There was clapping, chanting, singing, and hand-holding during training. Very kumbaya, sitting by the campfire-type crap which didn't suit my personality at all. I don't like phoniness and a lot of this felt very phony and contrived.
The store has team huddles at the start and end of each day. Someone starts a slow clap and everyone is expected to join in. One time I didn't clap and a team member got attitude with me for not falling into line. You couldn't be an individual with your own personality. You stood out if you didn't participate in even the silliest stuff.
Management didn't want anyone walking out of the store alone at night. Part of it was concerns about safety, part of it is part of their loss prevention strategy. A couple times I did walk out alone because no one else was getting off at the time or people were doing other things and I was ready to go. Team members looked at me like I was a martian for having the gall to walk out alone.
When our new store had corporate trainers visiting, local management chastised the staff for not asking enough questions of them and felt we weren't contributing to the conversation. They were extremely concerned about setting a good impression for corporate so they treated us like school children. It was insulting.
Everything just felt FORCED. Nothing was organic. From management's constant parroting of "I LOVE my job!" to the silly clapping and singing, the chastising for not asking enough questions...I just felt like I was a part of a cult and I was the only one who hadn't drunk the kool-aid.
