For those who have left the company, either through a RIF or voluntarily, how do you find the salaries/benefits in the supplier community in NWA as compared with Walmart? I have to admit that the compensation package at Walmart is a key reason I and many fellow associates have not pulled the trigger. I realize this varies by specialty, and my field is a notoriously low paying one, so YMMV. Interested in hearing feedback from folks in a variety of disciplines.
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If you google CPG companies you will get the names, from there do a google search to find those who have an office in either Bentonville, Rogers, or Fayetteville. I don't think there are any in Springdale, other than Tyson, I might be wrong. Either go to the company website and look for positions in the NWA area, or look on LinkedIn. Some of the bigger offices will have some IT and finance people, all will have sales and sales support, including analytics, insights, and administrative assistants. With the eCommerce push there are some who want web developers, and marketing people. The good news, many of the skills needed at Walmart are transferable to vendor companies, not to mention all the valuable insights you'll have!
Another avenue to try is take a look at the companies Walmart works with who do in-store merchandising: Premium, Acosta, Anderson, Crossmark and SAS Retail. They employ a variety for people who understand retail operations, in addition to other roles to keep their businesses running.
I hope this is helpful. If nothing else, it is always proactive to get a feel for other jobs available where you live. No one should let the Walmart stuff get them down, take back the control and leave on your own terms :-)
I took a 20% pay cut to leave, BUT my insurance and retirement benefits are much better. Most importantly, I work a normal 40 hour schedule, leave my work at the office when I go home, I'm treated like a human being and not a cog in a machine, and I have more vacation time.
It was more than worth the 20% pay cut, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Look up the studies showing a diminishing return of happiness over a certain level of income. For me, I've found it to be true.
@alj good post - thank you... Good info.
What area are you all in?? We need some hints to find a new job please help
Alj,
Good to know. It's hard to make that jump, but I feel like more people are working towards getting out.
I can only speak for some of the bigger vendor companies. If you go to work for a Fortune 50 CPG company the pay and benefits (i.e., healthcare) are much better than Walmart, especially for people in sales, or if you do complex data analytics (data scientist). The environment and culture of these companies are so much better than Walmart, it's like day and night. Walmart has a very fearful culture where people spend an inordinate amount of time playing CYA. The vendor environment is so much more professional and innovative, with none of the stupid mind games.
Walmart is known to work their people to death and to have understaffed departments, it isn't this way at the vendor companies. CPG companies in the NWA area tend to put their best people here to work on the Walmart business, so if you go to work for one, you'll find yourself working with smart people. Too, these are people from all over the U.S., which is especially nice if you aren't native to this area, you'll be with people you can relate to. Most of all, people are genuinely happy, and they celebrate victories.
I would encourage people to find a role with a CPG vendor, you'll find it like a breath of fresh air. The offices too are very nice with windows, nice furnishings, and parking, nothing like the awful Home Office interiors. The following sentiment has been true for me, "the worst day at my vendor job is better than my best day at Walmart."
It's comparable for similar work at least in my area....without all the extra stress due to unreasonable expectations, too much work, limited resources and unwillingness of anyone to make a decision for fear of getting in trouble.