Working here was a bittersweet experience. A typical day includes going to the back, clocking in, and completing your health check. You’d talk to a manager that is in charge for that hour and they’d tell you where to go (cash register, sales floor, fitting room, helping them with a project, etc). You are usually told when to go on your break or lunch, but sometimes things may get hectic so you’ll have to ask them yourself or just go and let them know on the walkie. You get paid breaks and unpaid lunches. If you’re opening and you’re new there, your jobs usually include cleaning the store, placing items in the fitting room back on the floor, or recovering the store so everything looks okay. While opened, you can be on the sales floor recovering, in the fitting room, running go backs, on cash register, or doing a loyalty blitz (asking everyone in the store if they wanna sign up for the loyalty program). Closing usually includes doing the same as opening, excluding cleaning the store usually.
You learn how to work in a fast paced environment here. It gets super busy before school begins, during sales, and the holidays. You also learn how to multitask, provide great customer service, resolve issues with customers, and work in a team setting.
Management here is so-so, some of them are good, some of them are okay. There’s sometimes no communication between managers, so managers may tell you to do something differently than the other. This location goes through a lot of managers
Pros50% most items, exclusive employee sales (highest was 70% off), flexible schedule, great coworkers
ConsCOVID-19 concerns, NO raise for promotions (expected to do more work for the same pay), loyalty/credit card sign ups
I began working here as a second job and it was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.
Where do I even begin? The management was a nightmare. They were aggressive, pushy, invasive, and frightening majority of the time. I had anxiety attacks before going in for shifts because all I could think was, “what am I going to get berated for today?” When performing new tasks, you were rushed and berated over the walkies for everyone to hear. I scalded my hand steaming clothes once because I was startled by a manager hollering at me over the walkies about how long I was taking to steam a pile of clothes to perfection. Yeah. Everything was wrong or done incorrectly no matter what and you were humiliated for it.
The shipment shifts were a nightmare because you could be moving as fast as you could at 6:00 am and it was never fast enough. More berating would ensue. New employees always looked petrified and broken-in employees looked like they wanted to die. The clothes arrive in plastic bags and they don’t recycle them, so there were 10-15 (maybe more) massive garbage bags full of plastic bag waste being tossed into the dumpster several times a week.
They never trained me on register in the 8-ish month period I was employed there and then had the audacity to get angry with me when I told them I couldn’t hop on during busy times because I wasn’t trained. Then I was forced to ring on “Mobile Register” (a literal iPod) which didn’t work majority of the time, and customers who were pull
Great people, but corporate is terribly demanding, tech doesn't work, and scheduling is shady at best
I am a college student who applied for a part-time job listing and selected "10-26 hours" on my application. I am working 40+ hours a week. I asked for fewer and was told I could do 30. I am scheduled for 39 and 3 quarters next week, just short of getting benefits....
Most of those shifts are 7 and 3/4 hours, just short of getting an hour long lunch...... again, I am in school and applied for a part-time position.
There is an insane push to sign up customers for the loyalty program. I was originally trained to ask when it fit naturally into the conversation and I had built up a rapport with the customer. But corporate will not budge on their 10% conversion rate goal, so we are pushed to ask literally every customer, whether we've helped them at all or not and even if they just walked in. It is draining.
There is a lot of time when the store is fairly empty and things are already recovered. During this time, you must pretend to be working. If you stand still, sit, or walk without occasionally touching an item, someone will appear to remind you you have to be recovering. It doesn't matter if everything looks fine, you need to pretend to fix things for hours on end until there's real work to be done.
The technology we have to learn to use in the store, necessary to perform many tasks, is spotty at best. We are provided 12 "mobiles". Corporate will not allow us more. We ALWAYS have more than 12 employees working and there are never enough devices to go around. If you are lucky
ProsGood snacks, wonderful coworkers, learning a ton
ConsShady scheduling, bad technology, frustratingly boring at times, loyalty program push is stressful and rude
I believe my particular experience at Old Navy was a very specific one that not a lot of people get to encounter. Our team opened our store from the bare bone empty white-walled department setup from the ground up. I'm talking no shelves, no booths, no mannequins, heck we didn't even have a store on day one! We had to train at semi-local stores to prepare for business at our location. But we sweat and worked hard to put up shelving units, hang bars and mannies to get that place up and running. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed every minute of it. We were even a test store, so there were always exciting things happening for us as the new hit top spot Old Navy in the area. There were opportunities to move up, promises of new experiences, pay raises for those who showed promising qualities, and we were moved up a position to be leads. It was great.
