First off, OfficeMax was a much better stand alone company in my opinion...
Back to the job...
The first couple of years at the company (then OfficeMax) were not so bad. With it being my first job I was excited to learn many things, besides who isn't excited at their first job? Anywho, I loved my job the first couple of years but where things started to change is that every time for annual review it seemed as there was either a payroll freeze (where you wouldn't get a raise) or was somehow snubbed. Little did I know all these other companies were starting to pay their employees more AND provide benefits. Pay factors into job like-ability a lot, anyone who tells you otherwise is flat out lying. No one wants to work for free or next to nothing, having a hard time paying the bills. Also, it seemed as if the turn over for our particular Store Manager was high. After my initial Store Manager left (to find something better, of which I don't blame her)...we basically had a new SM every year just about (the one who I remember staying the longest was my favorite). Sometimes we would even be without a SM for a extended amount of time. Also, for the record this company clearly doesn't care about/appreciate its employees one bit. They basically try to make you feel bad for not meeting sales goals and basically if you are complacent you can be easily replaced (good luck with that). They also expect if someone calls out and they want you, you are expected to come in (as if you don't have things to take care of on your days off). I did have some very good managers (like my hiring manager) who taught me a lot and that I am very thankful to have encountered/met in my life...and there were some not-so-great ones as well. I also met some really cool coworkers whom I've become very close with. Along with the good managers it made for a fun experience. The job wasn't too demanding but some days and seasons were hectic. I did a little bit of everything around the store. I would say over time I grew less interested in the job. Along with the lack of a good pay grade, retail isn't for everybody and can be very taxing (especially on the body). Onto the merger...I was honestly okay with this but basically they wanted to "drain the swamp" aka get rid of the old employees starting with upper management. It was especially "catty" at times and a lot of back stabbing/undermining/setting people up. All in all, not terrible...just wish I had moved on sooner but I digress...
Overall recap:
Pay sucks, not a ton of hours when you need to pay the bills, too many Store Manager turn overs, not feeling appreciated by company.
