Build-A-Bear reviews

3.8

59% would recommend to a friend

(1,770 total reviews)

Sharon John

60% approve of CEO

51% positive business outlook

Build-A-Bear has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 1,770 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Build-A-Bear employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
4.0
Apr 6, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Some of the most passionate, kind-hearted people you will ever work with. It felt like being part of a big family. More than just a store, you get to create experiences for kids of all ages, and it's amazing to be able to bring that magic into your work. Much of the manager training is self-paced and can vary from store-to-store, but I never felt I was lacking resources to learn or the support of my teammates.

Cons

Corporate has no consideration for the needs of their employees. While it's an amazing experience at store level, corporate consistently makes decisions that clearly don't consider how it will affect their employees. For evidence, consider the "Pay Your Age" event they hosted in summer, 2018 that was an international disaster. That experience was way worse for the employees than it was for the customers, which is saying something. Corporate also will demand labor-intensive product placement changes without allocating more payroll, make poor product purchasing decisions, and demand higher performance from stores while pulling out the rug from under their feet at every chance.

5.0
Jan 13, 2019

Sales Associate

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible Good work and life balance Team oriented Fun

Cons

Not many hours Not many promotions to higher status No tips for parties

2.0
Dec 29, 2018

Good job to get you in retail

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Can be a fun atmosphere (kids are hilarious)

Cons

- Pay - Answering unrealistic number's - Bonuses are a joke - You're in a weird lingo between being a Bear Builder and Management - No paid days off (as previously titled 'Associate Managers' received) - Fluctuating hours

Viewing 133 - 135 of 1,770 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,851 Build-A-Bear reviews submitted anonymously by Build-A-Bear employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Build-A-Bear is right for you.