Pros
Sales team were extremely professional and supportive
Cons
During my time in VCA, I found the work environment lacked qualities but mainly strong leadership. Leaders with minimal experience were in senior roles, introverted personalities who struggle to hold basic conversations with their team and leaders who prefer to manage from Backroom sitting down rather than being on the floor with their team. There were no regular check-ins or daily guidance from management. Feedback was only given during last-minute meetings, leaving little chance for proper support or growth. The sales team were professional and hardworking. Couldn’t fault the sales team. But the same couldn’t be said for some of the management team. They were just cruising through. Leadership often failed to address important issues, like low staffing on the shop floor, which created security risks. When concerns were raised, they were dismissed, showing a lack of care and responsibility. The rosters are not compliant and provide no personal life. Enjoy having 1 day off while getting non stop messages and emails. You have no time to relax. You don’t get consecutive days off in a row. They are split up through out the week. Some people in leadership roles didn’t seem to have the right skills to manage a team effectively. The team are wanting growth in their careers however not supported by the current situation. Leaders over promise but can’t deliver. The leaders have no previous experience in leadership… so learning from them was minimal. Promotions appeared to be based on convenience rather than ability, and there was little focus on training or development. Six months into my role, the company had to bring in someone from outside to provide training, highlighting the lack of support from local leadership. The work culture also allowed toxic behavior to continue unchecked. Reports of bullying and unprofessional conduct were ignored, creating a negative and stressful environment. Overall, the lack of support, poor leadership, and toxic culture made working at Van Cleef & Arpels a disappointing experience. It’s unfortunate that such a well-known brand allows these issues to go on, affecting both the team and the work environment.