Workplace reviews and discussion: 特力集團＿HOLA＿HOLA CASA＿HOLA Petite＿Crate&Barrel＿特力屋股份有限公司

Discussing the group’s situation from within the branch, with the branch administrative department having retired:

1. Most of the branch employees are very friendly.

2. The group organizes various internal activities, such as hiking and walking events with prize draws.

3. Regarding social welfare and charitable initiatives, there is basically a volunteer day every year (helping disadvantaged groups with home renovations; the extent of assistance depends on the budget of the responsible branch). Every Christmas, employees also adopt children from disadvantaged families and purchase gifts for them.

4. Judging from the group departments’ provision of psychological counseling, a sexual harassment hotline, and a monthly reading list for personal growth, they seem genuinely committed to promoting these initiatives.

1. We are currently going through growing pains. The group is in the process of transitioning between generations and seems to be undergoing transformation. Every year, it adjusts the bonus system to test the waters: it changed from no year-end bonus with monthly bonuses to no year-end bonus with quarterly bonuses. I did not seriously attend the training related to the additional bonus, but judging from my colleagues’ experiences, it does not seem to have made a very noticeable positive difference.

2. The starting salary has been increased but is still below 28,000. Long-term employees who joined before a certain point have still not received an increase, while new employees earn more than veteran employees.

3. The relationship between superiors and subordinates depends heavily on the manager’s attitude. Since senior management seems to put considerable pressure on branch managers, some branch managers may be unable to withstand it and pass part of that pressure down, which affects employees’ work experience.

4. Although the group provides various forms of employee counseling and support, I still do not feel a sense of security in this area. Perhaps it is an environmental issue.

5. There are many work-related issues. The sales department deals with customer-complaint crisis management every day, while the administrative department supports other departments by staffing cashier stations.

6. Communication between upper and lower levels is difficult, so problems usually cannot be reported upward; instead, subordinates are simply expected to work harder to meet targets.

7. I believe it is not a good arrangement for salary increases to be tied to performance evaluations, with the evaluation score controlled solely by one direct supervisor. This is an era in which every generation has its own characteristics; however, most of the branch managers who can communicate with senior management in this group are over 50. The group has become a bloated behemoth that is difficult to move.

8. From what I have heard about the interview process, a 40-year-old HR employee and an accountant once discussed recruitment: if an applicant’s educational background did not match the position, they would not be invited to an interview. However, after the accountant resigned, the new accountant was a cashiering-course employee who had not attended university.

9. The administrative office has all the basic problems one would expect, such as passing the buck, shifting blame, or veteran employees acting as though they possess superior judgment.