Stay for a good time, not a long time
Pros
-Great, diverse bunch of coworkers to make every day better (varies by location, depends on store management) -50% employee discount on all products -Higher priority for hours/scheduling in a keyholding role -Working at a high-volume retail store gives lots of opportunity to learn new skills (if you are proactive/take initiative)
Cons
-Low pay -Potential annual raise is performance-based (not guaranteed) and capped at 2% for store management -Head office is poorly organized; lack of formal, written manuals/procedures -Very few genuine employee supports/protections for unsafe situations (with coworkers, customers, or other workplace hazards) Upper management: -is an old boys club, some people were clearly promoted for loyalty, not merit/performance/potential -different higher ups have different priorities that sometimes conflict, which causes chaos at the store-level (cut hours for scheduling, increase visual/merchandising/replenishment standards, increase customer service demands, restrict cleaning/merchandising during store hours) -occasionally shows up for surprise store visits, and if they are not happy they might just pull all the staff into the middle of the store and yell at them at length in front of the customers -Store management can make or break your experience with the company/job -High levels of pressure and demand to perform; if you are good at your job and work hard you will be rewarded with *more* work -Low upward mobility -Lots of nepotism and favouritism influencing hiring decisions Environment: -Head office controls the store thermostat, the store is often too cold during the winter and too hot during the summer -Very dry, dusty environment: people with allergies often suffer -Crowded backroom often has lots of physical hazards to navigate -High mental/emotional demands can be exhausting and lead to burnout -Conflict amongst employees can be very messy and difficult to resolve
