Pros
Not a lot of pros, unfortunately, except for the fact that the team/girls you work with are so sweet. Benefits are few as well, with discounts stingy and loyalty points not allowed to be used.
Cons
Compared to the pros, there are many many cons to working at this place.
First of all, management. Management definitely has a lot to improve. They put a lot of pressure on part-time workers and expect the most from them while offering the least pay. They are also very stingy with discounts, leave, and pay raises. They barely recognise the hard work employees put in and often take it for granted. In my opinion, this also explains why the turnover rate is so high. In my experience, managers often stayed in the back and did very little, which was especially frustrating when the store became busy. Upper management would also frequently monitor security camera footage, which put unnecessary pressure on employees.
Another con is the lack of training provided when you join. At most companies, you would usually receive a brief introduction outlining what to expect and the key things to remember. Especially in a skincare store, you would expect some form of training on ingredients and product knowledge. However, in my experience, and according to others, this training was not provided. Instead, you are given a "training module" and expected to memorise everything from a PDF. A document alone will not adequately train employees or solve workplace issues. Management is also known for taking performative actions to show that it is meeting requirements, but these actions do not genuinely help employees.
Another issue with Hikoco is that employees are often expected to perform managerial duties, only to be criticised when they make mistakes. Staff are expected to know everything, despite receiving little to no training in those areas. The responsibility for training new employees is often placed on whoever happens to be working that day, rather than on a manager. As a result, employees are expected to teach and train new staff themselves.
Another concern was the employment agreement. At the time I worked there, employees were subject to a restriction that prevented them from working for another beauty retailer for a period after leaving the company. While I understand the need to protect business interests, I felt this was unnecessarily restrictive for retail employees and could limit employment opportunities. My understanding is that this policy may have changed since then, but it was a concern during my time with the company.
Another issue was getting leave approved. In my case, annual leave had to be requested 3 months in advance, but even when submitted early, requests were not always approved. In my experience, my own leave request was rejected without a clear explanation. This made it difficult to plan time off and contributed to a lack of flexibility for employees. Sick leave also felt somewhat discouraged, as taking time off when unwell did not always seem straightforward.