Lidl reviews

3.4

58% would recommend to a friend

(8,070 total reviews)

Kenneth McGrath

73% approve of CEO

49% positive business outlook

Lidl has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 8,070 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Lidl employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Einzel- & Großhandel industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

8K reviews
1.0
Jan 6, 2017

Misery Loves Company

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

This company, specifically. A lot of time and money has been spent on Lidl US, but despite the claims of its "start-up" status and the polished exterior it presents, the company culture has morphed into a bizarre mash-up of the worst of European business practices and lengthy American work hours. Expect an emphasis on time-in-seat and superficial appearances over work quality. There were a few upsides, of course: -Great benefits, even for the DC area -Competitive compensation at the managerial level and above -A few great people to work with

Cons

Unfortunately, none of these things begin to counter the self-defeating informal policies of nepotism, sexism, and (occasional) racism. Prospective employees at Lidl US have been passed over for hiring due to the following reasons: -They were married -They were overweight -They had mentioned family obligations or an ill relative who they provided care for -They had children It would behoove prospective applicants to review the demographics of Lidl US' senior management and Board of Directors before making any serious commitments. The sheer number of smart, hard-working, and optimistic people who have wound up crying in a bathroom stall because of workplace toxicity at this company is entirely too high.

1.0
Oct 4, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- They promote from within - Great exposure to the world's largest case study of how not to do things - If you're looking for a new job, Lidl is a great networking opportunity of like-minded individuals also looking for new jobs - Good pay & benefits for people with little or no experience - Great background material for aspiring sit-com writers - Many of your colleagues will be absolutely outstanding, great people ground down by horrible management practices and the ceaseless promotion of incompetent people - Most of the current Europeans in Real Estate/Construction are highly talented, dedicated and knowledgable though sometimes lack context and genuine appreciation for the US - Working at Lidl is like drinking kombucha or having a colonic: when it's over, you'll feel amazing

Cons

- They only promote from within - Almost guaranteed your boss will know less than you and be threatened by that, but be too inexperienced to leverage your talents - Check your dignity at the door, you will be humiliated in front of external parties, constantly - Never have I been so embarrassed to tell people where I work - Severely and systemically under-resourced - If you work in real estate, make sure to bring your crayons, you'll be needing them

1.0
Jan 5, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good pay and benefits, free company vehicle/gas/insurance/maintenance that you can use for personal use, some decent coworkers, looks good on resume, very stable industry and very financially strong company.

Cons

I could write a novel on downsides to working at Lidl US. Poor management, lack of values/morals/ethics, an extreme culture (negative). To give an example of how the company worked: While an employee, I made a formal complaint about unethical activities by upper management of the real estate department. The unethical activity was widely known, but no one wanted to report it out of fear of retribution. I reported it through HR, met with them and the legal team, and both thought it was a major issue. Rather than investigate and check on examples and names I gave, they were forced to sweep it under the rug by the European members of the team. I resigned, but had I not, there is no doubt in my mind I would have been fired. Another example - with no cause or discussions/notification, my title was changed. Goes to show they don't consider what they are doing or how it affects people, they just see it as an opportunity to make a change that they can quantify and write down to look good on their file ("I changed the title of 28 employees, promote me"). I am a former member of the military, and I can tell you this company was run with more fear motivation than the military. Think a huge man screaming in your face is fear motivation? No, Lidl's method was to threaten you anytime you thought outside their box or made even the smallest mistake. Numerous employees were given dreaded HR performance reviews after making mistakes as small as spelling and grammar mistakes in internal memos and emails. This is due to inexperienced management with no leadership skills. As other reviews state - upper management is made up of Europeans with no idea how things work in the US, and an American or two with no idea what they are doing. The only way to climb the ladder is to do exactly what you are told (even if it is unethical/wrong/just plain stupid) and keep your own knowledge, experience, and ideas to yourself.

Viewing 19 - 21 of 8,070 Reviews

Glassdoor has 16,210 Lidl reviews submitted anonymously by Lidl employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Lidl is right for you.