Change is a good thing, but not this time!! - Design Consultant Ethan Allen Employee Review

2.0
Sep 7, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Company offers an above average quality product that you can feel confident in selling to the consumer

Cons

Little to no positive performance feedback with consistent good performance. If the sales are not happening especially during tough economic times micro-mangement takes over causing a very uneasy and stressful atmosphere which doesn't help morale and often hinders performance rather than encouraging better performance. At the store level interior designers/consultants work on a commission based salary therefore it's to their advantage to sell as much as they possibly can to earn a good living, however the staff is treated like they have no desire to make any money and are blamed for slow sales. Management makes you feel like you don't want to or more importantly need to make money. Every year the company finds new ways to adjust the compensation package to their advantage making it harder and harder to earn a good salary which is definately not a motivator. It's understandable for a company to ease up on expenses in order to benefit the bottom line but it's always at the designers expense, the ones that are on the front line, the ones that they couldn't survive without. Sometimes I think CEO's forget who's doing the job for them. It's very hard to know that your CEO is bringing in a HUGE salary every year while their employees are struggling to make ends meet only to have that struggle made harder and harder every year. Having worked in more than one location for the company and having worked for many different managers it is apparent that favoritism has become a job requirement for managers. Helping only certain employees, actually doing their job for them and not helping the employees that may be struggling and then reprimanding them for not meeting goals. My bottom line comment: Take care of your employees first. They're the ones who are working the hardest for the company and you wouldn't be in business without their hard work and dedication.

Explore other reviews about Ethan Allen

5.0
Mar 31, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great management, experience, and work environment

Cons

I don’t have any cons

3.0
Jun 29, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It's a well-known name and carries weight on a resume. That's about where it ends.

Cons

Leadership operates with little to no regard for the people actually doing the work. The company has slashed headcount while increasing workload, and salaried employees are reminded of their status as a way to justify working nights and weekends. Performance reviews and raises are virtually nonexistent, often for years at a stretch — which means staying loyal actually costs you money, since your pay loses purchasing power to inflation every year you go without an increase. Compensation is well below market for the industry and region — low enough that part-time second jobs aren't uncommon among corporate employees. Decisions come down from leadership abruptly, with no real communication or context, and middle managers are too afraid for their own jobs to push back or advocate for their teams. Office politics are constant, treatment is uneven, and advancement is reserved for a select few, so tenure and loyalty mean nothing. Systems and processes feel decades behind. Overall, it feels less like a workplace investing in people and more like an operation focused on extracting as much as possible while giving back as little as possible.

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