Pros
Opportunity for advancement is there for those who apply themselves. Employee Benefits are exceptional. The company does a good job of providing profit sharing, 401K, and various insurance products at affordable rates. Any associate can have insurance if they truly WANT to have it. The company is responsible with the environment, and does it's best to operate in a sustainable manner.
Cons
Once an associate advances, the training is practically non-existent. Certainly the company provides training classes, but those classes are in many ways political and corporate indoctrination sessions as opposed to providing real skills needed to perform the job. Department Managers are not taught in advance how to perform their jobs and they either sink or swim within weeks. Assistant Managers attend intensive training classes, but once those classes are over, there is no mentoring or guidance in how to perform the job. Everyone who completes the assistant manager training program learns what needs to be done, but no one shows you how to actually perform the duties - again, it's sink or swim. There is no outline of how to or when to perform the duties - simply an expectation that they will be completed. Work life balance no longer exists for me. There needs to be flexibility for managment to remain active in the community. The new shift rotations all but cancel my ability to partake of organized fitness classes, community service groups and boards on which I serve. I used to be able to participate in groups that meet weekly, attend club meetings, and attend classes at the local campus. With the new shifts of 3 days on-3 days, in rotation, it is all but impossible to do so any longer. For associates in baseball, dart or volleyball leagues, they too will have limited ability to enjoy that part of their former lives.