Come Join the Circus! - Digital Marketing Specialist REI Employee Review

1.0
Jan 10, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Things have become so ridiculous that you're guaranteed to have a good laugh every day (when you're not crying).

Cons

Working at REI has started to feel like I'm in the backseat of a clown car surrounded by clowns being driven against my will to a circus that's on fire. What was once a company with an unparalleled culture and exemplary leadership has devolved into a rudderless, toothless organization led by self-serving adolescents who care more about their own personal narratives than making the co-op successful. Behavior that was once unfathomable is now commonplace. Manipulation, dishonesty, blame-shifting-- you name, REI has it. Here's just a taste of what I've witnessed in the past year: *Collapse of internal systems and processes after multiple people with 15+ years experience were fired with no one available to replace them or pick up their work *Someone urging their team to "get over" the loss of long-term colleagues over a weekend *2+ incoherent reorganizations of team structures that demonstrated that leaders had/ continue to have no idea what their teams do *A leader publicly responding to concerns about further layoffs with a monologue about how she keeps her resume and professional network updated and patronizingly urging her employees to do the same If you were thinking about joining this company, please don't. That job opening is there for a reason...

Explore other reviews about REI

5.0
Nov 24, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great people, pay, and benefits.

Cons

You still have to work weekends and nights.. retail life.

2.0
Apr 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- great customers - positive, interesting co-workers from creative fields - good exercise - good natural light in stores promotes mental health

Cons

- Pay cuts when your store unionizes - Hours cuts when your store unionizes - 4 years to get a contract when your store unionizes - Union-busting managers sent to fire as many people for minor infractions when you store unionizes - If your store unionizes, REI will withhold things that other stores get. Like merit pay, Summit pay and raises. - Hard to get 40 hours a week, even if you are full time - Hard to survive in a big city - REI keeps hiring part-time and seasonal workers, when they don't have enough hours to go around to give to veteran workers - REI Choice health plan doesn't cover many medical expenses, resulting in many medical bills after a visit

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