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Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

Engaged Employer

Thank Goodness I Got Out. - Corporate - WS Brand Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Employee Review

1.0
Dec 12, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Discount. Jim Brett and the west elm brand.

Cons

I feel for anyone who still works there at WS or PB or any shared services. If you are considering getting a job here - really, think twice - it's not at all a good place to be. I would wait until they change CEOs - hopefully this will happen soon. I hope that the Board of Directors will see what she is doing to this company and do something about it. When I arrived at WS years ago and Howard Lester was still CEO things were different. There was integrity, there were less VPs taking up all of the corporate payroll budget, people were recognized for their hard work. Now - it's every man or woman for themselves. They promote VPs constantly and then they don't allow teams to have enough lower level employees to get the job done effectively. They go on hiring freezes quite often. The only way to get the resources you need is to be in the "in crowd." This is a very very toxic environment and I highly discourage folks from starting a career here - there are plenty of other more professional places to work. The CEO makes no bones about it - the store managers are completely to blame for all negative trending business in brick and mortar in her eyes and she is ready to fire anyone at the drop of a hat. Everyone is replaceable in her mind. This message cuts through loud and clear to those around her which breeds a culture of back stabbing and blame-storming. It's amazing how many people have jumped ship this year alone - people who have been with the company for a long time. People who have even recently been honored with high awards - just gone. From all levels - SVPs on down to Managers.

Explore other reviews about Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

5.0
Jul 16, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Smart, talented, and supportive colleagues who are enjoyable to work with. - Strong management team that provides clear direction and is invested in their team's success. - Excellent employee discount across the WSI brands. - Collaborative culture with opportunities to learn from experienced teammates. - Well-known portfolio of brands with exposure to a variety of businesses and marketing initiatives.

Cons

- Base salaries could be more competitive, particularly given the cost of living in SF.

2.0
Jul 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Work from home, the immediate benefits and 40% discount

Cons

Benefits and discounts don’t pay the bulldog. The attendance structure is unbending and controlling. You must log in EXACTLY at 9:00 am, not a minute before or a minute after, log out EXACTLY at noon for lunch and log back in 30 minutes later. Not 29, not 31. And log out EXACTLY at 5 pm. Failure to do this you will get a warning. 2nd day of training I got called out for logging in early. EARLY. Told it could be grounds for termination. You get a 2-3 min bathroom break outside of the two measly 15 min breaks. If you take 5 minutes, command post will call to find out what’s going on. I don’t know how they think they can get away with monitoring your bathroom use. Then, for $15 per hour, you get to sit with your butt glued to your chair for 7.5 hours listening to angry customers all day. They expect you to handle 40-50 calls per day with 10 min max on each call. That’s 6 every hour, 10 minutes each. So the phone is ringing off the hook. All for $15 per hour and the privilege of working for Williams Sonoma. Run. You can do better.

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