In this company, what you know and who you know go hand in hand. Floor management is given independence to run their teams their way, provided they hit goals and don't draw too far outside the lines. This in some ways creates a public school environment: Some teachers inspire their students...some make them want to drop out entirely. From the top down there is a constant but rather inconsistent level of pressure to perform or face termination. When there is a lull in customer volume, employees are given adequate time and support to develop their skills...if the volume spikes unexpectedly however, external pressure related to the bottom line overrules, and suddenly everyone in the center is under the guillotine again. As an employee that has seen 80% of the center (now 900 strong) replaced with fresh meat in only a years time, and a large number of those let go having equal or better performance than my own (networking is key), it is frustrating to see so much talent go to waste on a regular basis as a result of a supervisor's<team manger's<director's<corp exec's own stress to perform-or-face-a-similar-fate mentality. Going back to the Pros, you can advance rapidly if you make people notice the positive things you do at the right time, because every level in the hierarchy drops like flies.
