I can't say enough good things about this company.
I secured a job with Winners after leaving my previous job at a fast-food chain, where I was treated horribly. From the interview process up to working at the store, it's been an incredible experience.
Management is very friendly and easy to get along with, and open to questions or concerns. Staff is equally as friendly, as well as incredibly supportive and family-like. They work together to ensure everyone succeeds, and they—along with management—are very willing to help accommodate health issues. i.e. short term things like back problems or migraines, or more serious things like chronic pain issues.
The work itself doesn't feel repetitive because you're shifted around many different positions; one week you'll mostly be on front line (cashier), another week you'll be cleaning, stocking, or greeting people at the door. They make a good effort at trying to combat burnout from people doing the same things over and over. It's also easy to approach management about being cross-trained in different areas; they're open to people learning more all the time (which is a breath of fresh air in comparison to my last job).
The salary/pay is about what you would expect for an entry-level job, but particularly during the pandemic there have been things like bonuses given out as an appreciate for hard work and loyalty to the company. Additionally, there's always an opportunity to get yourself an extra shift or two if you're driven to do
ProsPositive work environment, teamwork, job fulfillment, schedule flexibility.
ConsOnly part-time available initially, benefits hard to come by.
Pro’s
- An amazing job for a first part-time job for students.
- Extremely flexible with time off, changing your availability, switching around shifts, and calling in (reasonably of course).
- Managers for the MOST part are nice and reasonable and make working fun.
- The work environment is amazing. It’s a very diverse community where everyone is welcome.
- The ‘uniform’ is amazing as you can basically wear whatever you’d like with minor exceptions (in order to be appropriate), paired with an apron & name tag.
- Easy to move up: a lot of people move up from part-time associate to a coordinator so moving up seems very attainable here if that is your goal. You don’t feel very stuck in one place in that sense.
- breaks are very reasonable. 45 minutes for any shifts over 7 hours, 30 minutes for any over 5 hours, 15 minutes for under 5 hours, and ALL 30’s & 45’s get an additional 10 minutes.
Con’s:
- managers/coordinators tend to have completely different rules or advice on how things should be done.. this miscommunication can cause you to do things wrong & then get in trouble
- lack of communication: when things change and no one lets you know, this can again result in you performing tasks wrong (censoring rules changing with diff prices, not being informed about 20% off weekends) this lack of communication causes wrong actions.. could be solved by a simple update board or something similar in the break room.
- constantly having new associates. i love meeting new people so
Prosflexibility, uniform, work environment, associates
Fast Paced Ever changing retail company.
Establishes recruiting requirements by studying organization plans and objectives; meeting with managers to discuss needs.
Builds applicant sources by researching and contacting community services, colleges, employment agencies, recruiters, media, and internet sites; providing organization information, opportunities, and benefits; making presentations; maintaining rapport.
Determines applicant requirements by studying job description and job qualifications.
Attracts applicants by placing job advertisements; contacting recruiters, using newsgroups and job sites.
Determines applicant qualifications by interviewing applicants; analyzing responses; verifying references; comparing qualifications to job requirements.
Arranges management interviews by coordinating schedules; arranges travel, lodging, and meals; escorting applicant to interviews; arranging community tours.
Evaluates applicants by discussing job requirements and applicant qualifications with managers; interviewing applicants on consistent set of qualifications.
Manages new employee relocation by determining new employee requirements; negotiating with movers; arranging temporary housing; providing community introductions.
Improves organization attractiveness by recommending new policies and practices; monitoring job offers and compensation practices; emphasizing benefits and perks.
Manages intern program by conducting orientations; scheduling rotations and assignments; monitori
Prosfriendly enviorment
Constoo many changes
3.0
Retail Sales Associate | Toronto, ON | Jan 10, 2022
Fairly simple starter job that can be labour intensive. Unflexible and limited hours. Management is often tone-deaf.
It was relatively easy to get hired, even with no experience. I was interviewed via phone, and received a callback in two days. One day with long hours of orientation, they had tried to cram every information in. The training period consisted of three days in various departments that in demand. Once management has a gist of your skill, they will determine a position that you will more or less work permanently in. You have no flexibility in choosing your hours, and will often struggle to get more than 3 shifts that are 4-5 hours long a week.You cannot change your availability and they will assume you have OPEN AVAILABILITY. You cannot be seen drinking water, or carry a bottle discreetly in the backroom. Management will often criticise you for not going on your break on time, despite ALL THE CLOCKS on the floor being unsynchronized. There are no water fountains, and vending machines are scarely restocked. Management will throw around corporate jargon around a lot without clarification to part-timers. They will encourage you to greet customers simply to foster theft prevention. The customers here are one of the neediest people I have ever met. They will ask you to be their personal shoppers, and threaten to call headquarters on a whim. Some of the wackiest people shop here. Coordinators are often unaccomodating and will aggravate customers and make your life harder. Co-workers are quite friendly and will try to maintain a positive work environment. The company has been very suc
ProsBenefits on a good year, friendly co-workers, discounts on purchase.
