consider that a recent study by Mercer found the average retail and wholesale industry turnover rate to be nearly 27% within the U.S., this is pretty impressive. 

On the Reddit thread, one worker mentions that they have worked at Costco for over 11 years and remain committed to the position. "Honestly though. I am very content and have no plans to leave," they mention, ending on a truly genuine note. Others seem to agree, one mentioning, "I'll probably never leave." Even people who are not current workers chimed in on the thread to share that they know someone who is loyal to their Costco position, "My best friend's brother has been there for like 20 years. It's the only job he's ever had as far as I know. He started pushing carts and now he's in management." Actually, that user's last sentence seems to perfectly sum up what working at Costco is like: "Solid gig."