Pros
Most of the people are a lot of fun to work with, and the environment can at times be laid back. It can be a positive environment if you ignore the micro managing. At our location, we have a ton of potlucks and breakfasts which help foster a more cohesive team. I have found that the benefits are bit better than other retail companies and the pay isn't terrible. For retail, you really can't expect much in terms of pay, unfortunately. Benefits are also considered a blessing in this industry. But it is competitive to other department stores. Safety and harassment training is comprehensive and done yearly. The store procedures are taken seriously if anyone is in an unsafe situation. This company does strive to provide the best possible customer service. Luckily, our policies are flexible in that we can really help a customer out when they are unhappy or dissatisfied with our products. Since this is retail, you can't complain about not having weekends or holidays off. There is a respect for a work/life balance from management which can be rare for this industry. Not sure about other locations, but thanks to the litigious nature of California, management is careful about what they can and cannot do.
Cons
Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of upward movement. They seem to promote a lot of associates in to the trainee program, and once that is completed, you'll be a floor manager until someone retires or quits. Some cases that I have seen, the trainee program can last up to almost two years even though you are told that it is no longer than one. There is really nowhere to go in terms of growth. Those that do get promoted in to any sort of position, usually lack the skills to take it on. If you have a "gung ho" attitude without the skill set to back you up, then you have a good chance of getting in to the good graces of upper management. If its the other way around, consider yourself stonewalled for forever. If you come to this company with a college degree, walk away. They don't like knowing you have a higher education. Find something else. One day, management will be upset about you not completing your projects. On the next, they are upset about the lack of floor coverage. Then they staff it so that you can't complete your tasks or assist customers in an efficient manner. If the budget is that strict, then maybe they should look in to how the store is merchandised (which requires maintenance from the staff). The less maintenance required in keeping the store looking like a showroom, maybe we can focus more on customers. Stop setting impossible standards. Cleaning and stocking are important, but we need to service our customers. The nature of our job is such that we can spend a lot of time with one customer, but it may not translate into dollars. That's okay, but management doesn't see it that way, and wonder why we didn't manage to dust or stock.
