Pros
Compensation is competitive for sales associates and managers 4 Weeks paid vacation as well as sick/personal days Fashion forward with bi-weekly shipments of new merchandise Work/life balance no worse than other retail positions and companies
Cons
- 15% discount does not allow for an affordable way to consistently represent the brand - Snob appeal is questionable enough when it is expected but it is absolutely ridiculous when there is nothing to be snobby about. To be snobby, one would expect a high end brand, quality merchandise, intelligent corporate and none of these things are present at Zara. Treat your customers and employees better... your're not impressing anyone! -There is no genuine customer service culture... it seems to be something the company wants to avoid being known for being bad at but doesn't even understand the fundamental trickle down that is necessary to achieve. Ability to increase sales is the only honest factor in a company that does not have the tools necessary to really achieve customer service - proper technology, merchandise that wont fall apart, helpful policies, empowered associates and managers. Mariela is fantastic but shouldn't have to solve problems that should have been avoided. - Extreme shadiness and inconsistency with human resource policies. Over 6 years, this can be attributed to many factors. First of all, there have only been a few attempts at any written handbook, all of which contained many mistakes. You ask three different people at corporate a question and you will get three different answers.... but at the end be personally accountable for doing what is "right." Even specific people would give different answers for the same scenario. For someone wanting to do the right thing and lead a team with honesty and clear goals, it was impossible. If you are ethical and fair, not a puppet, you will not be happy. I have seen many good people get hurt and not get what they deserved while others got away with everything for years. While everyone ultimately is going to look out for themselves, the way other people are treated or allowed to behave is so ethically wrong, that many have been just as upset about what happened to others as themselves... that shows you something. -Don't expect corporate to understand how to read a report, write a sentence, or answer a question effectively even in their respective discipline. The incompetence is rampant, embarrassing, and frustrating. Being intelligent at this company is not an advantage... in fact it will work against you. - The company vibe is terrible. There is no trust - The ignorance present at all levels is despicable. From "mistakes" on merchandise that are very obviously inappropriate, offensive or just careless to comments from superiors, I have seen and heard too much. - Racism is more obvious than the company may want to think. Under the disguise of "image" people are treated differently. The company will walk on eggshells to not be called out in a racial issue when it actually isn't occurring but will deny someone advancement with no good explanation on the other end.
