The company provides little incentive for anyone to start working there. It's hard to get an offer for anything above minimum wage, the commission percentage is low, and the benefits are not competitive. They describe mandatory performance metrics as "opportunities" to increase your pay.
There are little incentives to go above and beyond - they just don't reward good performance. A reward at Sears for going above and beyond is to barely earn as much as someone at a competitor's company that has fewer metrics to meet. A typical associate has to meet metrics on Credit, SYW Loyalty, SYW Enrollment, PA, Accessory sales, Member Feedback, Store 2 Home orders - all for minimum wage. While an associate at a competitor makes $2 more per hour just to greet customers that walk in the door. Who wants to do more work for less pay? No one.
The most common complaint from customers is the wait time in lines or not being able to find someone to assist them. This is because Sears cannot hire enough staff as they refuse to compete in terms of compensation and benefits. Applicants walk away laughing when they hear the expectations and offered wage in an interview, and everyone else has to work harder to compensate for the poor staffing levels.