But then... the dark clouds that hang over evert retail store started to roll in. Managers got cranky, corporate started to press hard, sales and cards dwindled fast during the post-Christmas slow season. Times were rough and hours were scarce. Our managers even suggested picking up secondary part time positions to supplement our income while the sales drought carried on. It seemed endless... myself and my fellow employees who were lucky enough to show strong sales associate skills in the beginning were the only ones getting hours anymore. But then of course people got sick of winter and started shopping more as the second quarter ca
ProsDecent breaks, yearly raises, social environment, chance to make work friends, can be abundantly busying when life gets boring, can also be calming to just fold things when life gets hectic.
ConsNot as many chances to move up as they say there are, the tough times get tough, not everyone is in it to win it, don't believe them when they say "do the darn thing, " no need to bring a packed lunch (Old Navys are usually a short walk from any plaza restaurant)
This is honestly the worst place I’ve ever worked and I’ve been working retail for awhile now. They started out nice and understanding but the managers are the opposite. I got hired with 4 other people and out of the five of us only one of them still works there. They give you issues about using the restroom, if I spend maybe 3 minutes to actually use it then I had to wash my hands and spend some time sanitizing the area (store rules) I was questioned about why it takes me so long. (I was legit in there for maybe 6 minutes) I was questioned publicly with customers nearby about why it takes so long and told of I have bladder issues I need to speak to them. It’s highly embarrassing and they could have pulled me in the back room to talk about. They won’t work with you on scheduling, I couldn’t work until after 10 and they kept scheduling me for 9:45 shifts, they even have a habit of adding time onto your shift than what you are emailed. It happened to a coworker, she was scheduled for a. 9:45-5 shift and they asked her the day before if she would stay an extra hour. She refused and they still scheduled her for it. It happens a lot according to the other coworkers. They almost never give 15 minute breaks, so be prepared to wait until lunch! Working there I never got a single 15 minute break. They try and promote being ‘fast’ sometimes, one shift they had me running all around the store and I was told I need to be fast because if I’m slow I’m letting the team down. I was the only
Applied for a part-time job but ended up on this seasonal trial thing. Found this out on orientation as well as needing your tax information to fill out a tax form. Most of the hires I was with were just confused as I when filling it out mostly because WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE GOING TO FILL OUT A TAX FORM THE DAY OF ORIENTATION!
Here's how things worked when I first started to work at Old Navy. The schedules are set two weeks beforehand and so it's difficult to make plans when you don't know what your schedule is like. If you try and schedule a day off but three others did the same on that exact day, then ya can't call that day off. It's reasonable, so don't be lazy putting it off. Paychecks come bi-weekly so that's nice if you work the two weeks you're scheduled. If you want to pick up shifts off from other people, you can through an app all the managers and coworkers are on. HOWEVER, you can only be picked up if you have done the role. For example, Person A has worked only on the salesfloor and so he cannot pick up a shift from Person B who is a cashier. Most of the cashiers offer up their shifts and so it can be frustrating, especially as a new hire who hasn't touched the register for MONTHS.
If you make it through the trial, you'll be asked if you want to be part-time. If you accept, BOY-O-BOY, you in for a ride of not doing any work for nearly a month. From my experience and hearing what the other new hires said, they had only given 1-2 4 hour shifts a month for sche
ProsExperience in Customer Service, breaks, discounts, bi-weekly paycheck
ConsExpected to know where everything is when you barely work there, little to no work hours in a month, slow after rush season
Not a good location to work at, let me tell you why.
