Barnes & Noble Employee Reviews for Manager

What do you like about working at Barnes & Noble?

"I love the actual job and the work that I do."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"In all fairness, it depends on the store. Some locations have General Managers who are employee focused and the better atmosphere can truly make a difference. As a Department Manager, I fight for my team and reward them myself with dinners and gift cards. If possible, do some research and find out what the culture at the particular location they are applying at is like."

What don't you like about working at Barnes & Noble?

"Company culture is not employee friendly. The workers are undervalued. The company keeps its hourly workers under full-time status so as to not provide benefits when the pay is already low. Employees rarely last more than a few months. Managers used to work 45-50 hours a week when on a salary that was based on 40, but after losing a lawsuit, have recently been made hourly. Now they are expected to be just as productive, but are not allowed to work over, so as not to qualify for overtime. Communication is top down only and employee input is not encouraged. Schedules are not consistent and make it impossible to properly utilize their vacation time. It makes for a very tense atmosphere."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"I would focus more on the employee culture, valuing their input and appreciating their efforts. Attrition is high due to the old school hierarchy which doesn't engage its employees at a personal level."

What do you like about working at Barnes & Noble?

"Enjoy helping customers find information or learn new things. Am constantly stimulated by the new books that come in. Look forward to seeing what new features our digital team comes up with."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Have a passion for what you are selling. Want to help people. Care about what you do."

What don't you like about working at Barnes & Noble?

"I fear that the company is becoming irrelevant. We compete against online sales, and there is less and less of a reason for customers to shop with us."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Put an emphasis on generating traffic into the store. We have moved from being a cultural center in our local community to simply being a store. As we have to compete with online sales, fewer and fewer people seem to come in, because they can buy things online at a lower price. We used to deliver experiences as well as things. Not so much anymore."