More of a caretaker than manager - Store Manager Ulta Beauty Employee Review

4.0
Mar 16, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The pay was outstanding for the work load. Communication was very good once you understood where to look, and how to find it. A young company that has the right mix of product to do well and be around for a VERY LONG TIME.

Cons

Every part of your job, function, task, etc, is micro managed. You do not call any shots without it being ok'ed by one or two people above you. Everything is mapped out, and all you need to do is follow all the guidelines. The position felt more like a caretaker as I did not feel like I could have the space to grow business in my market. The store does run lean and mean, so you you have X number of hours for a task, make sure to complete it in those hours because you will never get the back.

Explore other reviews about Ulta Beauty

5.0
Jun 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

sweet company that appreciates their employees, great gratis!

Cons

the hours kind of suck sometimes

2.0
May 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

good benefits for full time employees from what I hear. hourly pay if commission goal isn't met which is nice for those building clientele

Cons

this could just be the case for my store, especially because it's a very high volume store, but as a stylist I don't feel valued at all. I expected this to some degree coming to a huge corporate salon, but the biggest issue is that they try to pretend they care about you. but at the end of the day, if you're not meeting the sales they want/growing quickly enough, they don't care about you as a stylist. if you don't already have an established clientele, business is highly unreliable as there is no late cancellation/no show policy. many services are underpriced in my opinion, making it hard to meet their sales goals as an entry level part-time stylist unless fully booked every day. all they care about is getting as many clients in and out and quickly and possible and they hire more stylists than there are chairs, making every day inconsistent and chaotic. the relative stability of hourly pay is commission threshold isn't met seems enticing for stylists still building a clientele, but the hourly pay is wildly inconsistent between stylists, even those of the same tier. as a stylist of over 3 years who moved and is starting over with no clientele, I make over $2 less per hour than a fellow stylist who just got her license a few months ago and started taking clients for the first time last week. you're better off working at a place like Great Clips or Hair Cuttery because at least they're honest about what they are.

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