Old Navy was my first job, and I was really excited to work there! However, I was soon really disappointed. To start, the management was really toxic and fake. They would be fake to your face and then go behind your back to other managers and EMPLOYEES and talk about you. There is definitely cliques and management has their favorites for sure. There is little to no confidentiality when speaking with management, and often things that were told to one manager in private was being brought up to me by the whole management staff, and even some employees. In the beginning they were fairly flexible with schedules to a certain extent, but as time went on they made you feel very bad about changing schedules and often did it whilst making you feel guilty. There was also really no room to move up in the ranks because at my location they often hired from outside. That being said, you can move up from a brand associate to a lead, but you're essentially doing the department managers work for the same wages you were making prior. They offer merit raises every year, or maybe 6 months? I think it is a year. But they are a mere 15-30 cents which definitely is not enough to pay the bills. Also, you can be a lead of more than one area and do twice maybe even three times the work for the same amount of money. The work environment is also very toxic. The managers are VERY pushy about getting their employees to get customers to sign up for Old Navy credit cards because the managers benefit from it,
EXP at Old Navy (Please Read All - To Learn about my personality)
My personal motto
"the harder and faster I work, the faster my personal achievement arrives"
My first Employment fit my motto very nicely, and here why.
Old Navy was the perfect environment to create personal motivation goals to quickly improve work agility and consistency.
What’s so great about Old Navy?
Great Management
Amazing team effort with Staff and Employees
Relaxing work environment
Always something to learn and do
Summary:
Before I worked at Old Navy I didn't get out of the apt much at all. After I was employed I was really shy at first, but I quickly became comfortable with the staff and the presence of random people. I felt as if the managers and associates always knew what to say in tough situations.
Such as:
-They knew how to motivate me,
-They were extremely supporting when times were tough,
-They're always looking out for my well-being
-They were always friendly and professional
-They also are constantly checking your company intellect i.e. protocols and procedures to keep you up-to-date.
Old Navy has helped me discover a new side of myself.
They helped me discover a new way of thinking.
“When times get tough, top employees shine”
There were very few things I disliked about my job, but there were some downfalls.
What’s not so great about Old Navy?
Minimal Room for Advancement
Over-employed at times
No benefits
About 20 hour’s week (On a busy week)
My Ending Thoughts about Old Navy....
I feel like when
ProsGreat Management, Awesome Staff, Fast paced work environment
ConsLow Hours, Overstaffed, No benefits, Rare advancment
It really depends on who the store manager is. I personally enjoyed the work itself. Other retail competitors are starting to catch up and surpass their wages, but they've been a bump up from min wage/lower paying stores since I started. It's a nice job if you enjoy forgetting about work when you clock out. They have nice little incentives and "parties" for getting certain work done, credit card applications, sales goals, employee of the month, etc.. For holidays they pay you your average day of work, regardless if you work that day. If you work that holiday you get what you worked plus the daily average pay. If you have a good store manager, there's not much stress besides when you have a rude customer.
My second store manager ruined the job for me though. They would lie about advancement opportunities and pay, and allowed a lot of lazy/petty people to work there. Them hiring lazy people/bad managers and not correcting them made the job hard. Management was chosen by friendship and not experience. Was even more frustrating because the new managers would ask old employees how to do things, or tell them to do something the wrong way. Even worse still, you'd be met with rudeness or ignored if you suggested doing something the correct way, and then later told to fix whatever when it didn't work. They also did not follow covid laws and regulations. There were problems for years and no higher ups ever noticed or did anything about it.
So overall I'd highly recommend this job if yo
ProsEasy work, flexible scheduling, good pay for retail, employee incentives, get paid your average daily pay on holidays
ConsWorkplace vibe dependent on store manager, sometimes youre harassed about credit card goals, rude customers
No matter what you do in this role it’s just like most retail stores where only the managers actually make money. All the brand associates are started at minimum wage no matter how much experience you have. I put in a lot of effort in my role and got constant praise from my manager and told me I was the one prime example of the job role but when it came time to get a raise I was moved 15 cents above minimum wage it was a joke. You only get one chance a year to get a raise unless promoted.
