The higher you climb the ladder; the more you will be surrounded by long-term survivors who are far more intent on protecting their paycheck (that they could never earn in the real world) than actually earning it. There are many star performers, but there are many who insure that accountability doesn't exist so that they will not be held accountable themselves.
Everyone working here has a different experience. One person can work for a great leader and another can work, right next door, for a monster. It is better now than it was a few years ago because some offenders finally crossed the line enough times to be terminated. I twice worked for individuals who were true sociopaths. One has been promoted and demoted again and again for terrible behavior. We still wonder how many bodies will eventually be found in his basement. And yet, knowing this, many will respond to his name with some sort of comment like, "Oh, he's so much fun after work!" I suggest that you try working for him and get back to me.
Several years ago it was openly acknowledged that training was our biggest opportunity. Programs were put into place. Little structure was put into place to insure that anyone was actually trained in these programs. Training is generally put in the hands of individuals who simply have no training skills. Once the training is complete, there is generally no use of the training and so the knowledge is lost. For example, I twice took CPR training from a woman who read magazines and filed her nails while we read the manual and watched videos. She became angry with me because I insisted on taking the final test myself instead of being told the answers by her so she could leave early. A week and a half later, a woman dropped dead in front of me. I restarted her heart and saved her life. Imagine what would might have happened if I hadn't made sure that I left that last class with full comprehension of the topic.
I read many of the posted reviews. There are many examples of abusive behavior in the stores. I am not surprised. Each store is run like a small princedom. One store will be well-run and the next will run purely on momentum. There is little oversight. Regional and district management is often the individual who has been in place the longest. They frequently are barely capable of performing their own jobs. It is not taken into account that just because someone can perform in a position doesn't mean that they can supervise it effectively. They just know what reports need to be filed on what days. That being said; I think that the majority of issues arise because of incompetence rather than malice; although we are talking about a lot of incidents in a company this large. Although I could give you a hundred stories about why I've been here for so long because it's a great company to work for; I could also give you a hundred stories that are so shocking that you simply wouldn't believe me. I guess we all make the best of the hand we're dealt.
