retail sales associate

deputy manager

cleaner

stocking associate

order picker

ALDI

My experience working for Aldi was at the store in musselburgh(yes the one that was on TV for terrible managment). Although I was meant to be going to the store in Tranent I never got the chance, the time limits are ridiculous, the managment is terrible whilst I was working there the other staff or atleast  A large portion of them would sit on there phones in the warehouse whilst I was expected to do ridiculous amounts of work. I sometimes due to the extreme time limits (30 seconds per case) was not able to complete these so there was a time or 2 when i failed a "test" given to me on the picklist, although I have been told by 3! members off staff that the pick lists dont matter and that no one does them properly and to add to this i actually had one of the staff members infront of me speaking to a manager telling him that apprently "he dosent do picklists" in a manner that he was expecting the manager to not care. The managers literally have no idea what they are doing or how to train staff properly although I had been complimented several times on my work and received multiple good feedback forms from the store manager, I still never got kept on past my probation period( just after christmas), they used me for the extra graft that they needed and I bet they are devastated that now that im gone they are actually going to have to do some work no really that must be soul destroying. I could go on and on and on and on but the point is its not a good place to work its a graft which was my favourite part about the job besides the decent pay but being the new under trained employee having to remind managers of infant level simpleness is beyond a joke and having to literally do all the work. they would constantly make my shifts 3-11:00 at night and then 5:00(in the morning) -afternoon the next again day which they arent allowed to do yet again had to remind the managers. I never got paid the first month and my payment after being on the phone several times arrived almost 2 weeks later.
Also one of my colleges( who they prefered socially) accidently sold someone who was underage alcohol and got caught and charged for it merley got a slap on the wrist and moved to a better functioning store( by the way is it was...TRANENT) the store i was meant to be at in the first place i literally got no notice of my should we say dismissal it was literally on the same time when i had shift on the rota for another 3 weeks and they have meant to give you 4 weeks notice but the point was i was just glad to be out of that place. The staff constantly talk behind each others backs including managers who done so right infront of me knowing i wasent that time and wouldnt say anything or get involved. Everyone there was selfish and ignorant as they come. they would advice me that blocking fire exits was okay as well as many other strategies that went against aldi's polices. It is good pay although the shift pattern are terrible and from what i heard from my colleges chances are you wont get paid right, its always under or over and then gets added or subtracted over the period of 3 months and you dont get paid for days the store closes( while i was there the roof collapsed because the stores roof is leaking and tiles were falling everywhere so i missed a weeks work and never got paid for it because of average 3 months(secret aldi code for (*ull*hit)  basically your not getting paid) because its meant to do with the amount of hours you work but I almost always never got the hours that were given to me they would change them without my notice expecting my magic powers to be able to see into the future lol, I wouldnt be in the store in the periood of time where they had changed my shifts. You get a 20 minute break which is okay, although the managers literally do f all i would walk in the office after politley knocking to see them having a gossip and sitting on facebook consistently. Although ALDI's policies can be ridiculous along side un-human time limits its probably not the worst place in the world to work I believe its more to do with the specific store I was working at and pepole I know had given me good feeback about Tranents store when I asked but if your applying for the musselburgh store i wouldnt bother but then again 3 of the managers are getting the sack because I seen there jobs on s1jobs for musselburgh store so happy days go ahead and change up that place but good luck disipling the a hole staff because thats just impossible the only good grafter they had they got rid of for at times, being dragged in and joining there terrible, backwards methods and ridiculous posture.

Shift patterns at Aldi typically go one of two ways: 05:00-15:00, or 12:00-whenever.

If you work a closing shift, you will never leave at the time you are meant to. There have been times where I have worked 11, nearly 12 hour shifts (especially during Christmas time) on a 30 minute break, and there is no consideration taken towards the closing team. If you're a person down you're just going to have to make it work, no matter what. If a single thing is out of place then the pre-shift huddle the next day will be entirely about how awful your team did yesterday and how the shop was left in a state. They do not care if you're one, two, or even three people down. Little to no effort is made to try and get cover for these shifts, but this only applies for the closing shift. If you're opening you'll never be down, and if you are don't worry! You're still garunteed to start and leave at a specific time. On the closing shift finishing at the rota'd time (22:15) is a rarity and a luxury.

