Sales Associate - Sales Associate Five Below Employee Review

2.0
Aug 30, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

With a great manager can be a very fun and rewarding place to work. There are constantly events and fundraisers that go on, especially around holidays, so those things definitely help keep the job entertaining.

Cons

-Having quality management seems to be a big issue. They literally promote anyone at any time for no specific reason and don't really focus on formal training. In two years I had about 15 different manager for a store that only allowed 4 at a time. Each one was promoted with several receiving their own stores, but honestly never really did any work. -Part-time with full time hours. This is a good thing if you're looking to make extra money without the commitment of becoming management, but when you've provided your availability and it's ignored and you find yourself doing more work than management for next to nothing, it wears on you. I would work around 40 hours a week, which I didn't mind doing in the summer while I was free, but didn't appreciate feeling forced when I was back in school. -Pay for a sales associate is as low as it can be, minimum wage, but every year you get a 10 cent raise..... -No one's held accountable. When you get visits from corporate and the store is a mess or receive customer complaints, they just kind of throw it to the wind. No real action is taken and no one is held responsible for anything.

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5.0
Jun 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fun environment Fun coworkers Always something new to discover

Cons

Low pay Not enough hours

1.0
Jul 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Salary and bonus opportunities, and talented colleagues.

Cons

I rarely write reviews, but I hope this helps others understand the culture I experienced. I joined the company excited about the opportunity and dedicated myself to delivering results, building strong cross-functional partnerships, and supporting the business. Throughout my time there, I consistently received positive feedback from stakeholders and colleagues and was never made aware of any performance concerns or gaps. I was a top-performing team member and delivered consistent business results. My employment ended without warning. The explanation I received was simply that the company had “decided to move in a different direction." There had been no prior coaching, performance improvement plan, or conversations indicating my role or performance was at risk. It was a complete shock—not only to me, but also to many of my peers who reached out expressing surprise and frustration. The most disappointing part wasn’t just the decision itself, but how it was handled. Transparency, honest communication, and respect seemed to be missing from the process. Employees deserve timely, candid feedback and the opportunity to address concerns before life-changing decisions are made. Instead, I was left trying to make sense of a decision that didn’t align with the feedback I had consistently received. No workplace is perfect, and difficult business decisions sometimes have to be made. However, if you’re considering joining this organization, I encourage you to ask thoughtful questions about leadership communication, performance management, and how employees are supported when priorities shift. Your experience may depend heavily on the team and leadership you work under. Cons: Lack of transparency, inconsistent communication, limited psychological safety, and an environment where employees may not receive honest feedback until it’s too late.

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