7 secrets about how to work in Victoria's Secret, according to their own employees

Victoria's Secret has been a well-known lingerie store for decades, offering a colorful assortment of underwear, bras, loungewear, sportswear, and swimwear.

Even if you've never shopped there in person, chances are you've seen the catalogs, or at least heard of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, their annual runway show.

But in recent years, Victoria's Secret's sales have declined rapidly, and its CEO, Jan Singer, stepped down in November 2018. Many customers can't help but wonder what goes on behind the scenes, both in the corporate offices as well as in stores with employees.

According to employees who have spoken to Insider and written about their experiences online, working at Victoria's Secret can be stressful, but also fun. And no, they have no idea what Victoria's secret is either.

Here are some revelations from Victoria's Secret employees about what it's really like to work there:

The employees may be talking about you through their headphones

You may have noticed that Victoria's Secret employees wear headphones. It's so they can communicate with the people in the warehouse and with the managers.

But headphones aren't completely innocent. One former employee told Insider that her co-workers also used them to discuss customers with each other, mainly warning others if they thought someone seemed willing to shoplift.

Another former employee, Brooke Sager, told Thrillist that "if a customer was unbearable, she would give a funny warning. Something like, 'Julie, there's a woman who looks and barks like a Pomeranian looking for a black Angels bra in a 36D. Lo. We'd do it for a laugh because all the female employees with headphones can hear it."

They're trained to sell you a "sister size" if they don't have the one you're looking for

For some customers, Victoria's Secret doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to their sizing methods. Many consumers have complained that the brand's bra size range is not wide enough and that the fit is often not correct.

A former employee told Insider that they're actually trained to sell "sister sizes" to customers, which basically means offering a larger back size and a smaller cup size that's supposed to fit as well. Similarly. For example, if someone ordered a 90F and the store doesn't have it, they would have to be offered a 95E.

The worker said this sizing strategy can have some success, but it doesn't always work, as the fringe is sometimes too large and doesn't quite compensate for the smaller cup size—but added that they are pressured to use this system and sell bras in any way.

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They are "on call" in most cases

One of the most frustrating things about working at Victoria's Secret, and many other retail stores, is that most of the shifts are on call, meaning you don't know when they are, said a former employee.

"When I worked there, nobody had a fixed schedule for the week. Maybe they gave you a specific day with specific shifts, but the rest of the days would be on-call shifts," he told Insider.

"You had to sit and wait to see if you were going to be called to work or not. I had problems all over the place."

They are not allowed to arrest people who steal

Shoplifting is a big problem at Victoria's Secret because small underwear can be so easy to hide in a bag or pocket. But while the employees are trained to keep an eye out for thieves, they are not allowed to do anything about it.

Some employees told Business Insider's Mary Hanbury they could be fired for trying to confront someone who is stealing. Anicya Galindo, a former employee, has commented: "No matter how much they take or how many thieves there are, we will be fired if we don't follow the policy." Another former employee said on Reddit that the rule is there "technically to keep the employees safe."

Employees are able to detect cheating male clients

A former employee told Insider that every year, especially around Valentine's Day and Christmas, men go gift-hunting — and they usually know who's buying for the couple and for a girlfriend on the side.

"In some cases, men would walk in, pick out two identical pieces in two very different sizes, and buy them," an employee told Insider. "Some co-workers have heard them bragging about it."

Many of them are not big fans of underwear spaces

Employees are aware of how messy large spaces for underwear can be, and many of them have said they dislike them too.

A former employee told Insider: "As a new employee in particular there were days when my entire shift was standing by that area to fold underwear, which was out of order seconds after someone touched it."

Employees can get free or discounted items

When they start working at Victoria's Secret, employees receive a free bra, and every time a new item is released, they can have them for a greatly reduced price.

One of the workers told Insider that for a week before the holidays, they get 50% off every day on everything. This policy may vary from store to store and may not apply everywhere.