Outside of my actual role. This place is like a high school. There’s over 300 employees and most of the sales associates are young 16- late 20s. If you fit in that demographic and you’re social you’ll have fun here but you won’t be as appreciated. The reason I stayed so long was because of my coworkers they made coming to work fun. It could get a little clique-ish but for the most part people were nice and sociable.
A lot of micro management from managers that work at this location (Times Square). Since it’s such a big store there’s over 12 managers, I can’t remember exactly how much. With 3 floors there’d normally be 2-3 managers working the sales floor at a time trying to get associates to hit sales goals , sell loyalty , credit. They would just watch and dictate but never really contributed to numbers or cleaning. (Most not all). They allow an hour break unpaid for full time workers so unfortunately that meant 9 hour work days for full timers. 7-4s, 8-5s, 9-6s etc. It’s one of those p
ProsSpacious break room, nice coworkers, health benefits, sick time
Conslong work days, bad pay, bad raises, a lot of favoritism, inconsistent hours
I have only worked for Old Navy for a few months but it has been a terrible experience for me. I was given no proper training before being thrown into six hour shifts, though my managers knew I had no retail experience. I was then yelled at for not knowing certain things that I should’ve been told during training, and then when I told them I didn’t have proper training they made it out to be my fault even though I had mentioned it to my supervisors multiple times and nobody reached out to help me and get me the training I required. I had to conceal tears on the job multiple times because of the harsh tones the managers would use with me when I wasn’t doing things fast enough or accidentally put an item in the wrong spot once. My managers also weren’t always clear when they communicated to me. There were always two managers on the floor during my shifts and sometimes one would tell me to do one thing and the other one would tell me to do something else, then whichever task I chose to do first got me yelled at by the other manager. If I said “the other manager asked me to do this first” they just said the task they wanted me to do was more important. I was also never provided with company emails or phone numbers to get in contact with my managers outside work hours. I had to call the line for customers one day when I called in sick, only to be told I couldn’t use that number and had to use the number specifically for managers which had never been given to me. The manager then
READ FOR A BRUTUALLY HONEST OPINION OF WORKING AT OLD NAVY
I'm sure stores vary by management and store culture so I don't want to say working at the entire corporate company (Gap Inc.) is bad, but definitely the Old Navy location I worked at was the worst job of my life. I have been working since I was 15 (I am in my early 20s now) and I have never been at a place as bad as this one.
To start off, the management at the store I was at sucked. All managers are rude, disrespectful, look down upon the brand associates, not understanding and cold. To start off there are like 10 managers, and yet with so many people as higher management team, they still can't get their stuff together.
Secondly, you hardly get any shifts even if your availability is totally free and when you do get shifts, be prepared to have them cut your shift early and you get sent home. One time I was scheduled to work 11am-6pm, so I obviously cleared my schedule to work and I went on my hour break and when I came back they cut my shift. If I had known my shift would be cut I wouldn't have went on such a long break and they said "oh management only just decided that after you left, and there was no way of knowing beforehand." That's a lie, if the store hasn't been making sales all morning and it's been a slow day, I'm sure you would've known that you'll be cutting people's shifts, it doesn't only occur when I go on my break.
Thirdly, I have witness a manager give horrible customer service to a cu
Prosdiscounts
Conshorrible, disrespectful and unorganized management team, not enough hours, shifts get cut
A fast paced retail environment with an enjoyable organizational culture and people
A typical shift at Old Navy varies depending on what position the sales leader, otherwise known as a floor manager, assigns a sales associate. They are categorized by three different types of positions which includes working as a cashier, managing the fitting room, or working the sales floor. Being a cashier involves providing exceptional customer service through quick processing of returns and sales transactions to reduce wait time between customers. Cashiering also involves strong conflict resolution and communication skills when trying to meet the demands of customers. A fitting room shift involves assisting customers in conveniently trying out Old Navy apparel, as well as "processing" and "running" of clothing, which is organizing then distributing returned clothing onto the correct departments of the sales floor. Lastly, working on the sales floor means reliably answering the questions of customers and maintaining a purchasing environment of the store by tidying particular departments in an efficient manner. With that said, all Old Navy sales associates must be well versed in the three positions and responsibly meet the demands of customers in all aspects. All in all, working at Old Navy has been ultimately satisfying with its strong uplifting organizational culture filled with great people and understanding management. It is difficult to say that working at Old Navy can get boring when your co-workers are your friends and that being an Old Navy sales associate require
INFO
The salary is minimum wage (currently $14/hr in Ontario).
