Why Costco Outshines Competitors in Employee Satisfaction: A Deep Dive into Our Latest Survey

Employee satisfaction isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a critical measure of how retailers attract and retain talent in today’s competitive job market. At CloudResearch, we recently undertook a survey among employees of three big box retailers—Walmart, Best Buy, and Costco—to uncover why some workplaces excel in fostering happiness and engagement, while others lag behind. We used Engage, our AI-driven platform, to gather a mix of quantitative and qualitative data. The numbers speak volumes: Costco consistently outranked the other two retail giants in nearly every category, from company culture to compensation and benefits. Even more telling are the rich, personal stories that employees shared in one-on-one interviews. In this blog post, we’ll walk through the standout statistics and illustrate them with employee voices that highlight the reasons Costco employees report higher satisfaction.

The Numbers at a Glance

Before diving deeper, let’s examine the highlights of our survey data. Among Costco employees, 88% reported being satisfied with company culture, work-life balance, compensation, and training—an exceptionally high approval rate. Costco also led comfortably in recognition and feedback (71%), leadership communication (59%), and employee safety (82%). Walmart employees reported moderate satisfaction in some categories—56% for culture, 55% for work-life balance, 45% for compensation, and 62% for training. They were slightly more positive about employee safety at 67%. Best Buy employees, unfortunately, registered the lowest satisfaction rates: only 33% found the company culture satisfactory, 33% felt they had good work-life balance, and a stark 11% were satisfied with compensation and benefits.

These numbers reveal a fairly consistent story: while Costco employees express robust satisfaction across job dimensions, Walmart sits in a middle range (with occasional bright spots like training resources), and Best Buy lags behind in areas relating to growth, benefits, and culture. Yet, quantitative stats only scratch the surface. Our qualitative interviews with employees—conducted via Engage—offer an in-depth look at what truly sets the Costco employee experience apart.

A Culture of Care at Costco

 One of the most powerful themes emerging from Costco interviews was the strong sense of employee care felt across departments and locations. An overwhelming 88% of Costco interviewees described an environment rooted in trust, empathetic management, and tangible recognition of work—a stark contrast to Walmart and Best Buy. Several employees repeatedly cited the company’s willingness to provide training, fairly compensate effort, and extend benefits that meet genuine needs.

For instance, one Costco employee spoke of how good leadership makes them feel secure in their position, explaining, “We got an email congratulating us on our work and letting us know about the bonuses we got. It made me feel safe within the company, more than anything–like I wasn’t going to just get dropped, and in the meantime, I was going to be looked after, as long as I did my part.” Another Costco interviewee was also appreciative of how flexible the company had been when personal issues surfaced, noting, “I was having a personal issue and I was allowed time off to sort it out.”

In the same vein, employees consistently emphasized that management’s sincerity shapes their perception of the workplace. One participant said, “it has been good, i feel like i have support from my managers and co workers” Another recalled managers stepping in to address employee health issues, describing a situation in which kidney stones demanded ongoing bathroom breaks but never prompted managerial anger or reprimand. Instead, they outlined how the company assisted and looked after them. This elevated sense of trust resonates across interviews, pointing to a leadership style that centers on respect for the individual.

Compensation and Recognition

Costco also stands out in compensation and recognition. An impressive 88% of employees expressed their satisfaction with pay and benefits, citing not just higher base wages but also consistent bonuses, pay bumps, and other incentives. One of the Costco employees who took part in our Engage interviews enthusiastically described the motivating power of bonuses, saying, “Once I started to understand that we could get bonuses like that, I performed better. It wasn’t just because I could possibly get paid more, but that I felt like my work meant something, and was recognized.”

Other participants credited Costco with providing competitive benefits that demonstrate genuine respect for employees’ time and financial stability. For instance, one employee noted, “i feel like it is fair as they go off performance… when i found out how much i could get it suprised me as it was more than any other job” A hallmark sentiment across multiple interviews was that such consistent recognition fuels a sense of security and belonging. Even employees who no longer see a managerial career path at Costco continue to speak positively about their experiences, especially compared to other retailers they have worked for in the past.