ConsNo guaranteed hours, needy management, labour intensive.
Working at Winners was a horrible experience, please don't apply find another job, this company doesn't deserve you!
Everyday I would start work at 9 and my coordo would right away start putting pressure on me saying things like : " today we received a lot of items on the cages that we have to place before 11:30 AM" most of the time we had 7 cages to place. In the beginning we are 3 people placing them then they call one of us at cash and then the other one either goes on their lunch or get called for another task so I WAS THE ONLY ONE left to finish the cages and they put pressure on you because you're not fast enough or this "should be done in 10 min" while I also have to help clients! I was pushing myself really hard to finish the tasks within their time expectations to the point of almost throwing up and fainting.
In the afternoon it would be placing the new merchandise of clothes and do some "recovery" that also has to be done in 10 minutes because the coordo and managers will keep harassing with speed even tho we are SHORT STAFFED and always have to do the work of 3-4 people. My coordo used to always tell me : " if you continue doing this/that you're not gonna get the job" which I understand but when they repeat that almost everyday it makes the job UNHEALTHY because they put tons of pressure and stress on us as if it was the job of our life...
READ THIS: Costumer service at cash
Once a customer needed to check a price at cash they called me to look at th
There is a reason this place has a high staff turnover. I have worked in multiple retail jobs in my time but never one as unorganised and chaotic as this.
- A typical day at work includes wasting 30mins of your morning in a huddle talking about which departments made the most money the previous day, as well as some other unimportant information that isn't really needed or required. If you don't work mornings you don't hear what's said in the huddle anyway.
- I learnt how to be very patient; patient with management and ridiculous rules, patient with customers, and patient with the fact that my work would never be finished and the place would always look a mess.
- Management was bad. They make out like they have this amazing work culture and everyone is family, but still somehow make you feel like you're replaceable and unimportant.
- The hardest part of the job is working for a company that does not care about it's employees. The amount of staff that is scheduled on depends on how much money the store has made the previous week. I have been called up and told not to come to work the next day because they had a "small shipment" all because they haven't made enough money. In a smaller company I can understand that but in a company that makes billions of dollars a year I find it disappointing. I have been working there long enough to know that, small shipment or not, the place is ALWAYS busy and they are ALWAYS short-staffed. And don't expect to ever get a job finished. I w
Winners is a good starter job and can be a great working environment depending on location and management.
A typical day is organizing different areas of the store, putting out stock and doing sale transactions.
I learned a lot about retail prices, what brands are really worth, quality of product and security.
Management changes every so often, sometimes you will like them sometimes you won't. Most of mine have been good and great leaders, I've had two that weren't the greatest.
I don't agree with how the company is ran store to store. Customers can get away with a lot of things from fraud returns such as ticket switching and returning used merchandise all because they start complaining and refuse to leave. This make sit hard because cashiers spend a lot of time policing and watching customers who regularly come into the store and try to and sometimes do get away with switched price tags, merchandise from other stores, restitched labels, old used merchandise. Customers will go as far as trying to return items with receipts from 5+ years ago and complain because they can't return it. The customers of these chains ruin the retail experience because the rules are too lenient and you may get stuck with a manager who is a pushover and sticks to the motto of "the customer is always right" Overall this job good in the beginning but has ruined my experience to ever want to work retail unless I own the company. These customers know what they are doing and they make the c
ProsGreat hours if serious, Most management is good, A lot of free food, company dinners, awards
ConsCustomers, Return policy is too loose, unrealistic goals
Such a fun job, with excellent coworkers and customers
Love working here. Everyone is one big happy family. There are little clique groups, some gossip once and awhile, but everyone is super welcoming. Have never worked a job where I feel valued or wanted. This company treats me like a human being and wants to see me succeed. They aren’t on you for not meeting your KPIs like other places. As long as you do a great job, they will help you succeed. If you’re better in certain departments, they’ll schedule you there more often. I absolutely recommend this company if you need a part time job to keep busy. Plenty to learn, great discounts, and you’re bound to go home each shift with something new. It can be dangerous, but who doesn’t like finding something new to purchase. The only negative is that you don’t get many hours/shifts. Most often you are scheduled for 1-2 shifts a week, 4 hours in length. The lucky ones get 6-8 hours but it seems that is for staff with more seniority. They are continuing to hire new associates and giving them more shifts, but the staff they already have are only given limited shifts. I understand work life balance is very important to this company which really means a lot. However, why are they hiring so much. Give your employees more shifts and maybe people won’t leave. Not to mention ‘being over our hours for the month’, so they’ll ask scheduled employees to leave early or not come in at all. Not sure who sets how many hours they can schedule, but it always gets tricky at the end of the month. Besides th
ProsTheme days, free snacks, discounts, work life balance, extremely nice and accommodating management, family environment, on call list
ConsLack of shifts and limited hours, low pay
1.0
Customer Service Representative | London, ON | Jul 10, 2013
Don't even bother to work here unless you enjoy being poor
Typically a day at work will have you running around doing anything from receiving merchandise in the warehouse, putting it out on the sales floor, cashier duties.
