Toxic culture and low pay - Education Manager Sephora Employee Review

1.0
Sep 1, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Growth options - worked my way up from part time through the store ranks and into corporate. That said the politics of getting a role in corporate are wild and like many others it took me multiple attempts. Store teams can feel like a family.

Cons

Over the 8.5 years I worked there, I saw so much favoritism both in terms of promotions and what was swept under rugs for some while others were written up or fired. Those who played the game were promoted. If you leave, people turn on you like you committed a crime. It’s actually wild. Corporate was very catty. They create a cult-like culture where you feel as though you can’t leave because nothing will ever be as great as the dream they sell/you will never find a good job with other beauty brands - that said, they pay so ridiculously low and try to make it seem like gratis from brands is part of your “total compensation”. The pay vs the hours is brutal. The hours are absurdly long for no reason and the job while worthwhile for happy clients is grueling. Work life balance doesn’t exist. Inexperienced people in roles - so many head office folks are promoted from the stores and have no experience or expertise in the role and it really shows. Pay is brutally low. I was a manager for many years, was denied an increase when promoted to head office. Left and doubled my salary immediately.

Explore other reviews about Sephora

5.0
Jun 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Support, Benefits, Growth, Community, & Skillfulness

Cons

Pay, Customers, Hours, Uniforms, & Management at times

3.0
Mar 18, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Loved learning more about products and working with most of the other team members. Helping people find products that worked for them was really fun.

Cons

Managers are WEIRD. They play favorites and will talk about it while you are standing right there. Practically make you beg for hours. If you are anything other than the current viral makeup style look, you will get less opportunities. Leadership acts like mean high school girls. Working here took away a lot of my passion for the beauty industry for a long time. Also, when it comes to gratis - why are you letting certain managers walk out with 4 bags of things that they have hand picked? Then leaving whatever they discarded to be handed out??? Constantly had missing gratis from my bag because of managers going through the products they wanted. Scheduling is not flexible or even makes sense. Whoever they like gets better shifts. Would constantly have extra shifts added with no notice until an hour before the shift. Or shifts taken away because a favorite wanted them.

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