Middle Management needs improvement - ASM/Visual Manager Crate and Barrel Employee Review

2.0
Aug 2, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The team works incredibly hard to support the hundreds of different tasks that happens on a daily. The products are definitely great quality products when I first started, but lately I've noticed a lot more issues esp in the furniture sector of the business. There are great workers here and all hardworking. Compared to most retailers the previous CEO Neela has really pushed this company forward in investing in technology to build an infrastructure that can survive tough times.

Cons

It is the middle management that has been there for 20-30+ years that refuse to really change and grow. The technology that HQ builds never works for the stores since the middle management have no clue in terms of how to execute these technologies and provide constructive feedback. Half the time they don't even know how to use zoom or google sheets. There are so many different opinions and lack of prioritization from the middle management that it makes everyone in the stores run around without proper direction. Much like every big company - there are politics, but this place has a larger group of middle management that doesn't support employees who have new ideas or want to make a change. There's no accountability held at the corporate level since everyone in the store level is running around fighting fires at each moment without even time to sit down and take a second break. The staff is overworked mainly due to the management that runs the place without real project management skills or any technical skills.

Explore other reviews about Crate and Barrel

5.0
Apr 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible, nice people, supportive managers

Cons

Can’t think of any cons

1.0
May 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The office had a good coffee machine, which employees appreciated. The cafeteria staff member was friendly and welcoming, which made the environment feel a little more positive. Opportunity to observe how long-established corporate operations function.

Cons

Management style felt very micromanaged. The management in the IT appeared heavily focused on older management methods rather than collaborative leadership. Favoritism was noticeable among certain employees and teams. Contract workers were treated differently from full-time employees, including exclusion from social events, food gatherings, and team activities. The IT teams often seemed disconnected and unwilling to support or train others properly. Communication issues were common, including employees talking negatively about coworkers behind their backs. Training and onboarding lacked structure and consistency. The workplace often felt disorganized, with unclear processes and coordination problems.

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