No Leadership, No Tools - Anonymous employee Talbots Employee Review

2.0
Feb 25, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Everyone leaves the building at 5pm no matter what - The front desk associates are lovely - Extremely creative focused environment - Very family-focused culture

Cons

- Absolutely no leadership, from managers to SVP's there is not a single strong manager all the way up the chain. The lack of leadership causes absolute chaos in the most basic business decisions. All employees are just ping pong balls going back and forth from the one managers/SVPs guidance to the next. - Talbots refuses to invest in modern tools and it's taking a toll on all teams. The teams desperately need new tools to modernize the workflows but this is not possible without investment. Each year, there is a big flurry of excitement as the executive team talks about purchasing better tools and each year it gets pushed off as a secondary concern. - The people here are just horrible. They all gossip about each other and exhibit "clock in/clock out" mentality. They are so mean to their peers. Would never offer a helping hand and are such unhappy people.

Explore other reviews about Talbots

5.0
May 12, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Team was so supportive and kind - Taught me lots of valuable industry experience

Cons

I have no cons to mention

1.0
Jul 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

None. This company is garbage compared to how it used to be.

Cons

Slave wages, not enough hours for anyone except management because the private equity company that owns us has cut our staff to a skeleton crew even on busy days. Management and associate alike are stretched super thin to the point of exhaustion. Even as a sales associate, there was a time I supported myself on a Talbots salary. Now I have to choose between paying my car insurance or getting an oil change. I used to get 30+ hours a week even as a sales associate. Now I'm lucky if I get 20. Health benefits are a rip-off. The company in my observation has had a time finding and maintaining good workers. If you value your livelihood, run fast and run far.

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