Pros
The core group of people I worked with on a daily basis were fantastic. We became more than colleagues, we became family. Everyone came to work because they had a passion for it. The atmosphere was high stakes, but fun was encouraged. Bike, and industry discounts were great. Even better was the opportunity to help people's cycling dreams come true. If you've never had the chance to see a kid get their first bike, you're missing out. The company was incredibly proactive through COVID, and was very flexible with work schedules for employees in retail. Health benefits, while pricey, were great. Trek was the first place I'd heard folks encouraged to seek mental health solutions along with physical health.
Cons
Trek retail is still in its infancy. There is a ton they are still trying to figure out. There is next to no leadership development for their management. In three years, I had one performance review, and one merit increase. The pay is incredibly non-competitive. In fact, the pay was so low that my staff and I all met the income levels for government assistance had we wanted to use it. Also, your sick time is rolled into your vacation time. Any days you take off due to illness, take away from days you could take for vacation. There is not an open door culture to bring concerns up, or to do so in an anonymous way, or without fear of retaliation. Upper management frequently reminded direct reports that California is an at will state and employees could be let go at any time. Don't forget their favorite mantra, "if someone is unhappy, fire them." There is a toxic double standard for what is acceptable depending on if you're part of the inner circle, and favored by those higher up the chain. Work life balance was encouraged, but rarely actually a thing. People often bragged about how many days they could work without taking a day off. Upper management expected front line management to respond to customer issues after hours. It was very apparent that those who were most successful were single, and did not have kids. Preferential treatment was always given to customers who spent the most money, often leaving those without the same means feeling left out in the cold. I have literally been told by upper management that if a customer spends $9,000 drop whatever is going on and meet their needs.