Even if you have no idea what Warrior Pose or Tree Pose is, you’re probably familiar with Lululemon. Though the company has humble beginnings, it’s now a major player in the athletic wear, wellness, and fitness space. And if you’ve ever wondered what working at Lululemon is like, this guide is for you!
What Is Lululemon?
Lululemon athletica is a public athletic apparel company. Founded in 1988 in Vancouver, Canada, by businessman Chip Wilson, Lululemon started as a yoga apparel retailer and quickly expanded into a broader athletics and lifestyle company. According to Lululemon’s 2022 Impact Report, the company employed over 34,000 people worldwide and had 655 company-owned stores in 18 countries.
Lululemon stands out among its competitors because it emphasizes the importance of community more than its brand. The company’s mission statement reflects its people-centric emphasis on “creating components for people to live longer, healthier, fun lives.”
Lululemon Careers and Salaries
Lululemon offers four main career areas: Retail Stores, Distribution Centres, Guest Education Centres, and Store Support Centres. The Store Support Centres house all the corporate, functional teams that keep the stores running, such as finance, technology, digital, product, brand, legal, and people and culture.
Omnichannel Marketing
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Avg. Time: 6-7 hours
Skills you’ll build: Market research, user research, design thinking, product development
Many of Lululemon’s corporate jobs are hybrid roles, meaning employees will work part-time in the office and part-time remotely — from places like Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, and New York. Below are some common Lululemon job titles for U.S.-based roles, along with posted salary ranges:
- Junior graphic designer: $67,100-$88,100
- Senior graphic designer: $116,400-$152,800
- Lead UX designer: $164,000-$215,300
- Technology manager, SaaS: $145,700-$191,200
- Senior technology manager: $166,200-$218,200
- Senior engineer II: $178,190-$198,190
- Program manager: $170,120-$190,120
- Staff engineer: $164,000-$215,300
Lululemon Internships and Student Opportunities
Lululemon’s IDEA global internship program is a 12-week paid summer program. During the 2024 cycle, internship roles pay between $52,500 and $57,500 annually, meaning interns likely earn between $12,115 and $13,269 for the 12-week internship.
Some internships are in-person with a requirement that you work onsite four to five days a week. Others are hybrid, so you only have to be in the office three days a week — though Lululemon notes there may be times you have to work in-person and onsite four or five days a week, if necessary.
Interns work in a variety of departments and roles, such as software engineer, product, and e-commerce. While the program is there to help interns experience working in these roles, Lululemon expressly states that the hope is for interns to become full-time employees.
The application window usually opens the second week of March, though it can open earlier or later. Keep an eye on Lululemon’s LinkedIn profile and career page for updates. To find the details, go to the career page and hit the magnifying glass then enter “internship” in the keyword field to quickly pull up the openings.
When the openings are posted, you need to act quickly. Applications are accepted for approximately one week but may close sooner, depending on how many people apply for the roles. You’ll need to create an account with Lululemon’s career portal to apply. Lululemon states that the company will only reach out to applicants it’s interested in.
Internships can be based anywhere in the world, including the United States, Canada, and Hong Kong, and the details can vary, depending on the type of internship you participate in. Past examples of U.S. internships include:
- Distribution center interns: Working on the global distribution team, distribution center interns contribute to Lululemon’s supply chain and ensure stores have the right inventory at the right time.
- Associate engineer interns: As part of the campus engineering team, associate engineer interns support distribution centers and learn how to increase efficiencies in global shipping.
- Associate support analyst intern (technology team): Working with the technology team, the associate support analyst intern assists with infrastructure and technology applications. This includes troubleshooting technical issues as well as managing, deploying, and maintaining technical infrastructure.
- Associate support analyst intern: This role helps portfolio managers and the technology team within the global digital technology team. Interns work with managers to create solutions for business problems and work cross functionally to ensure the company is aligned on strategic objectives.
Forage Find
The 2024 internship program will run from June 3 through August 23, 2024.
Lululemon Benefits
Lululemon offers benefits to all employees, but eligibility may vary depending on your role and how many hours you work per week. Here’s the general overview of benefits open to those working at Lululemon:
- Paid time off. Eligible employees receive paid sick and vacation time, and all full-time employees are eligible for a sabbatical.
- Health benefits. Lululemon offers eligible employees and their dependents a comprehensive health benefits program. This includes mental health benefits and an employee assistance program (EAP).
- Parent programs and support groups. All employees are eligible for Lululemon’s gender-neutral parenthood program, which includes up to six months of paid leave for maternity, paternity, and adoption leaves.
- Sweaty pursuits. All employees receive a monthly stipend they can use for fitness and meditation classes.
- Employee discount. All employees receive a discount on Lululemon products.
- Fund Your Future. Lululemon has a long-term savings plan and Employee Share Purchase Program.
One other Lululemon benefit of note is the We Stand Together Fund. Originally established to help those impacted by widespread lockdowns during the pandemic, Lululemon expanded the fund to help those impacted by natural disasters, personal hardship, or other widespread crises.
Merchandising
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Lululemon Culture
On Comparably, Lululemon’s culture ranks 4.3 out of 5 stars, or an A-, with environment and perks and benefits receiving A+ scores. Additionally, Lululemon ranked 24 on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work 2024 list.
Digging into the details of the Comparably reviews, 82% of respondents said they were satisfied with their benefits package, with 76% stating they work in a positive environment. Additionally, 78% of reviewers noted they felt positive about Lululemon’s future, and 71% of people are excited to go to work every day.
Lululemon is also a certified Great Place to Work, with 82% of employees calling it great, 88% saying they felt welcome when they joined, 87% being proud to say they work there, and 86% saying they have the resources and equipment to do their job. Eight-seven percent say the company has unique and special benefits.
The MIT Culture 500 survey found that collaboration is the most commonly and positively discussed value at Lululemon, and execution is the most commonly and negatively discussed value.
Impact Agenda
In 2020, Lululemon started the Impact Agenda which is broken down around sustainability and social impact into three pillars: Be Human, Be Well, and Be Planet.
Be Human
The Be Human pillar focuses on diversity, inclusion, and equity, and Lululemon has set the following goals for the company to support this:
- IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, action): To reflect the diversity of the communities the company serves, Lululemon has committed $5 million per year to improve diversity in its ranks. By 2022, Lululemon had achieved its goal of having 40% diversity at all employment levels and 30% diversity at the director and store manager level.
- Supplier inclusion and diversity: This newer initiative is Lululemon’s pledge to make its supply chain more diverse by actively including minority-owned businesses in its supplier chain.
- Employee empowerment: To help employees grow into leaders, Lululemon will provide at least 1.7 million hours of volunteering, professional learning, and development for staff by 2025. The company also achieved pay equity by 2022.
Be Well
The Be Well pillar focuses on supporting physical, mental, and social well-being. Lululemon plans on providing access to well-being tools and resources for over 10 million people by 2025.
To accomplish this goal, Lululemon will provide at least $75 million to the Lululemon Centre for Social Impact by 2025. Launched in 2021, the Centre invests in local communities in these areas:
- Community and global wellbeing. Lululemon provides grants to other organizations committed to advancing equality and mental health.
- Frontline wellbeing. This is a partnership with the United Nations to provide mindfulness tools to frontline UN workers.
- Maker wellbeing. The initiative supports the people who make Lululemon products.
- Research and advocacy. The company conducts yearly study on global well-being with a focus on solutions.
Be Planet
The Be Planet pillar focuses on avoiding environmental harm and healing the planet. Lululemon is pursuing several goals in this pillar:
- By 2030, 100% of Lululemon products will be produced with end-of-use solutions.
- At least 75% of products will use “preferred” materials (those that are recycled, renewable, or responsibly sourced) by 2025.
- Lululemon will offer recycling options for products to all customers by 2025.
- By 2030, Lululemon hopes to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 60% in stores and production centers and to become a Net-Zero company by 2050.
- Lululemon met its target goal of using 100% renewable energy in company facilities by 2021.
- The company plans to reduce single-use packaging by 50% and freshwater use by 20% by 2025.
Planning
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Avg. Time: 4-5 hours
Skills you’ll build: Sales and inventory forecasting, sales analysis, negotiation, managing inventory flow
Lululemon vs. Other Top Companies
How does working at Lululemon compare to working at other top companies? Here’s the breakdown from Glassdoor. Ratings are out of five stars:
| Company | Overall Rating | Culture and Values | DEI | Work-Life Balance | Compensation and Benefits | Career Opportunities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lululemon | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Nike | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| Under Armour | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
| Adidas | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
| Fabletics | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.7 |
| Athleta | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
How Does the Lululemon Interview Process Work?
Of the over 2,700 reviews of the Lululemon interview process on Glassdoor, 66% reported a positive experience, while 15% rated it negative, and 19% were neutral. A majority, 82%, said they applied online.
While Lululemon doesn’t publicize its interview process, according to reviewers on Glassdoor, you can expect to encounter some of the following:
- A phone screen with a recruiter
- A video interview with human resources and a hiring manager
- A group interview (with as many as seven other candidates)
- A panel interview ( in-person or online)
- Behavioral interview questions
One way to prepare for you Lululemon interview is to read through the job posting and see what they’re looking for in applicants. Interestingly, every open Lululemon role mentions that the company’s “must haves” include:
- Being present in every moment and taking responsibility for your choices
- Having an “entrepreneurial spirit” and always striving to achieve
- Being honest and kind in your communications and making it safe for everyone around you to do the same
- Leading courageously and taking chances even if you fail
- Building trust to create connections
- Having fun at work (meaning, you don’t take yourself too seriously
So, as you’re preparing for your Lululemon interview, keep these points in mind and structure your answers accordingly.
>>MORE: Looking for more interview advice? Check out our guide with 15 interview tips.
Key Takeaways: Working at Lululemon
- Lululemon started as a small yoga and art store but is now a globally recognized fitness brand.
- You can find career opportunities in corporate and retail stores.
- Lululemon’s values are built on three pillars: Be Human, Be Well, and Be Planet.
- The Lululemon interview process consists of multiple steps, and most people have a positive experience with it.
- Applications for Lululemon’s IDEA Global Internship Program open in mid-March and candidates should apply early.
Image credit: RobertWay / Depositphotos.com
Erica Burns contributed to an earlier version of this article
