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Guitar Center Claimed Company
"We have always known that our success comes from our people, but to put it through this lens, we want all our associates to look left and right and see themselves, knowing that Guitar Center is a place where hard work, good ideas, and culture thrive. What they hear from leadership needs to reflect this vision. That means a diverse collection of men, women of all backgrounds and experiences at all levels of our organization. As candidates consider Guitar Center, we want them to know this is who we are and they will feel welcomed here. That’s how we will continue to stick around for another 40, 50, 60 years."?
- Ron Japinga, CEO, Guitar Center read more
Guitar Center Company Culture
Guitar Center Culture
This score is derived from employee ratings & reviews2.4/5
Guitar Center's Overall Culture is rated D-
Top Rated Culture Dimensions
Gender
C+Environment
CProfessional Development
C-Team
C-Office Culture
D+Guitar Center CEO
Bottom 5%Bottom 5% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably
Ron Japinga
45 /100
See More
Diversity at Guitar Center
Bottom 5%Bottom 5% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably
F
Diverse employees at Guitar Center have rated Environment, Team, and Work Culture as the highest categories they have scored
Women at Guitar Center
Top 50%Top 50% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably
C+
Women at Guitar Center have rated Team, Environment, and Happiness as the highest categories they have scored
Guitar Center eNPS
Net Promoter Score tracks your employees' overall score to this question: "On a scale from 0-10, how likely are you to recommend working at your company to a friend?"Bottom 10%Bottom 10% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably
Recommend to a Friend?
-46
Guitar Center employees are -46% more likely to recommend Guitar Center as a great place to work
| 20% | Promoters |
|---|---|
| 14% | Passives |
| 66% | Detractors |
Working at Guitar Center
Working at Guitar Center is rated below average by 342 employees, across various culture dimensions. Guitar Center employees rate Environment highest among all categories, and think that Compensation and Leadership have the most room for improvement, putting Guitar Center’s culture in the Bottom 10% compared to similar sized companies on Comparably and in the Bottom 10% compared to other companies in Los Angeles. See below in detail how working at Guitar Center was rated by employees.
Overall Company Culture at Guitar Center
D-
Overall Company Culture at Guitar Center is rated D-
Last updated 2 days ago
Bottom
10%
Guitar Center ranks in the Bottom 10% of other companies on Comparably with 10,000+ Employees for Overall Company Culture Score
Guitar Center Employee Reviews
Out of 393 Guitar Center employee reviews, 61% were positive. The remaining 39% were constructive reviews with the goal of helping Guitar Center improve their work culture.
| Positive Reviews | 61% |
|---|---|
| Constructive Feedback | 39% |
Positive Reviews From Guitar Center Employees
- What did you like most about the interview process?It was quick and efficient.
- What is most positive about the culture and environment at your company?We are all friendly with each other
- What are some of the best things about your team?We are all friendly people
Constructive Feedback From Guitar Center Employees
- What does the leadership team need to get better at?That retail staff are assets and are worth investing in. Proper onboarding and training and setting realistic goals. They change the goal weekly, therefore difficult for the staff to buy into the business. Do not appoint people to management positions just because of the years they have been ther
- Why do you feel undervalued and what would make you feel better about your compensation?I do not have stock equity or benefits. My pay is $11.00 per hour and I have been working here for over a year.
- Why do you feel undervalued and what would make you feel better about your compensation?Bonus structure is a joke.. up the base pay and staff the store properly instead of loading all of the work on 1-2 people
Guitar Center Company Information
Guitar Center Company Overview
Guitar Center was founded in 1959 and its current CEO is Ron Japinga. Since its inception 67 years ago, Guitar Center has grown to 11346 employees.
Guitar Center Mission, Vision & Values
Guitar Center Mission Statement
"We have always known that our success comes from our people, but to put it through this lens, we want all our associates to look left and right and see themselves, knowing that Guitar Center is a place where hard work, good ideas, and culture thrive. What they hear from leadership needs to reflect this vision. That means a diverse collection of men, women of all backgrounds and experiences at all levels of our organization. As candidates consider Guitar Center, we want them to know this is who we are and they will feel welcomed here. That’s how we will continue to stick around for another 40, 50, 60 years."? - Ron Japinga, CEO, Guitar Center
Guitar Center Vision Statement
We understand the impact music has on the lives of people of all ages, and the tremendous gift it brings to participants and listeners. We understand the power of music on the soul and the vehicle it provides for our sanity, health, and creativity. We want to help make that gift available to everyone, with the understanding that the process of participating in music is a means to this end; that people don t have to be rock stars or professional musicians to enjoy the rewards of music participation, and that age is not a factor in the enjoyment or ability to learn to play music.
