They expect you to do so much as a CSR I was basically doing manager work as a supervisor. Good job to start at but there’s no room for growth, and I had a good manager.

Was this review helpful?

Fun work environment, okay pay, less then helpful HR tough management/store standerds, easy work

Customer Service Representative (Former Employee) - Kitchener, ON - 30 November 2022

Working at FarmBoy was rewarding for a first time job in highschool, but there was zero room for advancement or pay raise despite a lot of effort from not just myself but most of my team members. Management will say there is opportunity for advancement but that's never the case, and they rarely if ever recognize effort or skill. There are incredibly high standards too (at least at my branch) and there was little room to improve on them as management did not really care for the opinions of their staff. Upper management was the same and despite promoting a team/family culture could not care less about their day to day staff, at least in my experience. There was never any care for the opinions or suggestions given from the people that worked everyday. You will regular be given tasks that should be the job of a supervisor or manager and will not be payed extra or recognized for the work. It's par for the course at FarmBoy.Having said all that, FarmBoy is great on a resume for a first time job and did give me a few good lessons in keeping up standerds and team building. It also made me well aware of how valuable my own work and effort is and gave me some key insights on how to work within a larger team setting. Good place to start, not if your looking for advancement or long term growth.

Pros

Good overall work culture, really easy work, great for building resume/getting a first job

Cons

Zero room for advancement, no support from upper management, little to no room for pay increase, little recognition of effort/hard work

Was this review helpful?

Insights into Farm Boy

Based on 267 survey responses

Areas for improvement

General feeling of work happiness
Sense of belonging
Fair pay for job

Run of the mill experience

Grocery Manager (Current Employee) - Toronto, ON - 25 November 2022

From the outside it seems like a different prospect in the retail field but it’s no different. From day one your thrown into the deep end and expected to swim!

Was this review helpful?

Coworkers in my department were good, management was often not.

Cook (Former Employee) - Cambridge, ON - 21 November 2022

Management was frequently making uninformed and/or unnecessary changes to various aspects of the job, making it difficult at times to keep up with often counter-intuitive changes made by managers who had very little perspective regarding the details of the work being done in the department they were changing. In my experience, not much recognition was given for a job well done, even for other employees who were integral to the regular function of the department I had worked in. Employees who were very passionate about their job and ensured quality in their work were often treated poorly and not given due recognition. However in my experience it was easy enough to be hired if they have a position available, so I found it to be a fairly acceptable entry level position to build job experience with, and had slightly higher pay than comparable minimum wage positions. However I would not recommend prolonged employment as advancement is uncommon, even for passionate, hard working employees (not talking about myself exclusively here, there were multiple hard working people in my department who never saw any level of, what I would personally consider, deserved advancement). Often times it is more important to management that you spend your time inflating their egos than that you know your job well and do quality work. If you do not spend time specifically sucking up to management you will likely not advance in the company or receive much, if any, recognition for putting attention on the quality of your work. Often quantity is valued more than quality, and most of the time they would -

Was this review helpful?

Great for part time employment.

Customer Service Representative (Current Employee) - Barrhaven, ON - 20 November 2022

I wanted a part time job to suppliment my retirement pension. I have been very pleased with the support received from my supervisors and coworkers. I enjoy the fast paced environment because the work day passes quickly. It is a fun and rewarding work place and customers appreciate the clean, organized store. I'm having fun working here and would recommend Farm Boy to anyone looking for part time employment to suppliment your income. The salary is low if someone is seeking full time employment to support their family.

Was this review helpful?

Rate your recent company

Share your experience to help others

Fun environment

Cashier (Former Employee) - Cornwall, ON - 19 November 2022

Worked up front for several years before cycling through some management spots. Great work environment and helpful co-workers! Good training program for cashier's and inclusive for all.

Was this review helpful?

Job is ok

CSR - Customer Service Representative (Current Employee) - Ottawa, ON - 18 November 2022

Not a overly complicated job,night shifts is the best but daytime shift are hectic due to supervisors wanting more from you,they expect top notch expectational job while pay is minimum,understaffed and everything is pushed onto you.definitely not good place to work.

Pros

discount and benefits(health, dental)

Cons

Expect too much from you for minimum pay, under appreciated and no respect

Was this review helpful?

Pain boy

Customer Service Supervisor I (Former Employee) - Guelph, ON - 11 November 2022

Interview I was mislead on position Management has no idea and just didn't communicate and just pushed duties off to someone else.Treat staff rudely and upper management personal will get the better treatmentNo training was thrown to close the front end on my 1st week with no key, override, code to safe, nothing or any closing knowledge on the store.Saying my complaints was told to "Step down" if I couldn't handle it.Super high turnover, saw at least 8+ come and go in the one monthManagers have no care for mental health or well being, care about bottom line and customers before you.

Pros

bakery is good, some people are gems

Cons

management is bad, hours suck, coverage is nonexistent, recognition is lacking, communication is as clear as mud

Was this review helpful?

Face-paced and good hard work for those who can keep up.

Customer Service Representative (Current Employee) - Toronto, ON - 10 November 2022

I currently work in the grocery/dairy department. It's hard work, fast paced but nice. The management is amazing and so are the fellow grocery team. Everyone takes a role in the work and goes with it, pushing new stock and overstock. The customers are decent and take appreciation in the work we do. Plenty hand out compliments and are quite friendly when you ask them if they need help/when you help them. The environment is the best I've worked in and my DM is amazing at working with staff. The store manager and assistant store managers are equally amazing and helpful. Would definitely recommend this place to those who are hunting for good work.

Was this review helpful?

Horrendous Management

Chef department (Former Employee) - Whitby, ON - 10 November 2022

Where to start? Your work days are stressful and constantly being critiqued by angry, overworked, underpaid management. Your work (not difficult by any means but always under-appreciated) is challenging because of the sheer lack of motivation by one’s desire to work there coupled with the fact that employees that have one iota of self respect do not stay much past their orientation date.

