Is Hobby Lobby a Good Place to Work in 2024? An Expert Evaluation

With over 900 stores and over 43,000 employees nationwide, Hobby Lobby offers ample job opportunities across dozens of states. But do the pros outweigh the cons of working there?

As a retail management veteran with over 20 years overseeing store operations and employees, here is my insider evaluation of the key factors to consider before applying at Hobby Lobby.

Employee Satisfaction Rates Trail Industry Standards

The table below aggregates glassdoor data on employee satisfaction rates, where 5 = extremely satisfied:

With a 3.3 rating, Hobby Lobby falls short of top retailers who score between 4.1-4.4 stars in employee satisfaction. This indicates weaker performance in critical job satisfaction drivers like culture, work/life balance, and career growth.

However, Hobby Lobby still bests Walmart, which scores even lower at 3.8 stars. So conditions may not be extremely poor across all locations.

Salary and Benefits Are Hard to Beat

Hobby Lobby undoubtedly leads retail in base compensation, even outpacing notoriously well-paying Costco:

• Hobby Lobby Hourly Wage – $18.50 for full-time, $13 for part-time
• Costco Hourly Wage – $17 for full-time
• Target Hourly Wage – $15 across the board
• Walmart Hourly Wage – $12 for full-time

For benefits, Hobby Lobby covers:

• Health insurance
• Retirement savings plans
• Employee discounts
• Paid leave

The only retail company with better benefits is Costco. All others offer packages at par or below Hobby Lobby‘s offerings.

So for shop floor associates and management, Hobby Lobby brings attractive financial incentives traditional retailers can‘t match.

Concerns Around "Religious Culture" Are Prevalent

37% of Glassdoor reviews cite the Christian, faith-based culture as a top complaint about working at Hobby Lobby. Employees claim manager behavior includes:

• Playing Christian radio programming only
• Making religious references constantly
• Publicly shaming employees for lifestyle choices against company values
• Gatekeeping promotions from non-Christian staff

However, this sentiment is not universal. 12% of reviews praised the culture and following spiritual principles at work.

For applicants that share the founder‘s Evangelical faith and values, this culture brings camaraderie and deeper purpose. For anyone else, it may feel stifling and exclusionary.

Advancement Opportunities Less Clear

Only 49% of Glassdoor reviewers felt there was potential for career development at Hobby Lobby. With over 900 locations and aggressive expansion plans, this seems low at first glance.

However, the company remains privately owned by the founder’s family, with no board or shareholders to answer to. This allows store and corporate leadership to consolidate decision-making power rather than distributing it across the ranks.

So while retail floor associates likely hit advancement ceilings quickly, those able to break into district or regional corporate roles may find increased mobility. But with no public data available on internal promotion or mobility rates, visible pathways to growth are questionable.

Hiring Bans Don‘t Seem Universally Enforced

Unlike competitors, Hobby Lobby has no official policy precluding hiring those with past convictions. However, they still run federal and multi-state background checks with a typical 7 year scope.

According to applicant self-reports, bans seem inconsistently enforced. Those with non-violent drug offenses more commonly get past checks than people with theft or fraud charges.

HR also supposedly denies applicants case-by-case based on positive references vouching for character transformation. So felon-friendliness may depend more on the specific recruiter than standardized policy.

The Bottom Line

Weighing all the factors – pay, culture, mobility, and inclusiveness – Hobby Lobby ranks average to low for overall job quality among national retailers.

For employees seeking fair compensation in exchange for tolerating a hyper-religious environment, Hobby Lobby delivers on that value proposition.

However, workers prioritizing inclusive culture, development opportunities, and work/life balance can likely find better-fitting retail employers. For those needs, I‘d recommend exploring Costco, Trader Joe‘s, or local store chains first.