If you want work life balance at Aldi get on the morning shift. If you can't? Be prepared to work a shift you have no idea the length of, leaving at a time you do not know, because if you do try and leave "early" (when your shift is meant to end) you're painted as a bad guy and working against the team, despite putting in the hours asked of you and trying to leave at a time which isn't 11pm or midnight.

Deputy managers rarely if ever work an evening shift, and when they do they always leave early at 8pm because they start their shift tomorrow at 10am - despite being rota'd until 10pm with the rest of us they fail to see why they need to stay with the lowly store assistants and assistant managers. Multiple times we have had a deputy manager leave us with the store in an awful state and half of the management duties unfinished because they started at 10am and finished at 8pm the next day. There was even a time when our night Deputy manager had the cheek to finish at 7:45pm, because they had clocked in at 9:45am despite leaving *two hours earlier* than they were meant to the night before.

Any attempts to flag this with management usually leads to a shrug with a "this is how Aldi's always been" comment. Assistant managers are powerless to do anything in this situation, because if they call in a single member of staff to cover a shift where we're 2 down without prior approval they get in trouble. The deputy managers and store manager don't see any need for cover when evening shift members have covid, but will move heaven and earth to get cover from other stores when the morning shift is fully staffed but is missing one of the two extra people it wanted to help work delivery.

All staff members need to work a morning shift, so I know how hard this shift is. I'm sure if morning shift started at 5am and then had no idea when they were going to leave they'd be understandably upset at the evening shift for not pulling their weight. Yet, at the moment, we have morning shift staff being sent home early when sales are down, only for sales to pick up at the end of the night, the store to be an absolute state, and 4 members of staff having to stay behind an extra hour and a half to tidy.

Work morning shift or do not work here. They only care about the morning shift, and would rather see evening shift stay behind extra hours to barely clean the store to standard than hire extra evening staff members so we can all be treated fairly.

ALDIs ethos that they explained to me at the interview is “Aldi expects a lot, but it gives a lot back in return”. Half of that is true. At the time of writing Aldi pays £11/hr for a store assistant- the same as or slightly less than all other supermarkets and only 58p above minimum wage in the UK - and they make you work incredibly hard for that 58p, believe me. Aldi boasts of being the only supermarket to offer paid breaks but they’re the bare minimum- 30 minutes for a ten hour shift- and believe me you will never have a job where you need your breaks as much as you do there. It is also the only supermarket that doesn’t offer a store discount to it’s employees, so you probably work out with less money in your pocket than someone who works at Asda (with a 20% store discount), yet you’re doing about six times the workload of the typical Asda employee. You’re always pushed to do more and made to feel absolutely useless if you struggle with anything- even if you’re new. The times you’re expected to complete tasks within are ridiculous and they don’t allow for any mistakes whilst they expect you to work at lightening speed. Working here has seriously lowered my self esteem as I do feel completely inadequate, which as someone who has always done well in any employment I have undertaken and generally been in good favour with all my previous managers and colleagues, I find this verging on cruel at times. 

Aldi makes you responsible for your own health and safety- they tell you the perfunctory “ bend from your knees not your back”, “Don’t lift two crates at once”, however implement time restrictions upon you that are so tight that you’re forced to breach health and safety regulations to complete them within the time frame. I’ve never had a bad back all my life yet suffered from lower back pain within three to four weeks of working here. Also once you start meeting your times they will actively encourage you to start beating them, “Always push yourself for more” is what my manager told me once I finally started meeting my times, as I stood there with scratches and bruises up my arms and an aching back. Why though? For £11/hour raising to £11.40/hour next month when minimum wage is £10:42, why knacker my back for an extra 98p? I don’t understand what I’m getting that’s so good in return. 

