J. C. Penney Reviews: What Is It Like to Work At J. C. Penney? | Glassdoor
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J. C. Penney

Engaged Employer

J. C. Penney

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J. C. Penney Reviews

3.4

54% would recommend to a friend

(12489 total reviews)

Chief Executive Officer Marc Rosen

Marc Rosen

65% approve of CEO

Ratings by category

3.7

Diversity & Inclusion

3.3

Culture & Values

3.2

Work/Life Balance

3.0

Career Opportunities

3.0

Compensation and Benefits

3.0

Senior Management

Ratings distribution

5 stars

0

4 stars

0

3 stars

0

2 stars

0

1 star

0

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Top Review Highlights by Sentiment

Excerpts from user reviews, not authored by Glassdoor

Pros
Cons
  • "Pay was low and I never felt special or meaningful(in 888 reviews)
  • "Poor management To many associates that don't actually work and spend time on their cell phones...(in 869 reviews)
  • "Managers are rude and expect you to suck it up and deal with it since they have the power.(in 455 reviews)
  • "The hour changes are kind of crazy and no training(in 201 reviews)
  • "Hours fluctuate wildly making it hard to keep employees working full time.there is no work life balance.(in 155 reviews)

Ratings by Demographics

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Found 12,489 of over 13K reviews

Updated Mar 22, 2024

    1. 5.0
      Jan 5, 2024
      Maintenance Technician
      Current Employee, more than 5 years
      Recommend
      CEO Approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Great work life balance, rarely changing schedule (for maintenance department), Coworkers are great, Equipment is varied but not prohibitively difficult, Good upward mobility opportunities, Good support from direct supervisors/managers, Extremely good diversity/inclusion across the workforce

      Cons

      Won't make you rich, pay is not bad but also not leading the market. Overtime opportunities are minimal (makes for good work/life though), promotion into some sectors may be slow waiting on others to retire. Benefits are very affordable, but not top tier

      1. 5.0
        Oct 31, 2023
        Anonymous Employee
        Former Employee, more than 5 years
        Recommend
        CEO Approval
        Business Outlook

        Pros

        Great place to work, great team, offers flexibility

        Cons

        Competitive pay and benefits can be improved

      2. Join the J. C. Penney team
        1. 2.0
          Mar 21, 2024
          Salon Manager
          Current Employee, more than 5 years
          Viroqua, WI
          Recommend
          CEO Approval
          Business Outlook

          Pros

          401K, Employee discount, Paid vacation

          Cons

          Low wages, poor upper management, high turnover, The new company that purchased JCPenney does not care about its employees in general, especially the salon and beauty divisions. Managers are held to unreasonable standards of performance and expected to meet financial goals while battling understaffing, high turnover, old, outdated, broken equipment, and minimum support from management beyond lip service. Business is about profit but when the people component is devalued and diminished it leads to low morale.

          1. 3.0
            Mar 7, 2024
            Merchandise Planner
            Former Employee, more than 3 years
            Plano, TX
            Recommend
            CEO Approval
            Business Outlook

            Pros

            JCP planners and analysts are all very nice and professional. Planning directors are smart and wonderful to work with across all areas so you will love your boss. The company allows you to work from home if you align with your buying team's needs, so flexibility is wonderful. Healthcare benefits are great(Cigna). The company has a good 401k investment plan, which matches up to 6%.

            Cons

            The IT team is weak and it takes weeks and or even months for some systemic resolutions. The planning role is constantly changing as well as the planning systems and processes. Currently, not all systems/processes are customer-centric. The available business data has a high level of errors so you spend most of your time validating and correcting data. Planning deadlines are often difficult so you can expect to work many late nights along with some weekends.

            1. 4.0
              Jan 20, 2024
              Sr Assistant Buyer
              Current Employee
              Recommend
              CEO Approval
              Business Outlook

              Pros

              On the best teams I have been apart of, there is a lot of flexibility and understanding. In the merchant world, you work for primarily women, and a lot of working moms, which is great to see. They also tend to be more understanding and flexible with work schedule, as long as you are getting your work done. I have also found that in the DFW area, the pay with JCP is competitive & we have good benefits. In my experience, high leadership has been very approachable and kind. Co-workers across the company have always been great in all of my different roles and areas of responsibility.

              Cons

              The nature of retail is very inconcsistent and changes a lot & you don't really get a say in where you get moved to, as it is based on the needs of the business not the individual. This could be broader economics driven, but there has not been a lot of corporate departures in the merchant world, which leads to less promotions, which makes it a long and tedious process to advance at the company. Training for the AB role is also very "sink or swim" depending on your team and manager. You are expected to dive in and seek out the resources for training on your own, which is hard for even the most driven employees

              1. 3.0
                Mar 22, 2024
                Loss Prevention
                Former Employee
                Plano, TX
                Recommend
                CEO Approval
                Business Outlook

                Pros

                Liked Co workers and team

                Cons

                Looked over for management position even though I was already doing the job while they looked to hire.

                1. 5.0
                  Mar 19, 2024
                  Sales Associate/Cashier
                  Current Employee, more than 1 year
                  Odessa, TX
                  Recommend
                  CEO Approval
                  Business Outlook

                  Pros

                  There is positive managers that help their employees to grow. There is also employees that work together to work more efficiently.

                  Cons

                  A downside of working at JCPenney is the customers that may give an unpleasant experience at working at JCPenney.

                  1. 5.0
                    Mar 22, 2024
                    Sr. Business Analyst
                    Former Employee, more than 10 years
                    Plano, TX
                    Recommend
                    CEO Approval
                    Business Outlook

                    Pros

                    Working from home was great.

                    Cons

                    Jobs being sent to India.

                    1. 3.0
                      Mar 22, 2024
                      Merchandise Execution Associate
                      Current Employee
                      Olympia, WA
                      Recommend
                      CEO Approval
                      Business Outlook

                      Pros

                      Great coworkers Recognition by customers

                      Cons

                      Understaffed Limited Hours Advancement Opportunities Are Rare

                      1. 4.0
                        Mar 18, 2024
                        Product Analyst
                        Current Employee, more than 3 years
                        Plano, TX
                        Recommend
                        CEO Approval
                        Business Outlook

                        Pros

                        Good coworkers and managers, a company cares about employees

                        Cons

                        The retail industry as a whole is hard right now. A lack of earnings can mean a lack of internal resources but JCP is trying to find the best way forward for its employees.

                      Viewing 1 - 10 of 12,489 Reviews

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                      Customer Service Representative

                      Can any hiring managers give me advice on "Do you have any questions" I've had many interviews for Customer Service and Administrative positions and ask questions throughout the interview. Yet, at the end of the interview they always ask " Do you have any questions" I don't understand what else they why they are asking me this if I asked questions about the positions. I never ask about benefits, and had many go over them with me on the interview.

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                      Senior Product Manager

                      Has anyone interviewed at Avenue One, proptech series C startup? I have a final round interview for a PM role. I would love to hear about anyones experience interviewing there and/or at the company.

                      4
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