I like all of my co workers, they are all friendly and helpful in general. Good co workers help to make your day more bearable.
Management is terrible, to be specific, the manager. They are very condecending, and speak to you as if you don't have a brain. They like to focus on getting people through the cash line, so every floor associate is called to checkout, leaving no one to attend to customers or tasks on the sales floor. I would think anyone knows when you focus on one area of a business another will suffer. But I guess not, somehow waiting in a line at Winners is more intolerable then Wal Mart, Target, any grocery store, the doctor's office.
Hardest part of the job, is that you have to work there, since getting a decent job has become so difficult. They never give you enough hours so you might actually make a living and constantly hire staff even though they have no hours to give.
Greedy corporation even decided to open a sixth store in one city, so its not really a head scratcher as to why sales might be down.
My advice is not to work here unless you are looking to get a little pocket change for fun money, you will not be able to pay rent, buy food, pay bills etc. etc.
Their idea of saving money is always at the bottom, but I am certain that is typical. Maybe if you had more floor staff you would need
I was expected to work extremely fast and the women I worked with were very catty. There's no training to speak to customers as you're working like asking if they are finding everything okay. You say everything the customer needed to hear during their cash out. They push you to say a novel to each customer which slows down the line, and then they imply that you're lazy because you're not working fast enough. My supervisor on cash did NOT work very well under pressure and was a tyrant to work with in general. As soon as the last customer walked out, she was a completely different person. They say their customer survey reports are the lowest in any province (and I wonder why!). They don't really have much formal training in any department, just a general walk-through during orientation. When you're expected to jump from floor to cash, you need to hustle and keep up, otherwise, the ladies that work on the floor treat you like garbage and you feel belittled. I didn't feel very confident switching departments because I felt the training was poor and so I often asked questions which seemed to annoy the supervisors. I didn't feel like I had a place or that my efforts were noticed. At the end of the day, the store was a complete mess and we were expected to stay 30-40 minutes overtime to clean the store which didn't really get any cleaner. Once I saw how the store is really operated, I left. It's not worth making minimum wage for. Employee discount is 10% and their reason for that is
ProsSome co-workers were very nice
ConsRude management
Questions and answers about Winners
How often do you get a raise at Winners?
Asked Nov 4, 2022
Once a year and it's small
Answered May 28, 2023
1 fois par an
Answered May 18, 2023
What is the interview process like at Winners?
Asked Apr 18, 2017
I applied to multiple locations at the start of the month and and started receiving calls by the end of the month. when they call you, they do a mini interview on the spot. they ask about any previous experience, your availably and in the end they may ask you to come in for an in-person interview. During the interview, they didn't ask any questions about my previous experience, they took a different approach. They basically asked questions such as; tell me about a time you had a bad experience with a costumer and were unsure of what to do. Another one is; did you ever walk into a store and received the best customer service experience that made you shocked. Last one; tell me about a time you helped out a costumer that resulted in the costumer expressing how great you were or how much you helped them.
These questions are very easy to answer, but only if you have something to say. its kind of hard to make up a story if you don't have one.
Answered Aug 31, 2021
My interview experience was really straightforward. I applied on the website and about 2 weeks later I got an email from someone in the 'Talent Acquisition' department asking to set up a phone interview. We did a phone screening to see if I was a good fit, then I moved onto the actual interview stage. Because of COVID, mine was over the phone but I except it would normally be in person. The phone screening took about 15 minutes, then the interview took about 20-25. After that, the person I speak with asked for a reference and the same day I did my interview I heard back with the good news :)
Answered May 28, 2021
What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Asked Nov 7, 2022
Its a great place to work. The shift goes so fast because you are engaging customers or fixing your department.
I enjoyed working at Winners very much.
Answered May 17, 2023
Grosse journée pendant les jours d’achalandages
Answered May 15, 2023
What is the promotion process like at Winners?
Asked Nov 29, 2022
They will tell you they will help get you promoted, but it never happens
Answered May 16, 2023
You must apply to the job listing - there is no option for internal promotion
Answered May 15, 2023
What was the most challenging part of your role at Winners?
Asked Oct 6, 2018
Too much on your plate, managers will overwork you and pile too much up to 'help you grow then sit on the office all day while you are running around
Answered Apr 27, 2022
Trying to make sure every customer has great customer service.