Guitar Center Values
- Integrity
- Customer First
- Respect
- Passion
| Headquarter | Westlake Village, CA 91362 United States of America |
|---|---|
| Website | guitarcenter.com |
| Founding Date | 1959 |
| Tel | 8187358800 |
| Company Status | Private |
| Jobs | www.guitarcenter.com/pages/careers |
| Social Sites |
Guitar Center Competitors
Guitar Center competitors include Sweetwater, Amazon, and Best Buy. Guitar Center ranks 4th in Overall Culture Score on Comparably vs its competitors. See below how Guitar Center compares to its competitors with CEO Rankings, Product & Services, NPS, Pricing, Customer Services, Overall Culture Score, eNPS, Gender and Diversity Scores.
Culture Video
Guitar Center Employees
Guitar Center has 11346 employees. 342 employees at Guitar Center have reviewed Guitar Center across various culture dimensions, providing their opinions on items ranging from executive ratings to the pace at work. The latest review was 2 days ago.
Overall, the 342 Guitar Center employees give their leadership a grade of F, or Bottom 5% of similar size companies on Comparably. This includes specific ratings of their executive team, CEO, and manager.
Employees at Guitar Center are mostly dissatisfied with their total compensation at Guitar Center, which includes a combination of pay, stock and equity, and benefits.
Overall, employees at Guitar Center are not very pleased with their team. 342 Participants grade the quality of their coworkers a C-. Less than half believe the meetings at Guitar Center are effective, and the majority look forward to interacting with their coworkers.
The majority of employees at Guitar Center believe the environment at Guitar Center is positive. Most Participants believe the pace of work at Guitar Center is extremely fast. About 71% of the employees at Guitar Center work 8 hours or less, while 4% of them have an extremely long day - longer than twelve hours.
Overall, the employees at Guitar Center are dissatisfied, based on their aggregated ratings of future outlook, customer perception, and their excitement going to work.
A Day in the Life
A Day in the Life
Guitar Center employees generally work 8.5 hrs a day
Work Hours
A Day in the Life
Employees at Guitar Center report the work pace is extremely fast
Work Pace
A Day in the Life
On a typical day, employees at Guitar Center have 4+ meetings
Meetings
A Day in the Life
81% of Guitar Center employees look forward to interacting with their team every day
Coworkers
A Day in the Life
Guitar Center employees most often take 10-15 paid vacation and sick days each year
Perks & Benefits
A Day in the Life
67% of Guitar Center employees report they are happy with their work life balance
Work Life Balance
A Day in the Life
Guitar Center employees never get valuable feedback on how to improve at work
Feedback
A Day in the Life
51% of Guitar Center employees call their work environment negative
Environment
Joining Guitar Center - Employee Onboarding
The prevailing opinion from employees about joining Guitar Center is that the company was very prepared on their first day. Guitar Center employees concluded that their overall onboarding experience was positive. 100% said their direct manager was helpful with their acclimation during the first 90 days. First impressions are important, and how prepared a company is on your first day leaves a lasting impression.
Guitar Center KPIs and OKRs
Employees’ understanding of Guitar Center's KPIs and OKRs is essential for its success. Out of 8 Guitar Center employees who’ve answered, “Are your company’s goals clear and are you invested in them?” 1 have said yes.
Are your company's goals clear, and are you invested in them?
Are the KPIs/OKRs for your department clear?
Guitar Center CEO & Leadership
Guitar Center CEO - Ron Japinga
45 /100
Ron’s approval rate is lower compared to CEOs at similar sized companies, putting Ron in the Bottom 5% of all CEOs of similar-sized companies on Comparably, and in the Bottom 5% compared to CEOs of all other companies in Los Angeles. Ron Japinga’s employees rank Guitar Center in the Bottom 45% for Environment, in the Bottom 30% for Professional Development, and in the Bottom 30% for Team. Japinga is generally unpopular with Guitar Center employees, but ranks especially low with employees identified with Other ethnicities, and by employees with 3 to 6 Years experience and African American/Black employees. However, employees with Entry Level experience have a slightly more favorable view of the CEO. When compared to Guitar Center’s competitors, Ron Japinga ranks below both Best Buy CEO Corie Barry and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.
Guitar Center Leadership
The Guitar Center Executive Team is rated a “F” and led by CEO Ron Japinga, CFO Tim Martin, and Senior Vice President of Human Resources Dennis Haffeman
Ron Japinga CEO / President
Ron Japinga serves as the CEO / President of Guitar Center.
Tim Martin CFO
Tim Martin serves as the CFO of Guitar Center. Tim started at Guitar Center in October of 2012. Tim currently resides in... read more
Dennis Haffeman Senior Vice President of Human Resources
Dennis Haffeman serves as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources of Guitar Center. Dennis started at Guitar Center... read more
Gregory Barr Vice President Of Retail Operations
Gregory Barr serves as the Vice President Of Retail Operations of Guitar Center. Gregory started at Guitar Center in... read more
Brian Berman Vice President, Marketing
Brian Berman serves as the Vice President, Marketing of Guitar Center. Brian started at Guitar Center in October of... read more
Robert Rausch VP of Marketing
Robert Rausch serves as the VP of Marketing of Guitar Center. Robert started at Guitar Center in January of 2019. Robert... read more
Jeannine DAddario CMO - Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Jeannine DAddario serves as the CMO - Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Guitar Center. Jeannine started at... read more
Michael Amkreutz EVP, Merchandising, Marketing & eCommerce
Michael Amkreutz serves as the EVP, Merchandising, Marketing & eCommerce of Guitar Center. Michael started at Guitar... read more
Gary Aschenbrenner Vice President Inventory Management
Gary Aschenbrenner serves as the Vice President Inventory Management of Guitar Center. Gary started at Guitar Center in... read more
Guitar Center Salaries
How much does Guitar Center pay?
