Pros
The atmosphere is extremely laid back for our department, and although not everybody is friends, working together professionally doesn’t seem to be a problem. In the one instance I had an issue that required HR or management involvement, it was taken seriously and dealt with immediately. Our department demands constant communication and teamwork, and while it is something that we need to work on, the management and supervisors are always working with us to keep up to date on progress and any issues that come up. Safety is a major component to working freight, and it is taken seriously at this store. While I may consider using a ladder to carry a heavier item up to the overhead, there is always someone around offering to help or offering to use the order picker if needed. In general, this store carries a fun, friendly, and inviting sense of teamwork, which is a change from when I worked there a few years ago. Management and supervisors are easy to communicate with and accessible anytime, and hard work is noticed and congratulated via Bravos and other congratulatory avenues -- knowing others recognize your effort and professionalism really makes this store quite high in morale compared to other retail companies I’ve worked for. The pay increase for Freight’s base pay is a huge positive for me -- finally knowing that the store recognizes the hard work and effort for freight workers really makes working here more satisfying.
Cons
The balance of department hours and cross training was an issue with my previous time here and looks like it may be again. I wish to train in sales departments simply for product knowledge, not to switch departments. Being in the operations department and working 1-2 hours during store hours, it is hard for me to answer customer questions if I am not trained for a department. Generally I can call a department associate, but near the end of business hours there isn't always somebody readily available. I’d enjoy being able to help with more than just directing a customer to another person or to a specific aisle, but it would also be nice to have more sales associates cross trained or on the clock near the end of the night. Being part time has the drawback of not always knowing if I will be working 12 or 20 hours a week, and picking up hours in other departments isn’t an option yet as I lack training. Hopefully this will be rectified soon.
