Company Reviews

Want to know what it’s like to work at a specific company? We speak to the people who work there to find out for you.

Working at Walmart – What’s it like?

Walmart store front

We asked Walmart workers to tell us what the job is really like

Thinking of getting a job at Walmart? Or just curious to know what other people have to say about the business? We’ve got you covered.

We posted an anonymous survey to our Retail Worker Confessions community asking current and former Walmart employees 20 questions about what it’s really like to work there.

Here’s what they had to say.

Quickly jump to a specific question

  1. What’s the culture like at Walmart?
  2. Is working for Walmart a good job?
  3. What should you wear to an Walmart job interview?
  4. How does someone get hired at Walmart? What are the steps along the way?
  5. What questions did Walmart ask during your interview?
  6. Is it easy to get a job at Walmart?
  7. How often do you get paid at Walmart?
  8. How old do you have to be to work at Walmart?
  9. What advice would you have for someone thinking of joining Walmart?
  10. What’s the best thing about Walmart?
  11. What’s the worst thing about Walmart?
  12. What is the uniform like at Walmart?
  13. How much do Walmart pay an hour?
  14. Do you get overtime pay at Walmart?
  15. What do you get if you work at Walmart?
  16. What is the Walmart employee discount?
  17. What is career progression like at Walmart?
  18. What would you change about Walmart if you were the CEO?
  19. Do you see yourself working for Walmart 5 years into the future?
  20. Is there anything else you’d like to share about Walmart?

1. What’s the company culture like at Walmart?

Some people had good things to say about working at Walmart.

My second time is better than the first. Love my team.

A former employee here. I had a positive experience working for Walmart. My fellow associates were always nice, the pay is decent and the customers aren’t as bad as you may think. I preferred being paid by the hour and making good use of the employee benefits.

I liked it, the store managers can be tough on the teams though.

For full-time associates, it’s not a bad job at all! The daily tasks and job itself were pretty decent and worth the pay in my opinion. Sure there was that one manager or coworker that you absolutely could not stand, but overall I loved working there. My husband has worked there for almost 6 years and made it into 2 different management roles. The only reason I left was because we recently had a baby but I’ll probably return to work hopefully soon because it’s really a great job!

Management was a bit hit or miss. One manager was great and helped new workers a lot, others expected the same productivity from a new worker as a worker with 5+years of experience. Overall, a great place to begin working.

I worked a bunch of jobs before joining Walmart, including several chains that I’d prefer not to name here. It’s a good job, you get a lot of variety thanks to the cross-training between departments.

Plenty of worse jobs out there. The company could do with more new hires though. I worked there for 3 years and my co-manager and I really struggled with hiring people that were willing to work full time.

But others were less keen.

That Wal-Mart cheer they make you do every morning at some stores is cringey: “Who’s #1? The Customer! Always! Woo!”

Walmart overworks their employees and underpays them. They expect 1 person to get 12 hours worth of work done in 8 hours or less. Management offers no support.

Walmart is Toxic. I had zero personal time after working all the extra shifts I could find to survive.

It’s a clown show. Especially in dairy with no actual help, and night’s not doing their job getting stuffed stocked. I left soon after to work for Costco wholesale.

The company isn’t the same as it used to be. Associates are being expected to do more jobs for the same pay. Full-time positions are getting rarer. You get fewer benefits as a part-time employee versus associates with more hours.

Worked in the electronics department and enjoyed it but bad management and a lack of cross-training made me move on.

2. Is working for Walmart a good job?

The view from an employees perspective at a Walmart store

Some Walmart employees seem to think so!

I felt it was a good employer, yes. People will always find something to complain about. But as a company, Wal-Mart offers so many benefits and assistance to its employees because they really do care about the people working for them. Obviously, they can’t cater to every single minor event in life, but on the larger scale, I think they try to do good.

Depends on the situation. It can be black and white until it benefits them. Sometimes it depends on what the store managers are like at the company.

They tell you at orientation that you are valued and will make a huge difference in the company, and that you’re there to help customers.

I had no social life working at Walmart but I’ve had worse jobs. I worked on the fresh fruits section and didn’t have any problems.

Mostly. They schedule you a lot of hours outside of availability and you are lucky to get your break.

A Walmart job is easy. You just turn up, serve customers, fill the shelves with toilet paper and pretend you love Sam Walton. As far as jobs go, it doesn’t have to get any more in-depth than that.

But other employees were less sure.

Wal-Mart is a decent temporary job to get started. You’ll make decent money but your hours will be hard and you’ll have little to no support from management.

No, poor management. They overwork and underpay you.

Nope. They don’t care about the employees or give the ones that deserve a bigger raise than what they got.

I’m a former employee for a reason. I got fed up with having no social life, struggling to get holiday time and being treated like crap because I was a cart pusher.


3. What should you wear to a Walmart job interview?

Some job seekers suggested going the formal route.

Dress shirt dress pants.

Decent clothes

Others recommended the smart-casual approach.

Jeans and a nice shirt would do fine honestly. Either a button-up, polo, or plain color (no graphic) T-shirt. It’s just a retail store at the end of the day.