Walmart: The Mixed Middle Ground

Compared to Costco’s more universally positive reviews, Walmart’s employee satisfaction numbers lie somewhere in the middle. Company culture, work-life balance, and compensation each landed in the mid-40s to mid-50s range. However, employees seldom expressed as much overt positivity when describing how they felt about Walmart leadership or the everyday pressures they face. For example, one Walmart team member described a tense, high-pressure environment with minimal managerial support, saying, “Thousands of customers everyday to deal with complaints, return and more dispute. This is stressful and high pressure”

Another Walmart employee illustrated a lack of consistent scheduling: “You don’t have a set schedule, so it is hard to have a daily routine.” Many echoed these concerns, frequently describing management as “not effective,” or lamenting that repeated concerns fall on deaf ears: “I told management that more registers need to open during lunch hours because there’s always one or two open, and the lines are chaotic and hectic… managment said they’ll do something about, but never did.”

Although Walmart does sometimes provide bonuses or incentive pay, interviewees often felt they were insufficient in light of demanding workloads, or overshadowed by the stress of unclear policies. One participant recalled receiving a minimal year-end pay increase, stating, “Happened last year end got pay increase very less and felt like I need to look another job” In short, though some still appreciate Walmart as an “okay” job that pays the bills, many highlight structural issues around communication, pressure, and managerial responsiveness that hamper motivation.

Best Buy: A Struggle with Culture and Compensation

While Walmart employees often described a middling environment, Best Buy interviewees indicated more severe frustrations around culture, recognition, and career growth. Just 33% of Best Buy employees felt positively about their company culture, and only 11% were satisfied with compensation. One participant was blunt in describing the environment: “its not a bad job, i like helping people and doing the repair work… however, the company culture is awful, managers are awful, the corporatism that everyone goes on about is awful. there is a thousand thousand metrics and measurements that all mean nothing.”

The resulting feeling is often one of distrust or antagonism between management and employees. Another Best Buy worker described a time when reporting abusive manager behavior led to retaliation: “i had a manager threaten my job because i reported another lower manager for abuse.” These narratives convey a stressful environment where, in one especially alarming scenario, hours or pay may be docked without prior warning. Even customer service interactions can become fraught when employees feel they lack tangible support from their superiors. Interestingly, Best Buy did rate higher in employee safety (67%), matching Walmart’s safety figure—but across nearly every other measure, employees unanimously expressed crippling frustration.

Why the Differences? A Closer Look

One major question is how Costco manages to cultivate high satisfaction rates while Walmart and Best Buy struggle in key areas. Clearly, actionable differences emerge from our Engage interviews:

• Financial Security Through Bonus Structures: Costco employees repeatedly highlighted how the company invests in them with bonuses and robust benefits. Many felt stable and motivated. Meanwhile, Walmart interviewees mention the positive impact a bonus could have—yet emphasize how rarely they see meaningful increases. Best Buy employees express near-total disappointment with compensation. 

• Training and Resource Allocation: 88% of Costco employees were satisfied with their training, describing ample opportunities to learn and refine their skills. In comparison, only 62% of Walmart employees felt good about training, and just 22% at Best Buy. Costco’s strong training approach, plus open communication channels, fosters an environment where employees know how to do their jobs and trust that they’ll be supported. 

• Managerial Support and Communication: Many Costco quotes reference managers stepping up for employees, listening to concerns, and creating safe spaces. Walmart employees described hit-or-miss experiences, sometimes pointing to good local managers overshadowed by an unsupportive corporate structure. Best Buy accounts, however, often revolve around tension and scare tactics. 

• Inclusive Culture vs. “Every Man for Himself”: Some of Walmart’s issues revolve around a sense of competition or “survival mode,” while Best Buy’s environment sometimes feels outright hostile. At Costco, by contrast, employees repeatedly mention a sense of solidarity and feeling valued. 

Why Qualitative Insights Matter

It’s easy to see the big picture from the satisfaction percentages alone, but Engage helps us go a step further. Instead of raw numbers, our AI-driven approach to interviews digs into day-to-day experiences, providing a narrative dimension for issues like managerial style, scheduling policies, and communication breakdowns. We learn that employees satisfied with training might not just be praising a standard orientation packet—they may be highlighting real-time support systems, quick manager responses, and ongoing skill-building. The qualitative layer reveals how intangible factors, like a sense of security or shared values, lead to day-to-day positivity.

For example, an employee from Costco illustrated how acknowledging personal milestones and health issues fosters higher motivation: “My grandmother died in Costco gave me a week and a half for bereavement.” That single event, though not directly tied to wages or official policy, spelled a world of difference in how supported that individual felt. Contrast that with the reported experience of a Walmart associate who felt the need to come in despite having the flu to avoid termination. The compassion-based culture apparent in one environment is absent in the other.

