Pros
Infectious "high on life" energy Free yoga/fitness classes Discount Getting to wear casual and comfortable clothing to work Encouraged to be authentic in my interactions with customers Support in being an "entrepreneur" in my section of the store, be creative, come up with ideas for visual merchandising, store events, etc. Environment that promotes wellness Support in asking questions, wasn't made to feel stupid for not knowing things or needing to have information repeated Access to tools to develop myself as an educator within the store
Cons
The biggest one for me: manipulative in pressuring educators to do work off the clock --> Examples: Create, print, and hang a stylish list of your life goals for the next 10 years (required); come to a store event and buy a top in a particular color; create a development plan (required); read books that the company thinks are important; go on the employee-only website and watch store-related videos (required); read company newsletters and store emails (required) Cliquey, personality-driven Received mixed-messages about maintaining life/work balance --> Said one thing, actions said another Leadership was not trustworthy in maintaining own integrity around store policies Pressured to ask customers personal questions when it was clear that they wanted to be left alone