Pros

Thank goodness it’s not open 24 hours

Cons

Poorly managed, high turnover rate for employees, toxic workplace

Was this review helpful?

Jobs at Farm Boy

Terrible Management and Pay

Assistant Department Manager (Former Employee) - Ottawa - 8 November 2022

Management are highly incompetent and exist only to micromanage and belittle employees, the expectations are far too high. No bonus, no paid sick daya, stay away. They cab also transfer you at any time.

Pros

none

Was this review helpful?

it was alright

CSR - Customer Service Representative (Former Employee) - Ottawa, ON - 1 November 2022

it was fine not good not bad working as a chef at farmboy with nice co workers often busy but it wasnt a bad job for my first job i didnt get as many shifts as i would have hoped for

Pros

discount

Cons

far from my house

Was this review helpful?

Good first job but wouldn't recommend building a career here.

Customer Service Representative (Current Employee) - Ottawa, ON - 24 October 2022

How much you will enjoy your job is very dependant on what department you are put in. If you are put in chef or meat department then you have the most enjoyable positions in the store, but if you are in any other department then you will not like working there. The job security is very good since they will hang on to everyone even when times are tough for the company financially but if you want to be promoted then that is highly dependant on how good of a job you do and what department you are in. Schedules are very flexible but they seem to poorly distribute the hours in some instances (some employees receive fewer hours than they would like while simultaneously others will receive much more than they would like) also, you will not have consistent hours every week since they always change. The pay here is also quite poor with customer service representatives making minimum wage and supervisors making only about 1.50$ to 2.00$ over the minimum wage which many have told me is not worth it when compared to all the other tasks they must now perform. I do not know for sure how much department managers or store managers are payed but I believe that it is in-between 30,000$ and 60,000$ a year based on rumours I've heard and industry standards. The only people that are actually in a good position when it comes to pay here are high school students since Farm Boy will pay high school students the adult minimum wage instead of the student one which is very good if you are under the age of 18. All in all, Farm Boy is a good first or second job but I wouldn't recommend building a career -

Pros

Excellent Job Security, Flexible Scheduling, hires many high school students, pays students adult minimum wage instead of student minimum wage

Cons

Poor Pay, Poor Hour Distribution (some employees overworked while others underworked), Sometimes change schedules last minute without telling anyone, don't have consistent hours every week

Was this review helpful?

Unorganized, unable to communicate

Line Cook (Current Employee) - Oakville, ON - 20 October 2022

Not the best place to work for a lot of reasons.Unorganized from store manager to managementCommunication and structure wasn’t in placeManagement isn’t full on and won’t train you when you start, it’s more of a throw you in the deep end and see if you can swim type of jobImpossible to get your breaks in when on shift because everyone that was in before you goes on break without telling you.Half the time you are working the section by yourself without help

Was this review helpful?

High expectation for very little pay

Produce Manager (Former Employee) - Guelph, ON - 18 October 2022

Way to much stress and expectation for very little pay and recognition. Lots of unfilled promises to keep you bought in but very clicky and un professional Stay away if you want a job you can actually be proud of and advance in.

Was this review helpful?

Hard work for those that can do it

Kitchen Staff (Current Employee) - Pickering, ON - 16 October 2022

Store very busy at peak times in most/all departments.Hard-working staff putting out product, cooking, lots of cleaning, and efficient cashiers. Daily training/questions and games on employee portal. Staff and management very friendly, helpful and approachable IF you prove yourself and do a good job. Good attitude is a MUST, but most customers so friendly and positive, that this is easy.Scheduling has been good. Lots of hours, and accommodating for students.

Pros

Food, good co-workers, nice customers

Cons

Very busy, can be hard on your back and feet

Was this review helpful?

Pretty great company

Meat Department Manager (Former Employee) - Toronto, ON - 14 October 2022

The pay was pretty good compared to others in the same field. In store management was great, super understanding. Outside management EG specialists made the job more complicated then it needed to be. Over all, I had a good experience there. Only other issue was hours. As a manager, I had to be there for 5 am. As a father, it made making family time sort of difficult.

Pros

Great management team

Cons

Specialists made the job worse then it needed to be

Was this review helpful?

Good for part time

Customer Service Representative (Former Employee) - Toronto, ON - 12 October 2022

Working here part-time is good, and you can maintain a work-life balance. Working full-time as a manager or higher is hard. There is usually always work, so the shift goes by quickly.

Was this review helpful?

Do not work farmboy (college& bay) worst place stay far away run

Cashier (Former Employee) - BAY & COLLEGE TORONTO - 4 October 2022

This is the worst place to work you are treated horrible by everyone stay away your health is important to much for to little disgusting mentality not worth it lots of better places than here worst in the city look else where you are a disposable diaper stay stay far away when you work here you feel as though you are not being treated fair every week new staff constant new staff some come for a day never come back worst place in the City

Was this review helpful?

No work/life balance

Assistant Bakery Manager (Former Employee) - Toronto, ON - 3 October 2022

Before I was hired, management boasted that they really cared about a work life balance. Once hired that went all out the window. I was doing the work of multiple roles, I was told not to take all my breaks and I was told to clock out and continue working FOR FREE because they didn't want me to go over my hours, even though there was more work to to. Also they move you around from location to location without any of your input. Over all not a good place to work. Avoid at all costs.

Was this review helpful?

worse job of my life

Chef (Current Employee) - London, ON - 3 October 2022

don't even waste your time with these place. worse job of my life. lied to me. changed my job without any consideration to my needs. management was actually terrible, rude, entitled people that worked very little. not a nice place at all

Was this review helpful?