About CloudResearch

CloudResearch is an online platform that connects researchers with more than 100 million research participants worldwide. CloudResearch provides tools to carry out complex online projects and polls for the academic, public, and private sectors. Engage is CloudResearch’s latest research innovation, using AI to combine the power of traditional and conversational surveys at scale cloudresearch.com.  

Contact: Paul Connor, PhD, CloudResearch, Senior Research Analyst. paul.connor@cloudresearch.com

To provide more insight into what Engage is and how it works, below we include abridged transcripts from three interviews from each retailer.

Interview 1:

"It's meant a lot to feel like someone who has value and is valued"

Could you describe your overall experience working at Costco, focusing on your job satisfaction, company culture, and motivation? Feel free to share any aspects that stand out to you.

I've been regularly impressed by their care for their workers. Whenever the company is doing well, it's been passed onto us with bonuses, which is something I'm not used to. We could use a little more updates to our training, but we're otherwise afforded time and effort into getting what we need to perform better at our jobs--such as software and subscriptions and such.

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Can you recall a specific moment or example when the company demonstrated care for its workers, particularly in terms of bonuses or support? How did that make you feel?

We got an email congratulating us on our work and letting us know about the bonuses we got. It made me feel safe within the company, more than anything--like I wasn't going to just get dropped, and in the meantime, I was going to be looked after, as long as I did my part.

Thank you for sharing that. I'd like to understand more about a time when you felt particularly motivated at work. What contributed to that feeling?

Once I started to understand that we could get bonuses like that, I performed better. It wasn't just because I could possibly get paid more, but that I felt like my work meant something, and was recognized. I've worked plenty of jobs where I just felt like a tool, so it's meant a lot to feel like someone who has value and is valued.

Can you share a memorable experience that reflects the company culture at Costco? What made it significant to you?

Our boss told us "not to worry" about the recent pushes for anti-DEI and other culture war nonsense. We have a lot of minorities, especially latinos, and we've been a little scared about deportations and the obsession with anti-DEI and all of that, and were worried we'd be singled out. We've been assured that we wouldn't be, and we haven't been.

Thinking about your interactions with management at Costco, how effective do you find them in supporting your needs and addressing concerns? Could you provide some specific instances?

Well, that above example was a big concern, especially for some of the more outward-facing people. I work more in the back, so the people that are more in-contact with customers have been afraid that maybe they'd get some kind of pressure put on them. We haven't gotten that pressure, and have just felt like we're part of something that looks out for us.

Can you share a specific instance where you felt like your concerns weren't taken seriously by management? How did that experience affect your perception of your role or the company?

I haven't had a concern with the company that's been unaddressed. While I would like some of the written-down training and specs we're given to be updated, I've been assured that that's coming.

How proactive do you find management in addressing employee feedback? Can you think of any examples where they solicited your input or acted on feedback?

We're often given surveys and questionnaires, and it's become apparent from responses that these are looked at and taken into account. I got my responses on my specs inquiry pretty quickly.

What impact do you think management's effectiveness has on overall employee morale and job satisfaction at Costco?

We feel motivated, we feel happy, and we don't have to worry about the small stuff. We just worry about doing the best we can at work. We're not having idle chatter about complaints about work--we complain about stuff at home, and just pour ourselves into work.

Can you discuss your thoughts on career growth opportunities available at Costco? How have these opportunities shaped your motivation and satisfaction in your job?

It's not something I look into. I'm happy with where I'm at, especially as the tech improves.

How do you typically learn about the career growth opportunities that are available at Costco, even if you choose not to pursue them?

Oh, we get emails and promotions and whatnot sent to us, especially if we have certain skills that these new jobs touch on.

Could you share more about how these emails and promotions make you feel, especially in terms of job security and the potential for future growth within the company?

I feel like I'm remembered within the company, and that if I choose to, I have flexibility to stretch myself and explore. I don't feel like I'm pidgeon-holed.

Can you elaborate on whether you've ever had discussions with management about career growth opportunities, and if so, how those conversations have unfolded?

I haven't had those conversations, but I imagine they'd go well.

Can you compare how career growth opportunities at Costco differ from those at other companies you have worked for in the past?

For other companies, growth would have to be sought after from my end, and something I'd have to fight tooth-and-nail for. Here, I imagine it'd be a lot easier, opportunity-given.

How do you feel about the pay, bonuses, and yearly pay increases you receive at Costco? Can you describe how these financial incentives affect your overall motivation?

