The bright-colored shirts and friendly personalities of the employees are some of the first things
that Trader Joe's customers notice when they walk through the door.
But there's much more to being a Trader Joe's employee than all that.
If you get bored easily, a job at Trader Joe's may help.
The store throws a little variety at its employees by allowing them to change tasks throughout
their shifts, rather than doing the same thing all day.
During a typical shift, a crew member might clean, stock shelves, and check customers
out at the cash register.
Another perk of being a Trader's Joe crew member is that not only do tasks change during
shifts, so do shift times.
Employees may have to wake up early on some days to be ready for the frozen truck when
it arrives at four o'clock in the morning.
But they can rest assured that other employees will be doing the same thing on other days
while they catch up on some sleep.
If you're a firm believer that variety is the spice of life, then working at Trader
Joe's might just be a good fit for you.
For some employees, working at Trader Joe's can result in a bit of celebrity status.
For example, former Cosby Show actor and Trader Joe's employee Geoffrey Owens went viral when
photos of him bagging groceries were published by the Daily Mail.
Social media had a bit of a field day with his choice of jobs in between acting gigs.
"Did you also feel that those initial reports were trying to job-shame you?"
"I did.
You know, when I first saw the pictures and, by the way, they Photoshopped those pictures,
by the way."
Though most crew members' photos probably won't end up on the internet, it's still possible
for them to achieve some claim to fame on a smaller scale.
One such employee by the name of Hayley talked with Refinery 29 about how she has become
the "Trader Joe's girl" within her tight-knit community.
She gets called that when frequenting the local coffee shop, attending parties, and
even at school.
Hayley said that Trader Joe's is aware of this kind of attention and reminds employees
like herself that even when they're not bagging groceries or stocking shelves, they're still
representing the store.
She also noted that it can feel strange to have those expectations of unwanted pressure.
So if you're not ready for the spotlight, you may want to play it safe and stay away
from Trader Joe's.
One of the most notable perks of being a Trader Joe's employee is the taste testing.
Crew members need to know what the food they sell tastes like in order to recommend it
to customers, after all.
One employee told Refinery 29 that when the new flyers come out, employees can expect
quite a feast in the break room.
Another worker revealed that it's common for employees to enjoy breakfast or dessert during
openings and closings.
If that isn't enough to make you envious of Trader Joe's crew members, they also get the
opportunity to be their own chef.
One employee told Refinery 29 that workers are able to do tastings with different themes
and create dishes that everyone can try.
It's safe to say that taste testing is a pretty big part of working at Trader Joe's.
We imagine this keeps the hunger pains away during a shift and probably saves money during
lunch breaks.
When Trader Joe's employees' shifts are over, they've earned some pretty good change in
their pockets.
In an AMA post on Reddit, one employee noted that crew members can make anywhere from $10-$24
an hour, and that's only the beginning.
Managers, or captains, as Trader Joe's likes to call them, have the ability to make up
to six figures.
If you're a crew member, you have the opportunity to receive a raise twice per year.
According to Trader Joe's career website, that raise can be anywhere from 7-10 percent.
On the flip side, though, those raises aren't guaranteed.
According to the same AMA post, in order to receive a raise you must excel in three specific
areas: customer experience, productivity, and working as a team.
Any crew member that falls short in even one of those categories most likely isn't going
to see a paycheck boost.
Trader Joe's employees may be raking in a pretty good income, but it's the benefits
that will really blow you away.
In a Reddit AMA post, an employee spilled the beans about what to expect.
If you love to travel, the good news is that both full-time and part-time employees earn
paid time off.
Also, employees who work at least 15 hours per week qualify for free dental and vision
insurance.
Another employee told Refinery 29 that the company also offers a pretty generous 18 percent
discount off its workers' phone bill.
Although, that apparently only applies if you're a Verizon customer.
"Can you hear me now?
Good."
Employees also seem to have no complaints about Trader Joe's 401K option.
According to the careers page on the company's website, the company contributes 10 percent
of an eligible crew member's annual salary to their 401K.
Trader Joe's has good reason for the amazing benefits options.
As the company puts it on its website,
"You are making an investment in us, we are making an investment in and for you."
"THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!"
Another perk featured on Trader Joe's career page says that crew members receive a 10 percent
discount off all products in store.
That even includes the alcohol aisle, which will come in handy for employees when they're
stocking up on the infamous two-buck chuck wine selection.
Trader Joe's must really value its employees to give them a discount, as regular customers
will never receive that kind of benefit, no matter how often they shop there.
Since the company offers low prices everyday, they say no to coupons, membership cards,
and discounts.
So, if you're in dire need of a little price cut at Trader Joe's, you'll have to fill out
a job application and hope you get hired to see that 10 percent off your grocery bill.
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