Pros
- Access to the ES is nice (for yourself and others) - Requesting time off became easier (by the time I left) - Co-workers in general are pleasant - Opportunity to travel for work (very small, but present) - Occasionally brush elbows with famous people - Can present an opportunity to network with WHQ employees - Great deal on product - If retail is your thing, it's hard to beat this store - Great place for a high school or college kid to work while in school or on a break between terms
Cons
- It's still a retail job, with all the normal pitfalls of retail - Low pay - Erratic schedule and horrid hours (5:30am shift? no thanks!" - A "million" different managers - Bag checks (which always feel demeaning) - Access to the store is nice, but if you spend all your money there you are basically working for free - Very limited full time positions available - Lousy place for a college graduate with little experience to work - you don't gain skills needed for new jobs here unless you want to pursue a career in retail - Politics are far too prevalent in this store, "suck ups" would tend to get promotions and new positions over others - A strong emphasis is placed on a deep commitment to the company and brand, almost cult like at times for some people, and was a huge turn off i.e. I didn't want to drink the "kool aid" - The carrot of working at WHQ was dangled out in front of people given it's proximity, but the programs in place to get retail workers into the corporate realm were not effective (Field First) in my experience. I met with HR asked for help, and nothing ever came of my efforts - There are 200+ employees in the store, and with each manager (or "Coach") being responsible for several employees, some whom they never see due to different schedules, it's far too easy to fall through the cracks and never get anywhere, which is why the people who hog their attention get all the help and progress while the rest of their team languishes quietly - Opportunity for advancement (into corporate) is very tough, and working there only adds to the hoops you have to jump through to apply for positions. The general impression around the store was that you were better off being a temp through Kelly Services to get a job at WHQ than coming up through the company's retail channel. There was an obvious preference to hire temps from the outside rather than their retail employees. Some employees found success by leaving the store, and then coming back six months later as a temp at WHQ