Brooks Running Reviews

Brooks Sports has been a challenging environment to work at over the past two plus years. With yet another covert layoff in July, the once beloved brand is now on moral decline and in a serious leadership deficit. The next lay off should be at the top. The company needs to click refresh on leadership. Invest in the skill set to lead into the next decade but this time combined with the core Brooks values of what the brand once stood for. That’s not to say that leadership longevity has anything to do with having retained those core values. Poor hiring at the top line is where this went wrong. The new normal. Why are Senior managers of the 'non adding value' employees not out of a job for lack of leadership, mentorship and career guidance?! These are the questions being bantered in the hall ways. Proceed with caution. If you are in the “cool” department with a high profile manager of influence, your career has a chance for growth. If by growth you mean keeping your job. The environment now is one of “take care of yourself” until you can land elsewhere. A hand full of senior leaders have seemingly been able to create and navigate the politics of the company while the blinders are on at the very top. You should seriously weigh your options before accepting a role at Brooks. The once haven for sharp high energy talent is a black hole for honest employee recognition, competitive compensation and career growth.

...But it's just OK. Meh. I thought it would be a place where I could grow my career but there are few areas where advancement is possible, and little recognition of or interest in using the skills people bring that may be outside the narrow scope of their roles. There are reasons why attrition is so high. - if you're not a serious long distance runner, you won't really fit in here, despite the rhetoric - if you value a diverse workforce you may be disappointed. Whitest place I've worked, and only token women in leadership. - too hierarchical and political for such a small company. You may not be allowed in the room because of your job title even if you are critical to the discussion. - not a very entrepreneurial business. Used to be, but not so much now. - building is nice but the open work space setup is awful, too cramped and impossible to concentrate on your work. Freeze in winter, sweat it out all summer. - high cost of parking when most of the garage sits empty. Management seems puzzled about why they can't attract and retain good people, and it's because they've been there too long. There's no oversight that a "real" board of directors would offer, nor is there even a CFO to provide a balance in decision making. There's a lot of talent but perhaps a need for new blood. With pay levels under market, Brooks tries to offset with better work life balance such as the free gym, so-called "unlimited" vacation, etc. What would really help attract and keep people would be to offer a form of equity or a bonus that actually pays out. Despite having a relatively massive HR org, there seems to be little innovation coming out of there to address employee concerns.