Pros
Though few and far between, I had the benefit of working with some talented people that helped me develop my skills. I was able to attain the position I wanted through hard work. They provided training, some of which was worthwhile. Sales reporting was timely and accurate.
Cons
Senior management is totally out of touch and clueless (in regards to the Retail division, I can't speak for the rest of the company). My group of peers (Retail Store Managers) were largely inept and incapable of performing at a high level. Expectations were to work insane hours to be promoted without overtime pay or commensurate time off. There seemed to be way too much "busy work" and admin tasks not relevant to generating business, or enhancing profitability, that were expected. This created a culture of "Backroom Managers" that were unable to effectively sell, coach, or inspire their staff to perform. The baseline take home wage of a sales person in the organization was very low compared to the amount of knowledge expected of them. The "bench" of Assistant Managers waiting in the wings to replace tenured managers was very weak, and when called upon would inevitably flounder. Lack of a competent sales force and management meant that the customer experience was dramatically varied at different locations or even different shifts at the same location. There were a few bright stars, but not enough to make up for the overwhelming baseline of mediocrity among staff.