Jeans and a nice top with no logo. Unless you going for one of the dept manager or assistant manager jobs, then I’d wear a collared shirt and slacks.

Maybe not too casual though…

You could turn up naked. Walmart will still hire you.

4. How does someone get hired at Walmart? What are the steps along the way?

Seems that the standard approach for job seekers is an online application, interview and orientation

Apply, Get an interview, wait to hear back.

Apply online on the Walmart website or speak to a department manager.

Fill out an application online then come in for orientation with other potential employees.

Pretty easy and standard, similar to most places these days. You go on to the Walmart website, go to the careers section, and submit an online application for employment. You take a short assessment test and if the store likes your app, they call you for an interview.

Just show up. You’ll be an employee within a day.

5. What questions did Walmart ask during your interview?

Job seekers waiting for an interview at Walmart

From what we can tell, Walmart interview questions seem fairly generic.

Greatest strength/weakness, hours, availability, etc.

What jobs have I had in the past. Reasons why I wanted to work at Walmart Inc.

Not really a question I can answer. I got hired at Walmart without an interview just based on my previous retail employment experience so my ‘interview’ was just a chance to discuss the position and fill out paperwork.

What can you tell us about the company?

Why Walmart and not another supermarket?

Why do you want to work at the company?

Would you be willing to work in a different store?

What can you bring to the business?

As an employee, how would you deliver great customer service at Walmart?

Do you mind if we perform a background check?

6. Is it easy to get a job at Walmart?

Getting a job at Walmart seems to be pretty easy, though you should do everything you can to stand out during the interview.

The interview and orientation is all warm and snuggly. But when you hit the sales floor you’ll realise how hard the job can be. I’ve been there 13 years.

Yes. As long as you don’t have a criminal record and can pass a drug test.

I don’t even have a high school diploma and I got in.

Yes. Show up to the interview. There always seems to be open positions at Walmart.

As long as you don’t have anything in your past (bad work history, serious criminal record, pass a drug test), then yeah, they hire people from all walks of life with various skill and experience levels.

Yes, too easy. Just agree to work anywhere in the store then switch departments when you get the job.

Walmart is always crying out for new Employees. Take it from a former employee who has left and come back 5 times.

They need to do a background check on all new employees.


7. How often do you get paid at Walmart?

The consensus seems to be that everyone gets paid on the same cycle.

Every 2 weeks

Bi-weekly

8. How old do you have to be to work at Walmart?

This one varies a lot. It seems like the minimum age for Walmart employees is at least 16.

16.

I can’t say for sure because I know that varies by location, but I believe in general the minimum employee age requirement at the company is 18 simply because of some of the equipment you use on-site, such as the trash compactor & bailer.

16 or above at Walmart.

9. What advice would you have for someone thinking of joining Walmart?

A Walmart storefront during the daytime

Lot’s of varied advice here. Most people are recommending Walmart, but some people have some strong opinions to the contrary!

Walmart inc is a great company!

Go for it! While I can’t speak for every store, many people at my store have been there for 10, 20, 30+ years because it’s an awesome job! As long as you show up on time ready to work and do what your daily tasks are, you should have no issues getting the most out of the job.

Just do your part as an employee and don’t worry too hard (unless you are a manager).

There are honestly worse jobs out there. Just suck it up and get on with it. Beggars can’t be choosers during covid.

Be ready to work a lot of hours at Walmart.

Don’t do it – and I’m an assistant manager!

Think long and hard before joining Walmart.

10. What’s the best thing about working at Walmart?

Walmart seems to have a great discount program for employees. Many staff members seem to value the colleagues on their team too.

It is like any other place to work. You get out of it what you put into it as an employee!

Associates are eligible for an education benefit on the first day of employment at Walmart.

You get paid and get an hour lunch.

The associate discount at Walmart is pretty generous.

Free access to some education.

The other associates.

It’s an easy job. New employees get looked after by the team leads.

The money and being around other associates as it helps with my mental health.

Job security. As a former employee working at Sam’s club now.

11. What’s the worst thing about working at Walmart?

Some very strong opinions here from Walmart associates. Seems that Walmart has changed a lot over the years.

Employees might have to do more work than what you get paid for on other departments. In my store the Deli makes $15 and produce only makes $11 an hour but sometimes produce gets forced to do some of Deli’s work.

Employee point system if you are sick or late you get a point even with a Dr’s excuse.

Nepotism at Walmart is really obvious.

The managers don’t always respect the associates.

Retail jobs are hard but Walmart pushes their employees hard. If it wasn’t for the employee benefits I would have left by now.

The constant changing of store policy. One minute you can get 9 attendance points before you’re terminated, the next minute it’s only 5 before the boot. It gets confusing going back and forth and good communication isn’t always present between stores and managers and then within employees.

Everything, Walmart managers don’t care about employees just themselves.


12. What is the uniform like at Walmart?

What does a Walmart employee uniform look like?

Pretty standard mix of wearing your own clothes and a Walmart issued vest

Jeans t-shirt and vest.

Relaxed dress code for employees.

Jeans and a t-shirt.

It’s pretty casual as of recent. Jeans and T-shirt’s with a Wal-Mart issued vest.

