IKEA reviews

-IKEA restructured, doing away with all the HR investments they had for their co-workers when I started in 2012. -No more annual performance evaluations, which used to end with a small annual raise. There also used to be an annual bonus program that ended around 2016. -IKEA hides behind a smoke and mirrors display of innovation, inclusivity, and diplomacy. However, the US stores have fallen short to the European stores in terms of technology, overall work/life balance, and co-worker engagement. -Right before I left, IKEA changed to a more Americanized business operation, taking away the salaries of upper management and switching them to lower, hourly wages. They created more positions within the store that they do not have the resources to hire for and fill. Current staff is spread thin across many different areas and have not received compensation increases.

The true con is what the current US country managers, Lars Peterson and Nabeela Ixtabalan, have done to what was once an exemplary and beloved organization. Their pet reorganization project, dubbed "Organizing for Growth" or O4G, has unraveled productivity and morale at an alarmingly rapid pace. Many "lifers" (coworkers with over 10, 20, or 30 years of experience with IKEA) are leaving or have already left. The future looks extremely uncertain, and unfortunately the only certainties are lower salaries and significantly higher hour requirements (full-time coworkers must now commit 80 hours/week to IKEA).