Pros
You'll meet some great people. They're very good with recruiting nice people to create a great team.
Cons
Pay. Depends on where you live. The whole country is going through a cost of living crisis and they'll pay people in London a good 15% more than people up north.
There's no support! If you have any of your management team leave, you're left on your own to run the store, doing long days with little support from Area Managers who are too busy pretending to do their jobs and sucking up to the SLT.
Nothing set in place in regards to care for their managers. Don't even think of going sick, that will be a strike against your record which is turn affects you mentally, which is even worse because then if the worse happens and you need to take time for your mental health, you're left to suffer. No catch ups, hardly any contact and if you happen to get any contact, it's all fake to show they're following procedures rather than actually caring.
No benefits and I mean NONE. I'm sorry but getting one pair of shoes every six months and 25% off doesn't offset the fact you don't get paid for being sick. Yes you get annual leave but isn't that the law anyway, so nothing to shout about?
They make you look bad to staff in regards to payroll cuts. You'll fund that your team will see you in a different light for following instructions that were out of your control, meaning that your team hours are cut, making them work harder to cover the shortage of staff and hours, which in turn makes them overworked and in some cases ill.
Unless you're working in one of the new stores, you'll find that you'll be working in some horrendous conditions! Don't let that shop floor fool you. There are stores that have a vermin problem, no heating or air con, back of house issues that are a health risk like damp and mould.
Training is very quick and somewhat slap dash for assistant managers and supervisors which is bad as you'll be left to work all day as the only manager.
No work / home balance due to the payroll cuts. You'll be expected to work long hours and accrue many hours to take back and then be discouraged to take those hours back as Lieu, citing "The needs of the business" as to why you can't have those hours back.
You can't look to anyone above you for support, as no one really cares. Going to HR is a waste of time , and they fob you off with a number to call Retail Trust instead of helping you themselves.
