Build-A-Bear reviews

3.8

59% would recommend to a friend

(1,769 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 1,769 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
1.0
Aug 26, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Kids are sweet Make memories for others

Cons

The company used to be very family oriented and now they treat their employees as dispensable and make them try to nickel and dime the guests. Employees have to act like car salesmen because their entire schedule is based on money. Experience used to come first but now the company only cares about the bottom line and treats their employees as nothing more than a number.

2.0
Apr 13, 2025

Don't be fooled

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Environment, Coworkers, Experiences, and Discounts

Cons

Management, Corporate, Availability, Pay, and Communication

1.0
Apr 11, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I loved most of my co-workers and shift leads, and am so glad I became friends with them. I was so sad to leave them. Monthly bonus program(when you make sales plan) is nice They will work with your school schedule

Cons

Minimum wage and even when I was offered tips from guests I wasn't allowed to accept them. I've had so many rude guests all the time, which is a given in customer service, but it was made worse by not having a supportive management. My chief workshop manager was super unprofessional(making non-work-related comments about associates appearances, showing favoritism, etc.). Insane expectations with signing people up for bonus clubs and selling them gift cards, but besides the monthly bonus most other "rewards" were competitions between stores or candy. You will see people spend over $100 on a single bear, but you will see pennies of that. Will tell you that they are training you for a future role/promotion, but it is really just them giving you more responsibility with the same pay. This went on with many employees, not just me, for months. Incredibly understaffed and picky with hiring associates, but constantly cutting hours then asking you to come in because they don't have enough coverage.

Viewing 13 - 15 of 1,769 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,850 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.