Great if you're a frat boy - Employee Brooks Running Employee Review

2.0
Jan 23, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Ultimately owned by Warren Buffet = financial security for company Matching 401K Comfortable dress code focuses on wearing Brooks apparel and shoes in office Family-friendly company Feels very compassionate for certain life events, medical conditions, employees Great if you are pregnant or planning to start a family--the birthrate at this company is very high Small company = high visibility for every employee Moving headquarters to great, outdoor-friendly, centrally located Seattle neighborhood may improve culture and candidates for employment dramatically

Cons

Rah rah "Run Happy" atmosphere can be tiring Mostly male senior management favors young gung-ho male runners and frat boys Highly reactive senior management means even three-year plans get scrapped No where to go/move up for most employees People in same jobs forever Cliquey, especially among elite runners, long-time employees, and between departments Hiring relatives, spouses and partners of current employees makes work relations more complicated--if you offend one person it has double the impact Small size of company means you are often the only person in a job like yours which can feel very isolating Some departments suffer from group-think, where intelligent yet different points of views are harshly received instead of valued for broadening perspective for decision-making HR is a bit of a joke

Explore other reviews about Brooks Running

5.0
Jun 16, 2026
Anonymous contractor
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- excellent employee perks - gorgeous HQ office buildings with amenities - free lunch - supportive and passionate team members

Cons

- parking is not free for employees, but there are commuter benefits to offset that

2.0
Jun 7, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

PTO and benefits are good. There is free lunch and an onsite gym. Employees are encouraged to run and stay active, with office next to the Burke-Gilman running trail.

Cons

The culture is presented as fun and healthy but in reality it is fairly toxic within specific departments and feels very “high school”. It is also very hierarchical with lots of corporate bureaucracy. The company caters more to middle and upper level management, so expect limited growth and development opportunities. Unclear, constantly changing expectations and overlapping job roles are a common theme. Leadership is not held accountable within the organization. People who play the game and assimilate to the culture are rewarded and perpetuate the status quo way of doing things. This leads to a lack of diversity in thought but also diversity in general especially at the leadership level. There is an added complexity to everything that makes even the most simple work difficult. Everyone is overwhelmed by too many meetings and yet there is not a lot of cross-functional collaboration, as all of the teams work in silos and compete for resources. The company is trying to become a more global, but there are a lot of growing pains associated with this. For a growing company with headquarters in a location like Seattle, the pay is low and not competitive enough to attract and retain top talent. The office buildings also face local area constraints like expensive parking which is passed on to the employee. The company incentivizes alternative transportation but it can be difficult to figure out the best way to get to work. There has been reduced flexibility to work from home with more emphasis put on being in the office.

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