Their idea of training you is throwing you in the deep-end and seeing if you sink or swim. If you need extra training on something you’re made to feel like a massive failure. I’m sure there are many people who are perfectly employable and hardworking that haven’t made it past their trial period at this company. Little do they know they’re actually the lucky ones!

You’re always pushed for more and more, you never really get any positive feedback- if you don’t hear anything back from your managers you can assume that you’re doing a good job. The minute you put a hair out of place believe me you will be told and made to feel as lowly as possible about it. 

All in all working here has lowered my self esteem, damaged my neck and back and I’m still as poor as the next shop worker. I’m not sure what people get out of working here, but I’m certainly not staying to find out. Your mental and physical health is worth more than the extra [soon to be] 98p an hour above minimum wage you will be earning. 


I’ve been with the company 8 years and worked in 6 different stores. I took 7.5 years to get promoted and when I was given the role of DSM I was given a set of keys told ‘off you go’ and I was working closes without first aid training. Pallet times are a thing and if you’re not working at 100mph you will drown. If you haven’t got the foresight to run the tills properly you’ll struggle to feel like you’re doing a good job, even though you are trying. It’s all too easy to make mistakes when opening and closing tills as you’re expected to have eyes in the back of your head as well as having a brush up there while you work. Training is none existent and the workload has become greater and greater and the amount of hours they put into a day doesn’t equate for a realistic work speed. You need to be fast and some days it’s hard to find the energy, especially when you’re on a descending shift pattern with 11 hours to rest between shifts. If you can’t put out 12 pallets of produce in a morning in the space of two hours, you’re going to struggle and the day begins on the back foot and managers will make it known by being passive aggressive. Lots of managers spend their time in the office and some, not many, actually get involved with the workload. It depends on store to store and it’s the luck of the draw. I’ve worked for some incredibly supportive and hard working managers and I’ve worked with managers that spend hours in the back doing very little… one manager used to make a point of saying he deserves the extra time in the canteen because he cuts corners putting produce out in the morning and uses that as a flex to other staff - resulting in poor availability upto working backstocks in the afternoon with products going off sale. 
What I’ve learned as a DSM is that you need to be able to be the store manager as you are expected to run the store when others aren’t there in higher roles. Each store, there are no more than 3 higher ups so get learning quick as some of them just make up their hours as they go along and come in way later than the rota says. I can’t speak for all managers but my experience has taught me to put yourself first and if you have a good reason to not complete a task make sure it’s not your fault. Usually if you can’t complete a task it’s because the wheels are off to begin - just one person calling in sick will completely ruin the day. I’m in the market for a new job from years of wear and tear. 
We have had a few pay rises in the last year which is somewhat making me feel trapped as I need an easier job for my own physical well being but increasingly becoming more difficult to leave as retention has been very poor. The new generation coming in too is extremely difficult to train as a lot of them still live at home and don’t have the responsibility of paying bills. Recruitment has wained and common sense seems to be a thing of the past. Since covid (which was horrendous having to work through while many received furlough) customers have become intolerable and the demand and neediness is on another level. Aldi must do better as a company to bring an end to 11 hour gaps between shifts and toxic behaviour should be exposed. 

Very hard work, thought I was prepared for it as I've always done physical jobs but this is something else! Pulling large pallets of tins, at least 5ft high around at 4am in the morning is HARD! Having half an hour target to work each pallet is HARD, it's doable but you cannot keep up that pace hour after hour. Warehouse is health and safety hazard, no room for stock constantly having to move things around just to get your pallet out, freezer and chiller exactly the same which can make the job very stressful. 
Some shifts can be on the chiller (fridge) all day, constantly putting stock out non stop, can be very demanding especially on busiest days.
Can be on a till for 10hrs, very draining and hurts your legs and back, target for scanning is 1100 per hour but it's easy done if you don't get annoying customers packing at the till. 
The staff who are rubbish at doing deliveries and putting stock out get to sit on a till all day, they don't have to do any of the hard graft but get paid the same. You get half an hour paid break if doing 8/10 hours but sometimes you can work 6hrs before getting it. 