How much do people at Guitar Center get paid? See the latest salaries by department and job title. The average estimated annual salary, including base and bonus, at Guitar Center is $127,282, or $61 per hour, while the estimated median salary is $117,453, or $56 per hour.
At Guitar Center, the highest paid job is a General Counsel at $246,392 annually and the lowest is an Operations Manager at $44,500 annually. Average Guitar Center salaries by department include: IT at $114,261, Legal at $170,364, HR at $117,528, and Operations at $82,833. Half of Guitar Center salaries are above $117,453.
155 employees at Guitar Center rank their Compensation in the Bottom 5% of similar sized companies in the US (based on 468 ratings) while 149 employees at Guitar Center rank their Perks And Benefits in the Bottom 10% of similar sized companies in the US (based on 155 ratings).
Salaries contributed from Guitar Center employees include job titles like Senior UI/UX Designer, SEM Manager, Operations Manager, and Receptionist. Comparably data has a total of 4 salary records from Guitar Center employees.
Last updated 3 days ago.
| Summary | Salary Range | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
1st Percentile $64k | $64k | 1st Percentile |
17th Percentile $92k | $92k | 17th Percentile |
33rd Percentile $117k | $117k | 33rd Percentile |
50th Percentile $159k | $159k | 50th Percentile |
67th Percentile $200k | $200k | 67th Percentile |
83rd Percentile $240k | $240k | 83rd Percentile |
100th Percentile $245k | $245k | 100th Percentile |
$127,282*
Average Compensation
$117,453*
Median Compensation
* Estimated salaries Estimated salaries are based on data provided anonymously by employees and/or estimated by other statistical methods.
Guitar Center Salaries by City
Guitar Center Salaries by Department
Diversity & Inclusion at Guitar Center
Diverse employees at Guitar Center score the company 43/100 across various culture categories, placing Guitar Center in the Bottom 5% of companies on Comparably with 10,000+ Employees for Comparably's diversity score. The Diversity score provides insights into how diverse employees feel and rate their work experience at Guitar Center across various culture dimensions.
Ranked Culture the Highest
Ranked Culture the Lowest
Guitar Center Perks & Benefits
Health & Wellness
- Dental Insurance
- Health Insurance
Guitar Center PTO
Guitar Center's PTO and Vacation policy typically gives 10-15 days off a year with 50% of employees expected to be work free while out of office. Paid Time Off is Guitar Center's 2nd most important benefit besides Healthcare when ranked by employees, with 33% of employees saying it is the most important benefit. Guitar Center's benefits and PTO Package averages to represent a less than $500 cash value per month.
Other than healthcare, which of the following benefits is most important to you?
Does your boss expect you to work when you're on vacation?
What do you estimate the cash value of your benefits to be? Healthcare, PTO, etc?
Guitar Center Careers
Guitar Center Jobs
No Recent Jobs found for Guitar Center on Comparably
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H1B Visa
In 2019, Guitar Center applied for 10 H1B visas. Of the work permits applied for, 100% were approved.
Work Permit Application Outcome
Guitar Center has a total of 11346 employees
10
Total Applied
H1B Applications Outcome
- 100% Granted (10 out of 10)
- 0% Denied ( out of 10)
- 0% Withdrawn Application was withdrawn by the employer before approval/rejection ( out of 10)
- 0% Certified-Withdrawn Application was approved but later withdrawn by employer ( out of 10)
This data was calculated using publicly sourced data from OFLC Performance Data
Let Guitar Center Know You Want To Work There
Overview of Candidates Interested in Guitar Center on Comparably
Candidates By Department
Operations | 22% | |
|---|---|---|
Customer Support | 22% | |
Design | 11% | |
HR | 11% | |
Product | 11% | |
Other | 22% |
Candidates By Location
Los Angeles | 22% | |
|---|---|---|
Westlake Village | 11% | |
Beverly Hills | 11% | |
Grand Blanc | 11% | |
Nashville | 11% | |
Other | 33% |
Frequently Asked Questions regarding Guitar Center
Who is the CEO of Guitar Center?
Guitar Center CEO is Ron Japinga, their score by employees is 45
What is Guitar Center eNPS?
The eNPS for Guitar Center is -46
What is the salary for Group Engineering Manager in Guitar Center?
Group Engineering Manager average salary in the US is 190k
What are the salaries in the IT in Guitar Center?
The average salaries for IT in Guitar Center is 114k
How many employees work in Guitar Center?
Guitar Center has 11346 employees
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