Comfy and suitable.

Mostly your own clothes. I like that, but I know some people who get frustrated with ruining good pairs of jeans.

13. How much does Walmart pay an hour?

Bit of disparity here, but I suspect that may be due to regions

Varies on position/location. Minimum is $13.50 for cashiering.

$13

Definitely depends on a number of factors including what state you live in, what department you work in, and how much retail experience both in and out of Wal-Mart you have. Where I’m at, starting pay is currently at $15/hr I believe.

I was paid $12 an hour when I worked at Walmart.

14. Do you get overtime pay at Walmart?

It seems that you do get paid for overtime at Walmart, but the rate of pay is the same as working your contracted hours

I’ve been told to clock in late for having ONE minute of overtime. Also, the way Walmart sets their clocks allows the company to recover millions each year from employees due to increments of time.

They don’t want to pay overtime so not really. Which is pretty bad for a so-called multinational retail corporation.

Yes, but I don’t need it as I’m full time.

No, only for Team Lead level and higher-rated jobs. Regular employees do not get overtime unless pre-approved by corporate.

No chance for normal employees.

15. What do you get if you work at Walmart?

What benefits do Walmart employees get?

Many people seem to celebrate the employee discount and education benefits.

10% discount card after working there for a few weeks.

Pto, protected (for call-in or tardy) insurance w full time. Flexible schedule w set days off.

401k, tuition reimbursement. Access to nurse care managers for full-time associates.

10% store discount that you can share with a family member, occasional 20% events with free eye tests and free flu jabs.

Maternity/Paternity leave, bereavement leave, help pays for college classes/books, very generous eye and dental insurance, extra discount days around the holiday, and many more!

10% associate discount.

The employment benefits are good. You get money off purchases.

16. What is the Walmart employee discount?

Lot’s of responses to this question, all of them the same. So I’m pretty sure the Walmart employee discount is…

As an employee, you get 10% off regularly priced general merchandise.


17. What is career progression like at Walmart?

A mixed bag of responses here. It seems that you need to play the politics game to progress at Walmart

Wait years for basically nothing.

Easy. Went from being one of the regular associates to manager in six months when I told the company that I was interested.

Depends on how much you honestly put into it, and unfortunately a little of how many people you know. Half of the management in the company get there through hard work and perseverance, the other half gets there because their mom goes to church with the second cousin on their dad’s side of the store manager and basically kissed enough booty to get bumped up.

Not one it’s who kisses the ass of the store manager.

Associates have a tough time progressing in Walmart.

18. What would you change about Walmart if you were the CEO?

Get rid of the point system, treat other employees better, better discount cards.

Hire better managers.

Just remember where you started from. Walmart wasn’t always a greedy, expansion obsessed monster. It used to be a wholesome place with core values that made you feel respected.

The company needs to hire more associates.

I’d focus some more on the part-time employees, because sure they are ‘only’ part-time but there are no benefits for them.

Stop making us work during the holidays. Can’t you fill the stores with those new creepy robots or something? I’m sure they won’t mind working through their lunch breaks.

I’d give myself a pay rise. I’ve been waiting for one for the past 3 years.

19. Do you see yourself working for Walmart 5 years into the future?

 

No, it was a nightmare job and I would have to be so desperate to go back.

Yes. I lost my last career at the beginning of COVID, Walmart is a food base. Doubt it’ll be discontinued anytime soon.

Yes, they have really looked after me, especially during the last two years when I lost both of my parents to covid. Walmart was there for me as an employer and helped me put food on the table with extra hours and a full-time contract.

No. I’m going away for college and we don’t have a Walmart nearby.

For my husband: absolutely. For me: I would like to if given the opportunity, but that depends on how life goes from here on out.

As long as they don’t change too much, I would be willing to stay for a while longer. It’s a solid company to work for.

Maybe. The company needs to address the fact that we need more associates to get the jobs done though.

20. Is there anything else you’d like to share about working at Walmart?

A lot of emotionally charged responses from what I suspect are long-serving Walmart employees.

I worked for Walmart for about 8 years and it was great for the first year or so but once I became a department manager, that sure changed. I wouldn’t become a manager.

Work at Walmart if you need some short term, or just want a bit of extra income. But whatever you do, don’t become too dependent on the job.

Keep your head down. Mind your business. Clock in. Work what you can. Be firm in wanting to move up if you do. Overall have a good attitude and just be respectful to your fellow associates.

Just that people shouldn’t ever look down on anyone that works at Walmart. We work crazy hours and give up our weekends. Also, lately, you may have noticed that we’ve been dealing with a freakin pandemic. Some customers need to realise that associates are risking their lives to make sure you get access to your precious toilet roll.

I think we’ve about covered it all! Yeah, it has its downfalls but what employer doesn’t? It’s a great place to work and I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun job to turn into a career.

I just wish Walmart was the same company it was a few years ago. Employees are churning quite hard during a time when we need them the most.

What do you think?

Are you a current or former employee of Walmart? Do you agree with what’s been said here? Is there something we didn’t cover? Maybe you are considering applying to Walmart? Has this article changed your mind? Let us know in the comments!