The hours are not all bad it's just the shift patterns they give you, sometimes you can finish at 10.30pm and be back in next day at 10am. 
4am starts getting the deliveries done for before the store opens is very tough. Holidays are hard to get, no holidays allowed in December and you can't book weekends as holiday, you are expected to use some of your holiday in January. 

Everyone thinks it's good pay, the starting rate in our store is £8.85 an hour but taking in consideration the amount of work you have to do; it's not that good. I've had easier jobs and been paid more. 

Aldi have become very popular in the last couple of years, changing the quality of their products as resulted in a massive increase in customers but they haven't changed the way the stores are run, keeping up with demand is almost impossible, they need to reinvent the way they are run.
The store I'm in really struggles with the demand. 

Management not too bad as they all have to pull their weight, but they get very stressed under the pressure of having to get stock out on shop floor, trying to organise warehouse in time for next delivery and having targets to hit. 
Store manager doesn't really have time for you, doesnt have time to get to know about you personally. you'll get your one to one updates every couple of months as that's protocol but what gets said in them gets forgotten about. 

Team spirit is good, everyone tries to pull together because we are all under the same pressure, banter over headsets is good, makes the time spent there easier, we're almost like a big family. 
Even new starters settle in quickly and become part if the team easily.
This is one of the main reasons why I stay.

Training... what's that? There's a lot to learn and you get shown once and pretty much have to learn yourself or pick up from other colleagues the best way to do things. 

Would I recommend working here? Only if you don't like routine in your working hours and are prepared to work like your doing a gym workout.
Be prepared for hellish customers who forget they are shopping in Aldi and expect the same set up as m&s.
There's good job security because they struggle to get staff.

Working for some big companies has become a dilemma, you get a lot of training and when you start to perform your duties, in practice you realize that everything you have learned in your training needs to be "adapted" to the conditions and mode of operation of each store. Unfortunately, in some stores it works like this: The harder and faster you work, the more work is done for you, and do not think that this is a way to congratulate you on your excellent job or the outcome of a future promotion that is coming, this is just the unfair distribution of work where work is not equal for everyone, in my experience, in the period I worked it was not. What makes it more stressful, and unpleasant at the work of a store assistant in some stores are some "managers" that make their life and work harder than they really should be. Fortunately, there are good professionals and examples of management excellence who give you all the support and support to try and make your work environment as pleasant and enjoyable as possible, and I am very grateful to all of them. I find it ironic that while you are working and active, you have access to the entire system where you can check the hours you worked, your pay slip, your route, and have access to other information and support that are very important, but when for some reason (serious and very important reasons) you decide to leave the company, immediately begin the problems. You no longer have access to the hours you worked, your pay slip, any support or information that can verify that you were paid correctly for the hours worked, that's what happened to me. I received my payment on January 28 for the month of December and some additional (remainder) of November and the days and hours that I worked in January did not receive any penny. I do not have access to the hours that I can only check in the company's system, I do not have access to my pay slip to check the hours, (luckily I took a print of my last pay slip in December before being blocked in the system) and the worst I have been trying to resolve the issue since January 28, and until now nothing, thankfully I received some support and help from the management where I worked, but the help is also limited for reasons of hierarchy and bureaucracy. It is ironic that while you are working, you receive a satisfaction survey as an employee to respond and send, but in fact you should also do this research when the employee leaves the company, which in my point of view is much more important. Now I will continue my journey to receive what is mine by right, my payment of my hours worked in January, Holiday and everything I believe I am entitled to, which is very difficult when the company for whom you worked hard, and made a good job and I'm pretty sure I did, it seems like they do not care about you after you no longer work for them. From my point of view, the company remains accountable and tied to you until you receive your payment in full and resolve any issues you have with you. For me, this is a lack of respect, consideration and professionalism. I am very disappointed with this situation and will expose so that everyone knows and is aware of it. It is worth noting that this is not the first time this has happened.