They make me feel motivated to keep up the good work, essentially. I'm taken seriously, my situation is taken seriously, so why wouldn't I take my work seriously?

You mentioned that these financial incentives make you feel motivated and taken seriously. Could you share a specific instance where a bonus or pay increase particularly motivated you or enhanced your performance at work?

I felt like I didn't have to quintuple-check my work all the time. I'm still careful with my work, for sure, but I feel like if I'm being shown this care, I'm valued, and I must be doing well, so I'm less stressed.

Looking back, have there been any bonuses or pay increases that stood out to you? If so, what made them memorable?

They're memorable because it's such a rare thing in my career life.

Can you describe how you typically feel when bonuses or pay increases are announced at Costco?

I get this sense of "I'm in one of the few places that do this, I should be grateful."

In what ways do you believe financial incentives like bonuses impact team dynamics and overall morale at your company?

We feel like we're given a unique opportunity to work a job that isn't going to collapse under us or suddenly turn on us. We're given respect, so we have to SHOW respect.

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Interview 2:

"I just go there to do my job. Nothing more"

Could you describe your overall experience working at Walmart, focusing on your job satisfaction, company culture, and motivation? Feel free to share any aspects that stand out to you.

Working at Walmart is a nightmare, but that doesn't mean I didn't have good experiences. Am I satisfied? Not one hundred percent. The company culture is alright, but it doesn't mean anything to me. As for motivation, I just go there to do my job. Nothing more.

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You mentioned that working at Walmart is a "nightmare," but there were good experiences. Could you share a specific positive or negative experience that had a lasting impact on your motivation or overall experience at work?

I've meet some wonderful custormers who were always willing to talk to me, and the conversations we had were priceless. I have also befriended my co-workers who I like to go to the cafe and mall on our days off. Those are the only good things I can think of.

How do your interactions with your coworkers and the relationships you've built impact your job satisfaction at Walmart?

My interactions with my co-workers hardly impact my job satification because sometimes they work different days. However I am always happy to see them when we have the same work day,

You've mentioned that you mainly go to work to do your job. Could you describe any specific aspects of your role or the work environment that contribute to this feeling?

Obviously I don't want to get into trouble by be late and slacking off. Cashiers are not even allowed to slack off to begin with. We always have to be present at our registers unless we're told by a supervisor to take a break, or help an employee in another department.

How do the constraints and supervision in your role as a cashier impact your motivation and feelings about your work environment?

Unlike the other departments, we really don't have a bit of freedom. We have to ask to use the bathroom like we're elementary school kids, and if there's no one around you'll just have to 'deal' with it. If you go without asking you get in trouble.

It sounds like the supervision and lack of autonomy can be quite challenging. Can you share how these aspects have affected your long-term job satisfaction and motivation to continue working at Walmart?

I try my best to endure. It's all I can do. But you get used to it after a while.

Thinking about your interactions with management at Walmart, how effective do you find them in supporting your needs and addressing concerns? Could you provide some specific instances?

Managment is terrible, they don't really listen to anyone or anyone's else needs. I rarely speak to them anyway. All I care about is clocking out, going home after a long workday, and not having to deal with anyone else.

Can you share an experience when you brought a concern to management's attention? How did they respond to your concern?

I told management that more registers need to open during lunch hours because there's always one or two open, and the lines are chaotic and hectic. Me and a few co-workers addressed this issue, and managment said they'll do something about, but never did. It's frustrating.

What impact do you think the management's response, or lack thereof, to your concern about opening more registers has on overall employee morale and job satisfaction?

Those who work in the retail area are not satisfied to how things are being operated in that department.

Can you describe any specific challenges you've faced with management that significantly impacted your work or morale?

I can't think of anything else besides the issue with one or two registers being opened during lunch hours.

In what ways do you feel management could improve in supporting employees like yourself at Walmart?

By having compassion and concern and actually listening to us intsead of acting like we're a brick wall.

Can you discuss your thoughts on career growth opportunities available at Walmart? How have these opportunities shaped your motivation and satisfaction in your job?

Career growth means nothing to me.

