Climate change - Buyer CarMax Employee Review

3.0
Feb 24, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Training and benefits is good. Some of the best people I have ever worked with. Up until now, I worked for the best managers I had ever worked for. Really want to retire with this company.

Cons

Lots of politics and Senior Managers are fake. The open door policy isn't so open and oftentimes can be turned around on you. We have not had anyone promoted in our office to Senior Buyer in at least 8 years. My store is a springboard for newly promoted senior managers to gain experience and move up or move and run bigger stores. Carmax promotes a lot of unexperienced managers quickly because they know how to answer the panel interviews, or "speak carmax" well. More often than not, those managers have zero management experience and it creates problems because they can't manage or talk to their staff. Just because they've read how to manage out of the many books for their idps doesn't mean they're good managers. I've been here 5, almost 6 years and our office is experiencing this for the first time. Our senior manager brought in a very newly promoted Senior Buyer from another store and does nothing but favor him. He is getting all of the development and it is going to his head. When he makes mistakes or treats people poorly, our senior manager turns a blind eye. If our senior manager feels that you are questioning him or feels he is being threatened by your questions, you get into trouble. Our senior manager is inconsistent with performance management and is focused on what we are doing wrong and is documenting everything. Everything from a tiny missed non core option to going home sick after you've been given the OK to do so. We aren't allowed to call in sick and if we do, we have to switch our days off or get our shift covered. We have already lost one teammate and half of the team is looking for jobs. HR has been no help in any of this and it's sad that a company that advertises about how much they care about their associates really does not. It's like the senior team is exempt from any wrong and they really stick together. HR seems to only support you if you have a concern about low level employees or Sales Managers they were already looking to get rid of, but they will never discipline a senior manager.

Explore other reviews about CarMax

5.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing benefits with 6% 401k matching and tuition reimbursement.

Cons

Highly reliant on the quality of management at the store location.

4.0
Jun 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The perks of working at CarMax are quite extensive. Associates are offered an aggressive 401k program, Stock Purchasing Plan, in store discounts on sales and service, access to the CarMax Wholesale system, excellent healthcare, plenty of PTO, and at my location we are given as much OT as we want. My coworkers are generally good people, that I enjoy being able to work along side day in and day out. Management is very understanding in regards to calling out sick family emergencies, and schedule requests.

Cons

Despite doing the work of 5 people, and very politely asking for a raise management will not give me more than my 3% annual raise which is the single biggest let down. The bonus change of 2025 being labeled as "exciting" was straight corporate gaslighting unlike anything I've ever seen. Since the start of 2026, as of this review being written we have lost 7 associates largely due to pay, and I am soon to join those associates. Management from the store level up to corporate needs to understand that to retain their top performers they need to be compensated like a top performer. Some members of management are cliquey and moody which is very frustrating to deal with. Quality of Management varies wildly from store to store as well

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