Overstock.com is a fantastic company to work for but very difficult to get a promotion without knowing the right people.
Pros
Overstock.com is a great place to work. There are always opportunities to learn new skills and gain new knowledge regarding the company’s business. The company’s corporate office is comfortable and well maintained. Its primary call center and warehouse are brand new facilities that are clean and also well kept. The CEO is something of a rogue and both inspires and motivates his people to challenge the establishment. The company has a strong interest in system engineering and system improvement which should go a long way in improving company profitability in the near future. Pay is good for those in the buying and technical departments, if you can land a position with them. Overall, it’s a good company to work for and a good place to learn the online retail business.
Cons
The most frustrating part of working for Overstock.com is that it’s very difficult to move up in the company without knowing the right people or having the right contacts. While this is a reality in many companies, it seems to be even worse here. That’s not to say that they don’t give you the chance to learn the business…just that you’ll usually never have a chance to use what you’ve learned. Recommendations to improve operations are welcomed but it seems only by a select group and only through a very ridged chain of command that seems to kill those recommendations before the rise high enough to be evaluated. The hardest part for me is that I feel as though I’m learning a great deal only to have to go to another company if I ever want to have the chance to put that knowledge to use and advance my career.