Having passed the group assessment, maths test and one-to-one interview. I was practically told that I had the job, I just needed to see if the job was right for me through the attendance of a store experience (lasting two hours). 

However, after the completion of the store experience I was than emailed to say that I was unsuccessful. And that I wasn’t even worthy of any feedback to why I wasn’t successful at this stage due to the large volume of applications... I found this to be ridiculous considering that I had travelled to the Mapperley Aldi three times, and worked for two hours. And they couldn’t even spare five minutes of there time to provide me with some feedback...

In addition to this I got a parking ticket as I was over the 2 hour time limit on my store experience day. Consequently, this meant that I had to travel to the store on another two occasions to try and sort the issue out! And I am still not sure if they have even bothered to sort it!!! 

The whole application process is a joke! And to be told you have the job and then emailed that you haven’t is ridiculous. 

It’s a real shame that I wasted my valuable time in applying and progressing through the application stages. I do not understand why the application process is so long and why you are expected to work for free for 2 hours... Afterall the job is a retail assistant and this role isn’t hard/ doesn’t take long to learn and adopt to!!! 

I will not be applying for any other future job roles with Aldi, as I believe the company is a joke. The regional manager and store staff when I was present put on an unrealistic/ untrue performance and lied to my face. To then disregard me by not providing me any feedback, and taking forever to sort my parking ticket. 

If that’s how they treat their potential future employees, I believe I had a Lucky escape... as it seemed like most staff was back stabbing which isn’t a working environment I would want to work in. 

All I can say for future individuals applying for Aldi, is not to believe everything you are told by the regional and assistant managers as it is lies. Not only this if you do manage to get to the process of a store experience. I personally wouldn’t drive as you will get a parking ticket and it takes forever to sort it out (not sure if mine is still sorted). 

This experience was sitatued at the Mapperley Aldi, so hopefully this is a segregated negative experience from other Aldi stores. Just be very sceptical of the application process, and if they say you have the job don’t invest to much time into this/ believing you have until you sign the paperwork....

I had the pleasure of working as a cashier at Aldi, and I can genuinely say that it was a truly fulfilling experience. Aldi's commitment to excellence, employee well-being, and customer satisfaction made it a remarkable place to work.

First and foremost, the work environment at Aldi was exceptional. From day one, I was greeted by friendly and supportive colleagues who made me feel like a valuable part of the team. The management team was approachable, attentive, and always ready to provide guidance whenever needed. They fostered an atmosphere of respect, collaboration, and continuous learning, which greatly contributed to my personal and professional growth.

Aldi's dedication to employee well-being was evident in various ways. They offered competitive compensation and benefits packages, including flexible working hours that accommodated employees' individual needs. The company also prioritized work-life balance, encouraging us to take breaks and providing a supportive culture that valued our overall well-being. Regular team-building activities and recognition programs further emphasized the company's commitment to employee satisfaction and engagement.

As a cashier, I had the opportunity to interact with a diverse range of customers, and I was consistently impressed by the emphasis Aldi placed on customer satisfaction. The company provided comprehensive training to ensure that cashiers were well-versed in product knowledge, effective communication, and problem-solving. Additionally, Aldi invested in modern and efficient point-of-sale systems, which streamlined transactions and enhanced the overall customer experience. The emphasis on exceptional customer service extended beyond the cash register, as all employees were encouraged to go above and beyond to exceed customer expectations.

One aspect that stood out to me was Aldi's commitment to community involvement. The company actively participated in local charity events and initiatives, demonstrating a genuine dedication to giving back to the community. It was truly inspiring to work for a company that prioritized making a positive impact beyond its commercial endeavors.

