Don't Bother - High in Politics, Low in Honest Communication - Anonymous employee New Balance Employee Review

2.0
10 Dec 2020
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Many of the people who work there are nice, hardworking, and fun. Many of the pre-COVID company events were fun and the benefits are some of the most competitive of any U.S. company.

Cons

Communication between teams is severely lacking, causing confusion and resentment between groups. The communication that does make it to most associates is focused on what executives think is important and shows no understanding of the reality for the employees. Obviously executives perform different functions than other employees, but no effort is made to see the impact of their large-scale decisions. High level managers almost never visited my department or talked to people who worked there. Temporary associates and their managers were allowed to believe they had almost guaranteed full time slots on the team but were later told that this was not the case, after some individuals had been with the company over a year. In St. Louis, favoritism is rampant. I saw several people promoted to management positions, or have positions created just for them, with no interview process being followed. This resulted in people being placed in roles they were not qualified for. For my department this meant systems critical to our functions did not work for years and common sense initiatives could not move forward. The favoritism has led to a high degree of politicking. To get anything done it is necessary either to cozy up to someone and gain their favor over others, or spend weeks to months badgering them to offer help even on easy items. There have been many recent layoffs, including just before Christmas. Management and HR will not provide any information about the future of organizational changes, eroding trust.

Explore other reviews about New Balance

5.0
8 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great employee discounts, friendly staff, and great management.

Cons

Salesy tactics and very slow during winter season.

5.0
5 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

New Balance has genuinely been the most positive workplace experience I've had in my career. The culture is supportive, inclusive, and full of great people. People are kind, curious, collaborative, and truly invested in helping others succeed. There is no sense of hierarchy for hierarchy's sake. Leadership is approachable, down-to-earth, always happy to listen, and continuously expresses gratitude for everyone's contributions. I feel valued everyday, both for my contributions and in the way the teams collaborate. Work-life balance is also a real strength. Being privately-held and family-owned, there is a real emphasis on employees being people outside of work. Expectations are clear and boundaries are respected, which makes it easy to bring your best self to work without feeling burnt out. It's rare to find a place where you feel this appreciated and excited about the work. And because of this, I feel motivated to do my best for the company, especially when the product is something I'm super proud to work on.

Cons

NB is not where you can expect to be promoted year over year. However, this ultimately leads to more job security, consistent large bonus pay-outs, and a more stable environment.

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