Pros
-There is always more to be done so getting your hours won't be a concern, which will lead to a consistent weekly paycheck -Almost all grocery dept. positions are 3rd shift (overnight) so customer interaction is minimal -In general, working 3rd shifts can have lots of advantages if you learn how to master your sleep schedule -Recruiter/Upper Mgmt. are certainly hungry to hire for Asst. Mgmt. Trainee positions, so qualified candidates can negotiate better pay -You'll get a good workout on a nightly basis -In the past couple of years HT has made an effort to reward employees more via free groceries and fuel points, random bonus money and more -Semi annual bonus checks -My estimated range for Asst. Grocery Manager pay is $17-$22/hr, depending on many factors. This estimate was derived from talking to many people in the position at multiple locations and also based on my pay while working there. -Store leadership is okay. Most Store Directors, Store Managers, Co-Managers and Assistant Store Managers are pretty decent human beings. Of course there are exceptions to this rule ; )
Cons
-Job description is very outdated and frankly, inaccurate. As an Assistant Grocery Manager be prepared to do more physical work like stocking and loading salvage trucks as opposed to mostly managing and delegating. -Be prepared to be understaffed unless you step into a good situation. Good situations on overnight grocery are few and far between and don't last long. -HT has this odd problem of running off their good people and promoting the wrong people. The Charleston area District Manager has even acknowledged this issue in the past. This has created a situation where many of the Grocery Managers at different stores (speaking from a Charleston area perspective) are simply the wrong people for the job. Many of them were put into the position for the wrong reasons and lack fundamental skills. As an Assistant Grocery Manager I was typically paired with Grocery Managers who lacked any training and teaching ability. The training of new associates and Mgmt. Trainees usually fell on me because of a lack of willingness or ability from the Grocery Manager. -Good help is hard to find. I'm sure this is true for all departments of a supermarket, but especially in Grocery. Be prepared to have crew members who cannot pull their own weight. -As an Assistant GM there is a likely possibility that you will be bounced around to whatever location is hurting at the moment. When you go to a new location you will inherit new problems. Being transferred is part of the game, but personally it just did not make sense for me anymore. You've been warned. -You'll eventually get burned out. This is just the harsh reality of being responsible for ensuring that hundreds or even thousands of cases of groceries are processed, stocked and blocked every night.