Passion leads to success, but not to work-life balance
Pros
The company is rooted in strong values and does a great job of keeping a customer first mindset. It is a fast-paced job, which is a pro during the slower season (see cons for the inverse). The theme of the store changes every 3-4 weeks, so you get a fresh take on your merchandise and the story you communicate to the customer. I often see these reviews tout the freebies you get, and while a nice perk, they are certainly not the reason people are sacrificing their weekends and family time. The people, the team, and the energy were the bigger draw and made the workplace special. The district leadership was particularly strong, and I felt part of a community of peers among the other stores. The company was usually ahead of the curve in terms of industry pay for part-time, hourly employees, which was beneficial for attracting and retaining talent. Inclusion and diversity were highlights, and I always felt like my team and I were a valued asset to the company. The company had a robust and comprehensive benefits package and paid vacation time (although caveats on when it can be used, given the nature of seasonal business). The executive leadership team spent time in the field. They made a point to get into the stores, to engage with the customer and team members, and see what was working and what wasn't at the ground level. As far as long term health of the company, I leave that for investors to decide; however, I hope the company's award winning customer service and level of engagement and one-on-one experience allow it to remain viable where other specialty retailers have stumbled or failed in recent years.
Cons
Work-life balance is preached in person and in paper, but is not the reality. It's retail, so you are signing up for it, but it takes its toll. I mentioned the pace in the pros section, but during the holidays and peak season that quickly flipped on it's head when presented with the brand's often unrealistic expectations regarding execution timetables. The company prides itself on its flexibility regarding its response to trends in the business. At times this is a strength, but what sounds great in a boardroom doesn't necessarily translate well to the store level. Floorset dates are moved on a whim and you have to connect with staff and transition 150-180 labor hours for post-close-of-business work during the holidays when you are already running on extended hours of operation. The lack of a dedicated full-time operations manager separate from the sales staff really limits the team. The move to a sales-per-associate-hour (SPAH) model for tracking employee productivity was one of those initiatives that worked well on paper, but led to a negative impact on what had once been a strong team-selling environment. It went through a number of iterations in a short time span, which led to confusion and inconsistency. It's most negative impact was in effectively transforming store leaders into highly paid sales associates, distorting time management disproportionately from operations and leadership in the name of hitting arbitrary individual goals.
