No longer lead the market on salary and remuneration; other retailers offer a higher salary and better benefits.
Long hours, subtly expected to stay past your shift end time; this isn’t necessarily direct, however indirectly you are not favoured by senior managers if you choose a work life balance over your career.
The short term prioritised over long term solutions; senior managers cannot plan cover properly, either due to ineptitude, time constraints or simply lack of resources.
Decline in experience; many long serving staff have left the company or are looking for opportunities outside of the company. The company is teetering on a mass exodus of operational colleagues.
Unclear, biased internal recruitment; the recruitment process is not communicated to colleagues who are intent on pursuing a career internally. It’s that old adage ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’. This creates a cliquey culture in senior circles, and many successful candidates are proven to be widely inept in their new roles.
This leads me onto the biggest issue the company still have, after decades in business.
Training; my colleagues and I have never felt so unsupported, confused and demotivated by the company’s lacklustre, carefree attitude towards training. The company are keen to check off training as soon as possible, as encouraged by cluster managers. Stores are challenged to compete against each other to see how can clear through their list first. Competition is excellent for a business when used correctly. Rushing to complete key operational training is ignorant to the importance of proper training. Managers are so overworked, they often see plans like Trading Law refreshers as a tick box exercise. This extends to onboarding new colleagues. We’re told that companies typically have a high turnover in retail, but not this bad. Do better.
Toxic, unqualified, vindictive managers in the wrong positions; cancelling seasonal parties because they are ‘undeserved’, refusing holiday requests and laughing about it in front of members or staff. Failing to complete risk assessments for vulnerable team members. Collating the failings of members of staff because they just don’t get on with them or don’t want to work with them. Discussing sick colleagues on the shop floor and ‘how we can get rid of them’