Employee discount is currently (check date of review) 50% off all merchandise. For merchandise that is on sale, you get 50% off the ORIGINAL price.
Shifts range from 4 to 9 hours, but you rarely actually get more than 6.5 hours in my experience (unless you're in a higher position). Subtract 30 minutes of pay from that due to an unpaid break (make sure you ask in your orientation about the specifics of breaks and how long they are depending on how long your shift is).
A tip for people who want to work here is to make sure you ask to get trained on not only the sales floor, but also fits (cash is mandatory but it takes a few months for them to get around to training you). Doing this helps you get scheduled more often.
This job would be good for someone who doesn't want or need to work a lot of hours and just wants retail experience for their resume before eventually moving on.
PROS
The people at Old Navy are, for the most part, great to work with and supportive. I love the diversity of the staff and customers, and interacting with people throughout the day uplifts me and puts me in a good mood. I don't have any problems with management so far either, they seem to do a good job. Everyone works hard and collaborates to get things done efficiently. I find it to be a very fun, enjoyable environment.
CONS
However... the number one thing I don't like or quite understand about Old Na
ProsEmployee discount, fun environment, the people.
ConsShort shifts, difficult to get hours, hours get cut on slow days.
Questions And Answers about Old Navy
If you were to leave Old Navy, what would be the reason?
Asked Mar 19, 2017
Managers spreading rumors about associates they don't like. The store is severely understaffed but we are also constantly "over hours" somehow. Managers don't give you feedback on your work until you're on the verge of getting fired.
Answered Nov 23, 2021
Managers always showing favoritism..never tried to hide it either. One manager yelling at multiple associates for many different reasons and being power hungry. Getting credit cards is insanely stressed and if you don’t get any cards you’re basically not considered a good employee. A coworker of mine was told if you don’t sweat you’re not working hard enough and said that only 2 people work their a** off while the others slack. Just very toxic management.
Answered Oct 9, 2021
If you were in charge, what would you do to make Old Navy a better place to work?
Asked Jan 9, 2018
Stop micromanaging your employees
Answered Dec 4, 2020
Not pick favorites and try to care more about customers
Answered Nov 6, 2020
Do you have to wear Old Navy apparel while working?
Asked May 14, 2017
No, the dress code is pretty casual but you can’t wear clothes that clearly show other brand logos on them. There are Old Navy shirts that they should provide to you for certain holidays that you are encouraged to wear, but that’s about it.
Answered Jul 15, 2020
The Old Navy I work at does not care. Look presentable. Do your job.
Answered Jul 6, 2020
What is the work environment and culture like at Old Navy?
Asked Jul 20, 2016
It is a simple environment, and the atmosphere at my work was really demanding and not fun at all. We barely talked to each other on the sales floor, and it was hard to plaster a smile on my face for hours of working by myself. Only at the cash rep were things fun and fast paced. Sometimes the managers swing by and say hello and ask how everything is doing, especially the leads.
Answered Dec 20, 2019
This work environment is very upbeat if employees choose to make it upbeat, but if they don’t then it’s a very boring environment. It is very cut-and-dry, because it’s retail, it is a simple job where people will either be happy about the fact that it is or they will be mad about it.
Answered Oct 26, 2019
How did you get your first interview at Old Navy?
Asked Feb 25, 2016
Applied through indeed. Had a phone call interview the next day.they offered a interview date for next week. Just came back from it now and it was a group interview that was very interactive. Find out if I get it tmrw :)
Answered Aug 3, 2021
I applied on their company website. I got a call a week later asking me to come in for an interview the next day