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Interview 3:

"Almost every interaction with them lowers morale and job satisfaction"

Could you describe your overall experience working at Best Buy, focusing on your job satisfaction, company culture, and motivation? Feel free to share any aspects that stand out to you.

its not a bad job, i like helping people and doing the repair work. its indoors and air conditioned and i don't have to deal with things that other people would have to. however, the company culture is awful, managers are awful, the corporatism that everyone goes on about is awful. there is a thousand thousand metrics and measurements that all mean nothing. they can also just cut hours or dock your pay or change your time clocks when they feel like it. HR is useless. so it has its ups and downs

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You mentioned that the company culture and management are awful. Can you share a specific incident or experience that highlights these issues for you? How did it impact your job satisfaction at the time?

i had a manager threaten my job because i reported another lower manager for abuse. i had a different manager blow up on me and storm out of the store because he is a man child, all over trying to explain how we install a screen protector. this really makes my job satisfaction go down, and has ensure i have nothing but negative feelings toward this place.

How did these incidents affect your motivation and feelings about your future at Best Buy?

they greatly lowered my motivation and i have no future at best buy. unless you suck up to the right manager you have no future there

Can you describe any positive experiences or aspects of your job that have helped you stay motivated despite these challenges?

my coworkers are the only good part and help me keep working there in relative peace

How do your interactions with your coworkers contribute to your job satisfaction, and can you share a specific moment where their support made a difference for you?

nothing in specific but my coworkers provide support and help whenever you need it, which just makes the whole place a bit nicer.

Could you share more about the specific elements of the workplace culture that stand out to you, and how they compare to your previous workplaces?

i think we work more as a team than any other place i've worked at before

Thinking about your interactions with management at Best Buy, how effective do you find them in supporting your needs and addressing concerns? Could you provide some specific instances?

i try not to interact with managers. they are not supportive in any way, and often involving them makes things worse overall. i described some specific events above

Can you share an instance where you felt like your concerns weren't taken seriously by management? How did that make you feel?

the time when i complained about verbal abuse by a lower level manager, in return the GM threatened my job and told me to drop it, then he later claimed I'd never spoken to him about it at all.

How did this experience with the GM influence your perception of your role and your future at the company?

it made it much worse

What are the most significant challenges you've faced with management, and how have they affected your morale and job satisfaction?

management is just a challenge in general. almost every interaction with them lowers morale and job satisfaction

In what ways do you think management could improve in supporting employees and positively affecting overall morale?

i think they need to pull their head out of their collective ass and try to figure out how to actually talk to people as humans

Can you discuss your thoughts on career growth opportunities available at Best Buy? How have these opportunities shaped your motivation and satisfaction in your job?

there is no career growth, best buy is actively stopping people from advancing, they are trying to eliminate all higher positions that are not managerial. this makes me desperate to try to find another place to work. best buy is ok for right now because it works with my schedule, but there is not future in it.

Can you share a specific instance where you felt particularly discouraged about the lack of career growth at Best Buy? How did this experience affect your day-to-day work?

i had a manager in a one on one offer to fire me on the spot when i said id probably want to find a different career. this is very poor behavior and really makes me not want to support them

Can you describe how you learned about career growth paths at Best Buy? Were your sources mainly from management, coworkers, or company resources? How did this influence your decision to look elsewhere for career progression?

the managers always promise career growth and will sometimes bring in random corpo shills to tell you about what "can" happen if you move up, but its all lies

Have you participated in any specific training or development programs at Best Buy? How did these experiences influence your perspective on potential career growth within the company?

i have not

For some context, can you share how much salary you are paid at Best Buy?

$18.50

How do you feel about the pay, bonuses, and yearly pay increases you receive at Best Buy? Can you describe how these financial incentives affect your overall motivation?

pay is ok, it could be better. you get a yearly 2% raise if you've done well enough. that 2% is about .50 cents and you can hit a cap after that you no longer get raises. beyond that you cant get a raise unless you manage to swap positions. its very demotivating

Can you share more about how you feel when you reach that cap and no longer receive raises? How does that impact your motivation to perform well at your job?

that makes me want to do the BARE minimum

Can you describe an instance where a bonus or pay increase motivated you to work harder or improve your performance? What specific aspects made it particularly impactful for you?

im willing to improve my performance a bit for more pay, otherwise i owe nothing to whatever soul sucking company i work for.

What specific aspects of the bonus or pay increase system do you find most discouraging, and how do these aspects affect your day-to-day work and motivation?

in best buy in particular there is no method to get a raise aside from your yearly 2% or if you move up into a different job. it motivates me to do the bare minimum and just get by

How do you think the bonus and pay increase system could be changed to better align with employees' expectations and enhance motivation?

if they allowed for raises or even commission on sales and services, i think itd be better for motivation.

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