Walgreens is found all over the US, providing retail and pharmacies.
The career opportunities are abundant, allowing you to find a position that you qualify for and love.
Knowing both the pros and cons of the job will help you to decide if you want to work for Walgreens and whether it will bring you joy in the long term.
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Pros of Working for Walgreens
You will find that there are various pros to working for Walgreens, which is why they employ so many people across the country.
1. Pay is Competitive
Walgreens is one of the latest chains to say that they will be increasing their starting pay to $15 an hour, making the pay competitive.
If you are hired as a pharmacy tech or another position, you can expect to be paid even more.
Pay is bi-weekly, too, allowing you to count on a standard paycheck twice a month.
Many stores will also offer full-time hours.
2. You Can Choose From Many Locations
Walgreens has locations across all 50 states of the US.
There are over 9,000 locations, making it easy to find one that is near you.
If you move for one reason or another, there is a very good chance that you will be able to transfer to Walgreens in your new city.
This makes it ideal for military spouses as well as for people who want a change of scenery every now and then.
3. You’ll Meet Lots of People
Walgreens will provide you with countless ways to meet new people.
If you are an extrovert, this will be ideal as it will ensure you always have someone to talk to.
You can form relationships with the employees in the store, interact with customers on a regular basis, and even network with some of the different delivery drivers that come into the store daily.
4. Training is Provided
All of the training that you need to do your job is provided.
Walgreens will pay you as you train, teaching you their systems and their way of doing specific jobs.
If you do not have any experience, Walgreens will teach you how to do the job.
As you seek out new positions within the company, the training will continue so that you can excel within your job.
5. Lots of Benefits
Depending on whether you are part-time or full-time, hourly or salaried, you can receive a number of benefits.
This includes the possibility of obtaining health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, and life insurance.
You will learn paid time off and be given access to stock options.
You can save for your retirement using the provided 401(k). Discounts within the store are also provided.
6. Most Jobs Don’t Require a College Degree
Most of the jobs that you will get at Walgreens will not require a college degree.
In some instances, you do not even need to have graduated high school yet.
The training will provide you with everything that you need to know.
It allows you to get started in a career right away – and the company promotes from within.
It can save you a lot of money by not needing to pay for tuition.
Even store managers do not need a college degree.
7. Raises are Annual
There are yearly reviews provided on all employees.
This is what will determine the amount of your annual raise.
As you prove your worth, you can see your hourly wage or salary increase every single year.
Of course, additional raises happen throughout the year if you are promoted from one position to another.
If you have the desire to move up, make sure the company knows so that they can contact you about new opportunities.
8. Discounts are Substantial
Walgreens provides employees with substantial discounts.
You will receive 25% off a wide variety of Walgreens-branded products.
You will also receive 15% off of many of the national brands that are stocked within the stores.
Additionally, select days may give you even larger discounts of up to 40%.
This can help to offset any lower pay that you may earn within your position.
9. Makes for an Excellent Resume
When you have Walgreens as an employer on your resume, it helps to build recognition.
People already know that Walgreens is a large grocery store and pharmacy.
It can also show that you are willing to work in a diverse workplace, provide superior customer service, and take on a number of different tasks throughout the day.
10. Management Cares
Countless people who have worked for Walgreens over the years say the same thing – management truly cares about its employees.
This includes both store managers as well as district managers.
They want to make sure that you are happy, and they provide training throughout the year in order to enhance your skills and improve relations between employees.
Cons of Working for Walgreens
Many of the cons will vary by location, so it is a good idea to know what you might have to endure when you work for Walgreens.
Additionally, you should know what job you are seeking and what the individual requirements are for that position.
1. Some Locations are Closing
There are some areas of the country where Walgreens sales have dropped.
As such, the corporation has made the decision to close locations that have not been profitable.
If you work for a location that is closing, you may find yourself out of a job – especially if there is no nearby location or there is no room at one of the other locations.
2. Schedule Changes are Common
It is not uncommon for you to have changes in your schedule – and much of this depends on the needs of the company as well as the number of employees that are available.
Many employees complain that their schedules change from week to week, making it hard to plan and achieve a desirable work-life balance.
With the 24-hour locations, your schedules may even place you with back-to-back shifts of working the night and the day with little time off in between.
3. Work Can Be Boring
Some of the work that is done inside of a Walgreens can be boring and monotonous.
You may find yourself spending all day unpacking boxes.
Another day can be spent scanning items at the register over and over again.
Even in the pharmacy, the job can seem tedious over the course of an eight-hour shift.
While there are plenty of things to do to stay busy within the store, none of them are very exciting.
4. Customers Can Be Rude
You will be in a customer-centric business when you work for Walgreens.
Every position that you could hold within the store will involve you interacting with the public.
Some people are rude and self-entitled.
They will look down on you because of where you work.
They will make demands that you cannot accommodate.
And they will be rude when you cannot provide what they want or do so in a timely fashion.
It can make it difficult to overcome the stress and return for another day on the job.
5. There’s High Employee Turnover
Not everyone is cut out for working at Walgreens.
They will take the job as a temporary solution.
As soon as they do not like something, they will quit.
This can be problematic because the high employee turnover can lead to longer shifts and more stress for you.
You may also find yourself spending more time training new employees knowing that they will not last very long.
6. There’s a Heavy Focus on Profitability
Sometimes, it will seem that the company focuses more on profitability than anything else.
They will want to make sure that the shelves are stocked with the brands that are paying the most for merchandising, not necessarily what is in high demand or what the customers are asking for.
It can lead to a lot of frustration when you are the one telling customers why what they want is not available.
7. Displays are Constantly Changing
The displays in Walgreens are constantly changing for one reason or another – seasonal, new vendors, or because of vendor agreements.
This can require you to spend a significant amount of time removing the old displays and putting up new ones – all the while doing all of the other tasks that you are supposed to complete within your shift.
8. There’s a Lot of Stress
Many employees identify Walgreens as being a highly stressful environment.
Much of this comes from locations being short-staffed, requiring employees to take on more than what they were hired for.
You may find that there are long lines of customers that you need to serve.
In some instances, you may find yourself working the cash register, the photo department, and keeping the shelves stocked all within a single shift.
Pros and Cons of Working at Walgreens – Summary Table
| Pros and Cons of Working at Walgreens | Cons of Working for Walgreens |
|---|---|
| 1. Pay is Competitive | 1. Some Locations are Closing |
| 2. You Can Choose From Many Locations | 2. Schedule Changes are Common |
| 3. You’ll Meet Lots of People | 3. Work Can Be Boring |
| 4. Training is Provided | 4. Customers Can Be Rude |
| 5. Lots of Benefits | 5. There’s High Employee Turnover |
| 6. Most Jobs Don’t Require a College Degree | 6. There’s a Heavy Focus on Profitability |
| 7. Raises are Annual | 7. Displays are Constantly Changing |
| 8. Discounts are Substantial | 8. There’s a Lot of Stress |
| 9. Makes for an Excellent Resume | |
| 10. Management Cares |
Should You Work for Walgreens?
Working for Walgreens is met with both pros and cons, which vary depending on the position.
Some employees have stayed with the company for over 10 years while others work for them for only a short while.
You will want to visit the location before you accept a job to see how happy and friendly the employees are.
This way, you can accept a job with confidence knowing that you will enjoy working there.
Working at Walgreens has been a rewarding experience for me. The team-oriented environment and the chance to interact with diverse customers daily have truly enhanced my customer service skills.
I’m planning to apply at Walgreens and I think I am going to give it a go. I appreciate you sharing this post, it really helped me decide if I would just cancel the interview or not.
Walgreens not only cares about its customers but also its employees. The company’s commitment to employee development through training programs and career advancement support is truly impressive. I’m proud to be part of the Walgreens family!