Organizational communication is heavy on slogans and superficial engagement, with little meaningful follow-through. Leadership is constantly coming up with performative awards, mantras, and t-shirts, while critical issues remain untouched. Meetings are a rinse-and-repeat cycle of empty buzzwords without execution or follow-through.
Executive leadership team lacks diversity and appears more invested in maintaining a cult-like façade than genuinely cultivating a respectful, fair, and inclusive workplace. COO is a well-known narcissist; everyone in leadership seems to have a disturbing story about the way he treats people. The “family” illusion quickly crumbles once you are in a position to hear how these c-suite leaders speak of associates behind closed doors. This ruptures trust and does not encourage associates.
Critical feedback is often mischaracterized as a lack of loyalty or resilience, rather than taken as an opportunity for constant improvement. Most associates don’t report harassment, safety concerns, and other serious issues, because they’ve seen what happens to those that do. This company truly struggles to hear any level of dissent. If you speak up, you must just “not have what it takes” or “aren’t committed enough to the family”. As such, conflict rarely sees resolution in a timely manner, and genuine concerns are often deflected back onto the person raising them. Facilities remain in disrepair until serious injuries force action (but only after the new stores have finished construction). Leadership misses the opportunity to repair trust with associated in each of these situations.
There can be a fair amount of high-school-level drama and unprofessionalism. Inappropriate relationships (including among management) are commonplace, and accountability for sexual harassment, discriminatory behavior, and poor performance is virtually nonexistent, unless you go directly to HR, which associates are dissuaded from doing. Frankly, I’m quite grateful to have forgotten many of the things I witnessed or was told during my time here.
While some people thrive with this company, others may find the culture challenging, especially those who value integrity, clear professional boundaries and expectations, and execution. Long-term career-level success with this company depends on your ability to stomach the kool aid, unresolved conflict, out of touch execs, limited structural support, and relatively low pay.
