hmv Reviews

Former Employee – worked at hmv

Pros – you met awesome people (both other employees that you worked with and the occasional famous person), the discount was alright

Cons – corporate office down to managers were incredibly pushy with sales and would write you up for not up-selling products at cash, the stores are always a mess, the overhead radio plays all of twenty songs over and over again until you've gone crazy, the customers are rude, the backrooms are chaotic and dangerously messy, hard to take time off, hours are always being cut, no benefits for a full year (even if you are full time)

Advice to Senior Management – stop treating your employees like garbage - brand loyalty is not established with pushy sales people that are constantly terrified that they'll lose their jobs for not selling enough product

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at hmv full-time for more than a year

Pros – + It's nice to be working with what I love as my enthusiasm for the product is genuine and I feel that the customers recognise this.

+ The staff discount, although its not that much, is very handy, especially for birthdays/Christmas.

+ A lot of the staff on my level are very friendly and have a genuine love of what they sell.

Cons – - The store manager uses fear as their primary motivational tool.

- The management are always in contradiction with one another so you're ALWAYS going against someone's instructions.

- No regard for illness or pain when tasks are being delegated. I've often complained of my injuries being made worse by my work, only to be offered no sympathy. I'm currently very ill but I fear the consequences of taking time off.

- Disproportionate punishments follow menial crimes. For example, an employee is awaiting a disciplinary hearing for going to meet a friend outside of work hours to ask a favour of them when he was off sick. He received a barrage of verbal abuse from the manager for this.

- The store is absolutely FILTHY. No-one reports the store to environmental health as they fear being fired. There was a dead mouse in the audio department for a VERY long time and mice regularly eat the confectionary that's for sale. The half-eaten treats are removed rather than the whole batch. I die a little inside every time a customer buys a chocolate bar. The staff kitchen areas are disgusting and rodent-infested and I refuse to eat or prepare food in them. It's also so dusty that my hands are black after half an hour of work. Disgusting.

Advice to Senior Management – This place needs a massive overhaul in the way in which it's managed, starting with respect and decency towards its employees. If I didn't have to worry about my wife and forthcoming family prospects, I'd leave right now. It's sad, because I spent my teenage years dying to work in HMV only to find out how awful it is to work there. I hope other stores fare better.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at hmv

Pros – Working with such a fun & exciting product, you would think makes an exciting environment to work right? Well, no. Not when its His masters voice. Only HMV could turn the stocking of CD's, DVD's & Games into such a laborious mire of tedium.

Cons – The demands placed on you will burn you out. HMV has a corporate environment that frankly makes the third reich seem relaxed. Recent years have not been kind, with most savvy employees heading toward the exit door. All that are left are a bunch of clueless, overpromoted, beaurocratic, soulless individuals more interested in their own careers than the company. An interest in music, film & games is paid occasional lip service, but to be honest, it feels hollow & contrivied. Besides, you'll spend most of your day blindly ticking boxes anyway.

Advice to Senior Management – .

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend