Woolworths
Cape Town,
South Africa
http://www.woolworths.co.za
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Founder Max Sonnenberg opened his first branches in Cape Town in October 1931 then Durban, with another two in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg a year later. Over the past 80 years, Woolworths has seen the number of stores grow to over 400 across South Africa, Africa and the Middle East. Woolworths was among the first local retailers to offer employees a pension fund, medical aid and maternity leave in order to attract and retain the best retail professionals. Throughout its 80-year history, though Woolworths has grown, evolved and adapted to the changing world, the brand has remained true to its core values of quality and style, service, integrity, value, energy, innovation and sustainability. Woolworths was also an early adopter of technology. It was already using a computerised merchandising system by the early 1970s. Woolworths became the first South African retailer to introduce ‘sell by’ dates on food packaging in 1974.It was the first South African retailer to offer pre-washed lettuce and machine-washable wool clothing to consumers. The company has been named international Responsible Retailer of the year in 2008 and 2010 in recognition of its efforts to help shape a better future for generations to come. Woolworths, as one of South Africa’s top retailers, is known for its wide choice of high quality clothing, food, home ware and beauty products and offering real value for money.
Work for Woolworths? Have your say!
(13)
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"Woolworths capetown "
Added 08 Sep 2015 by a current employee
I'm been working for 9 years almost 10 years at same Woolworths. I'm working very hard for this company and look after the company for long time. There's no support or promotion because I'm disabiled. I know what's going on. I've been at the store the longest. Management unpromising doesn't seem to care. It's a very long story.......
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"Treatment of staff and customers"
Added 30 Aug 2015 by a current employee
Woolworths as a company is an amazing company to work for. However, many of the staff are actually not happy with the way they are treated at some of the stores. We as staff feel that we are made to be inferior by certain managers and when help is required from a manager, whether it be for actual work or for a customer, we either get told that they don't feel like coming or we are ignored. In my opinion, I feel that managers should work with the staff and not order them to do things, which at times include the manager's work as well. The managers should also consider to what extent would certain decisions would affect the employees.
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"management"
Added 05 Jan 2015 by a current employee
I've worked for Woolies for a couple of years and I've had the best time of my life with them, but as time passed the values of the actual management also changed. I've lived and am still living the brand and deliver customer service as they taught me, but I really think they should have a more vigilant interview programme for management.
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"intergtity"
Added 05 Jan 2015 by a current employee
Woolworths preaches integrity, but doesn't live up to it. Don't get me wrong, the senior management are the ones that ruins the image of the company. There is some racial issues as well, imbalances of salaries. I still can't believe there are still managers that call their staff baboons. I could specify one branch but I'll rather not. Even staff are afraid to voice their depression. They are scared of victimisation. I feel if you don't belong to some group or is well-known well in the business, it's easy to be thrown under the bus and no one will care. Woolworths is a good brand, but some store managers are ruining its image. Integrity is a word that is pronounced but not lived by. Staff salaries are pathetic compared to other chain companies. Lots of unfair dismissal because some people are protected management wise, very unjust. As for the HR department, I'll rather not comment. Like I said, a good company, but senior management is damaging the brand.
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"leadership improvement "
Added 05 Jan 2015 by a current employee
The company itself is great to work for. I however, do not feel that they uphold the Woolworths values. There is favouritism. Management is not fair or equitable in its dealings, which makes for an unhappy working environment.
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"Woolworths Employee Review"
Added 05 Jan 2015 by a current employee
I worked in Woolies back in 1997 I think. It was good. I still carry their ethos with me. I started out at the tills and was recommended to do their interactive course in Durban to help manage PMB's first Deli. Woollies was always eager to promote good work and encourage staff courses to better their employees.
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"woolworths"
Added 05 Jan 2015 by a current employee
I have worked for woolies for seven years, pity I got fired for failure to declare an item, it is a good company. If there would be a time for me to go back, I would. The company is right. It's the management that is so unfair sometimes. Benefits are also good, but if they can rotate management every six months or every year, I think most of the staff would be happy. There's too much Favouritism, but the brand on its own is number one.
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"Professionalism"
Added 15 Sep 2013 by a current employee
I have been employed at this company for a couple of years. It was easy to associate with the staff and we've become like a family. There is a lot of drilling, so it's pretty much difficult not to be altered into the type of employee they need. The company is committed to Transformation and improvement of labour conditions...to an extent. Our customer experience and the environment are the main focus and drive. Performance is rewarded, but I would like to see rapid growth with the new assessment. It is too gradual. Recruitment strategies and labour turnover has been improved to keep up with changing times and economies. Woolworths is a leading retailer and it should afford its employees the same,especially its foot soldiers. Great team.
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"Woolworths Head Office Cape Town"
Added 29 Aug 2013 by a current employee
My expectations were high when I was accepted at Woolworths Head Office as a recruiter. Every Woolworths value was proven a lie to me. I worked in the recruitment department and recruited for Woolworths stores. The salary for an entry level sales assistant or cashier is minimum wage. At the time it was R17.00 per hour. Our team was told to start recruiting for people with disabilities, this only started in 2011, which was a shock to me. The recruitment team was told by the head of the team that someone with H.I.V should be on the list for people with disabilities as well as Bipolar. I was shocked. The existing employees within the stores did not complete sensitivity training before these people were recruited. Easily for the head of recruitment, they hired contractors to complete this section of recruitment, which would make it easy for them to pass the blame when things went wrong. I was not given an exit interview when I left. I think they were too scared to have my information captured.
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"i"
Added 18 Jul 2013 by a current employee
I feel that Woolworths should allow their employees to have a say and not be in fear of losing their jobs if they don't see eye to eye with management. Woolworths is one of the best retail employers. They have the best benefits for their employees and communities. The only thing I think should change is the communication between management and staff.
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"Management is so unfair"
Added 17 Jul 2013 by a current employee
Our Store manager doesn't care about internal staff members, regardless of the experience we have, due to the fact that we don't always agree with him in most of the things, such as greediness. Once you don't see eye to eye with him, you'll never be in his good books ever again. He does not show appreciation of the good work that we're doing, which is delivering the best service to the customers and that at times, leads into absenteeism and lack of respect between management and regular staff members. He hires managers from other stores and they come in our store knowing nothing about what to be done and then we're supposed to train them and that is where we lose respect for them. I so want to leave the company, but it's a pity jobs are so scarce these days.
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"South African Exellence"
Added 16 Jul 2013 by a current employee
To work for Woolworths South Africa is to work for South African excellence. Due to the increasing amount of stores nationwide, Woolworths has become an ambassador for BEE and employees, a substantial amount of south Africans, thus alleviating the unemployment rate. When working for Woolworths, you can be assured of remuneration on time and an excellent working environment. Woolworths also makes use of local suppliers, thus creating even more jobs.
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"I"
Added 15 Jun 2013 by a current employee
This is a good place to work at, but the way in which they treat lower staff is not good. Staff is always in fear of dismissal .
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