Overall, my time as a cashier at Aldi was immensely rewarding. The supportive work environment, emphasis on employee well-being, customer-centric approach, and commitment to community involvement all contributed to an exceptional experience. I would highly recommend Aldi to anyone seeking a fulfilling and enriching work environment.

I started off as a store assistant in August and handed my notice in today not even reaching 3 months because it's absolutely diabolical. Before I started the job I made it clear that I never worked in retail in my life, never managed a till or money, I also explained that I am very slow with numbers and counting. Everything I explained during my interview was ignored. I was told off or abruptly given the right advice in a humilitating way in front of the general public. I had to fight for my holidays that I already had booked off before I joined Aldi which ALL jobs have to honor. Unfortunately I fell for the picture they painted of joining Aldi which they did a great job at doing. Even on their website and during the interview they enforce how the job works around YOUR life which is a massive lie. I've had to basically beg others to cover my shifts for hospital appointments or call in sick just to attend them. People were asking behind my back what my hospital appoints were for, trying to breach private information. From my very first day I always over heard staff who had been there either a few months or years mention that they hate it there, and that they recommend us to find something else sharpish as the conditions are terrible. I learnt that after 1 week. 

You were trained on everything ONCE. Having come from Forklift instructing to retail which I have never done before, once wasn't enough for me and when I kept asking questions (which staff members kept telling you to do is always ask) I had an assistant manager get very funny with me and was very rude. 

The pay was the only bonus, but you're paid to cut corners and completely ignore health and safety. Which in my life time I stick to health and safety by every page in the book. You're expected to climb on top of products such as cans or boxes to unload items quicker. You're not issued any tools or hand safety equipment. You're told NOT to wear steel toe capped boots regardless of the warehouse environment where you hurt your toes a lot. When there are deliveries I sometimes stood there completely lost as everyone is rushing around shouting and swearing at each other as it's pure chaos. 

Long story short, if you're a workaholic who absolutely zero social life or interests out of work Aldi is the place for you. I've been searching desperately for a job after my previous company changed hands, but I would've much rathered have stayed unemployed a little longer than join Aldi. It's not worth the stress.

I've been working as a store assistant at Aldi and have had a mixed experience, reflecting both positive aspects and challenges of the role.

Pros
- Competitive Pay: Aldi offers above-average wages compared to similar retail roles, which is a significant advantage for anyone seeking a reliable income.

- Team Environment: The strong team spirit among colleagues makes the workday more enjoyable and fosters a sense of camaraderie.

- Skill Development: The variety of tasks, from stocking shelves to operating the checkout, helps develop a diverse skill set that can be beneficial for personal growth and future career opportunities.

- Job Stability: Aldi’s strong market presence provides a sense of job security, with the company’s ongoing expansion translating into stable employment opportunities.

- Employee Discounts: While not extensive, the discounts available to employees are a nice perk.

- Paid Breaks: One notable benefit is that breaks are paid, which is not common in all retail jobs.

Cons:
- Physical Demands: The job is physically strenuous, involving long hours of standing, lifting heavy items, and performing repetitive tasks, which can be challenging if you're not used to such work.

- High Workload: The efficiency expected at Aldi often results in a high workload. Multitasking and managing several responsibilities simultaneously can be stressful and overwhelming.

- Limited Breaks: Despite being paid, breaks can be short and infrequent due to the fast-paced nature of the job, leading to fatigue and decreased job satisfaction.

- Customer Interactions: Dealing with customers, especially during busy periods or when addressing complaints, requires patience and strong interpersonal skills, which can be taxing over time.

- Inconsistent Scheduling: Shifts can be irregular, with early mornings, late nights, and weekend work often required, making it difficult to maintain a work-life balance.

Conclusion
Overall, working as a store assistant at Aldi has its pros and cons. The competitive pay, supportive team environment, and opportunity for skill development are significant benefits. Additionally, having paid breaks is a valuable perk. However, the physical demands, high workload, and inconsistent scheduling can be considerable challenges. It's essential to weigh these factors to determine if this role is a good fit for you.

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