What's IKEA like to work for?

NOWSE

IKEA are due to open a new store in Ashton, near Manchester, and are in the process of recruiting. Has anybody and experience/information of what IKEA are like to work for?

gerretl

Hi.
For legal reasons, I cannot discuss my experiences while working for IKEA.
Bear in mind the following.
You are not paid any commision or bonuses, therefore if you work hard, you get the same as someone who is lazy. If you are competent, you get the same as someone who is incompetent.
A couple of years ago the Guardian interviewed the MD of IKEA UK, and the figure of 10% staff turnover was bandied about. This means the average length of service is ten years. Could I suggest you ask this point at interview, and use the maxim 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is'
Also do a search on google for 'I hate IKEA'. There is a very interesting thread from customers and employees. Once you have read this decide whether IKEA is the company with the products and service that you would be proud to work for.

pavlovs_dog

eek!!! ...........................

wisper

I am sure you've got other reasons to not like Ikea which you can't discuss for legal reasons, but the two points you have raised could be said for any company not just Ikea.

Most companies you work for don't pay extra if you work harder, that's just the way life is.

gerretl wrote:

Hi.
For legal reasons, I cannot discuss my experiences while working for IKEA.
Bear in mind the following.
You are not paid any commision or bonuses, therefore if you work hard, you get the same as someone who is lazy. If you are competent, you get the same as someone who is incompetent.
A couple of years ago the Guardian interviewed the MD of IKEA UK, and the figure of 10% staff turnover was bandied about. This means the average length of service is ten years. Could I suggest you ask this point at interview, and use the maxim 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is'
Also do a search on google for 'I hate IKEA'. There is a very interesting thread from customers and employees. Once you have read this decide whether IKEA is the company with the products and service that you would be proud to work for.

littlemissfrugal

Nowse my hubby has worked for ikea for the last 7 years and whilst there has been some changes recently on the whole he enjoys his job - there is a good culture within the store he works and compared to some retailers the pay and benefits are good. i work for Mr T and OH find some of the practices within Tesco appalling. On the whole it is down to attitude they work slightly differently to UK companies but if that suits you you would be fine. i'd say go for it what have you got to lose.

bergy2

Hi

My wife worked for them for 4 years - they were flexible and really great tbh

You also got a great christmas pressie - mountain bike, gas bbq and digital camera as well as fun social events

totally recommend

and no my name isn't sven haha

gerretl

Wisper. You missed my point. A hard worker gets nothing, a lazy person gets nothing. Save your energy for something more useful , and be lazy is the lesson I learnt from my time there.
Little miss frugal. What have you got to lose? Your sanity and self respect, as you watch useless incompetents get promoted, while the real sloggers get taken for a ride. You are living in a parallel universe.
Bergy2: Great christmas present? they gave us a pair of binoculars, which they got on a job lot, and couldn't have cost more than £40. If you sell your soul for that, you need to be reborn and try the game of life from scratch.

SnowyOwl_2

I'm an ex-employee too, left them quite a while ago now, but was in their part-time employment for about four years.

They had their good points and their bad points, just like any employer.

The things that really really wound me up were that my start time was 5.30 pm - fair enough, however I was a cashier and they wanted me to be sat on the till by 5.30 pm. Before going onto the till you have to clock in, get to the cash office, wait for a float and be escorted out to the till, which as far as I am concerned constituted a part of the job. So in other words they wanted me to clock in well before 5.30 pm, not by 5.30 pm which was my contracted start time. They were confused I think - I wasn't confused so I started work, ie clocked in by 5.30 pm per my contract but they (some jumped up supervisors) weren't happy about it (like I cared).

The other bugbear was that of all the bank/public holidays you are only allowed to have two of them off, the rest you work like it or not. (Maybe this has changed, but ask about it if you get an interview).

The good things - there was a staff discount on things, 20% if I remember correctly. Damn good if you're going to get a sofa, kitchen, loads of bookshelves and things. There was 20% off sale items too. Can't remember if the staff discount was available right away or not - again, just ask about it.

The queues were hell, specially on bank holidays or during the sales. HELL HELL HELLL!!!!! I cannot stress this enough, it was awful to have to face so many people then get presented with items with no labels on and no clue about how much the item was, and NOBODY was ever available to help you out.

If you work on the tills you have to cash up your own till and have it cross counted by a supervisor before you could leave. There was ALWAYS a queue for the supervisor. My finish time was officially 9.30 pm, I rarely got clocked out before 9.45 pm, but more likely 10.00 pm.

Oops sorry, I was supposed to be telling you about the good points. The pay is good, better than supermarkets and what have you. Sometimes the Christmas present was good - one year we got a mini TV, another year a radio/cd player thingy, then one year a tea/coffee maker which was sh*te, couldn't get rid of it at a car boot sale.

They had "employee of the month" schemes - think I got it a couple of times. Don't know if it still exists, but your reward was paid in IKEA vouchers.

If a dippy customer opened a bag of those mini Dime bars and left them lying around then they were there to be gobbled by staff. yum.

Think that's it. I hope this isn't libelous!!

littlemissfrugal

gerretl - one detects a hint of bitterness there chum - i'm sure you have valid reasons for your dislike of ikea but Nowse asked a question which a number of us have answered according to OUR knowledge and experience there is no need to make comments insinuating our lack of membership of the real world.

i enjoy the pressies at christmas the portable DVD player was ace, and it didn't cost anyones soul and was a sight more than i got from Mr T.

p.s you didn't get sacked for knife juggling did u?

gerretl

littlemissfrugal. Knife juggling;no. Being honest, hard working and conciencious? Like I say, for legal reasons, I can't comment.
Nowse. Enjoy the opening of Manchester store. Lets hope it is more successful then the opening of Riyadh (Three deaths in a stampede for bargains) or Edmonton (A near riot, and the doors shutting after half an hour, because everyone had vouchers for a cheap sofa, that they understocked).
I can only state the facts.