DECATHLON法商迪卡儂Retail_台灣迪卡儂有限公司

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First, the headhunting company conducted two phone interviews (one of them even called during my working hours). In addition to asking me to prepare my own résumé, they required me to fill out their résumé form in detail and informed me that there might be an interview in English. I then began spending whatever free time I had over the course of a week preparing.

The problem was that the headhunting company told me the interviewer would randomly choose a time to call after I got off work. I replied that I could arrange a fixed time to accommodate the interview, but the headhunting company said, “Since that’s what the interviewer said, let’s just go along with it for now!”

As a result, from that Wednesday evening when they informed me until after work the following Thursday evening, I was constantly on edge. I didn’t dare go anywhere after work and could only keep an eye on my phone, afraid that an unfamiliar number might suddenly call and that it would be embarrassing if I missed it.

Yet the so-called interviewer never called. When I asked the headhunting company, they only then told me that the interviewer had been very busy lately and had apparently gone on a business trip.

So is it acceptable to casually waste a job applicant’s time?

Eventually, they arranged for the interviewer to call on Friday. The phone interview lasted about 20 minutes, and I was told that the result would be communicated to the headhunting company later. But by Monday, I still had not received any proactive notification. Moreover, during the interview, it felt as though the interviewer thought internet marketing and sales were the same position. XD

In the end, I had to ask the headhunting company about the result myself, only to receive a canned “thank you” reply.

Do they really intend to hire someone for this position? Or are they merely going through the motions to make up the numbers? If they are being highly selective and have strict standards, they should simply avoid wasting everyone’s time from the outset.

- You can learn all the skills used in the retail industry here

- Compared with more well-organized companies, there is more freedom regarding certain matters

- Not bad for short-term work

- A foreign company that is Taiwanese in everything but its exterior; don't expect too much just because it is a French company

- It is good at using rhetoric to beautify the company's policies and actions; you need to think for yourself so you won't be brainwashed

- The bonus system is extremely poor, with standards higher than the ceiling

- Promotions and salary adjustments are completely opaque and unsystematic, relying largely on managers' subjective opinions, with absolutely no basis

- Some benefits are acceptable, but anything related to money is very poor—for example, there is no year-end bonus

- Poor prospects for long-term development

Interviewed for the Sales Assistant position

Pros: The work environment is very free and relaxed.

The interviewer clearly explained the nature of the job.

A large amount of stock handling, merchandising, and resolving customers’ various problems.

Some product displays need further adjustment.

For example: clothes are hung on the racks without being properly arranged.

The JD for the managerial position was recommended by a recruiting agency whose name starts with A. They said a phone conversation would be required before the interview. Unexpectedly, when the other company’s Marketing Manager called, the managerial responsibilities described in the JD were completely different. On top of that, the interviewer kept asking, “Is there anything else you’d like to ask?” and seemed very impatient, as if they wanted to wrap things up quickly. The entire conversation felt very cold, which is quite different from Decathlon’s corporate image...

Later, I discovered that the JD issued by the agency was simply incorrect, making the first phone interview end in a completely awkward manner...

Please, could your company stop having recruiting agencies arrange interviews without first confirming the job details with you? It wastes the interviewee’s time!

Your company headquarters are in Taichung, and I had already agreed that I could travel there for work. Why did you still agree to let the agency bring in someone from northern Taiwan just to reject them?

The company places importance on interviewees, provides a comprehensive introduction to its corporate philosophy, and allows employees to make mistakes.

Suitable for newcomers without experience; the interview experience is cheerful and lively. Overall, the employees tend to be young and energetic.

The management trainee position does not require specialists in a specific field. The interview is lengthy, lasting about two hours. As long as you have a lively and outgoing personality, you have a good chance. The interview provides little information about the job duties; most of the time is spent on activities and case analysis. They also do not provide you with feedback. If you are not a fit, they simply say that you are not the person they are looking for. People with professional skills are not advised to interview, as they may feel that their abilities are being wasted.

1. The benefits are okay.

2. Freedom (usually, they won’t give you many instructions).

3. The employees are all very nice and straightforward; there’s no office politics.

4. They really love renting out entire venues with company funds to throw parties.

5. You can say you’ve worked for a French company when you leave.

6. Carrefour, home improvement stores, and furniture stores love poaching employees.

1. A bit stingy; applying for overtime pay is difficult.

2. The base salary is indeed a little higher than elsewhere, but there’s no year-end bonus. You only receive a profit-sharing bonus at the beginning of the year, usually amounting to half a month to one month’s salary—about as underwhelming as it gets.

3. Frontline employees are generally too sensitive and difficult to manage. They may be too young and often don’t understand basic workplace etiquette.

4. Even underperforming employees can’t be disciplined because they haven’t done anything seriously wrong, which leaves middle managers with major headaches.

5. Policies change from morning to evening; the company keeps cycling between experimentation and failure, making life miserable for frontline employees. It may be acceptable at first, but over time it becomes genuinely disappointing.

6. (Also a pro) There are no SOPs or instructions; you have to figure out for yourself what the company needs. If you’re smart, have ideas, and know how to observe, you can really get promoted quickly. But if you’re merely average, you may remain stuck in the same position for a very long time and eventually give up.

7. The salary increases are ridiculously small. You work yourself to the bone, meet all your performance targets, and they’ll simply tell you, “That’s just what you’re supposed to do.” They might toss you a few hundred dollars and feed you some nonsense about expecting you to break through next year. The targets keep getting higher every year, but of course the raise is only a few hundred each time. How many years will it take before the increase actually feels meaningful?

8. There’s only one way to build a high annual salary: work in middle management for about three years, then become a store manager and do that for another two or three years. Only then will things start to look decent—you might reach an annual salary of a million or more. But middle management is brutally tough, and many people have had enough after just one or two years.

After working as a store manager for a while, you may be promoted to regional manager. That’s when the $$$ really becomes a huge, huge package. But the chances are slim, because the people at that level refuse to leave. They work 9–6 every day, clocking in and out on time; it’s a cushy position, so of course they aren’t going anywhere.

Alternatively, you can apply for an internal transfer to lead a head-office department, such as procurement or customer service. By then, you’ll already be thoroughly familiar with the company’s brands and system logic, so it’s easy to go wherever you want. As long as your English is good enough to communicate with the big French boss, and you remember to put on a cosmopolitan persona and make yourself look impressive, you can move freely within the company. You can play around with internal positions as you like: store manager this year, HR next year, and supply chain the year after that~

If you’re determined to take on the challenge of ever-changing policies, come on over! Level up by fighting monsters for ten years, and then we’ll take you to the dungeon boss.

Before arriving at the venue, the job-bank posting sounded very appealing. It suggested that you could learn from working in the store, develop sports project management skills, and gain experience in store sales.

I was notified about an interview, but it turned out to be a special recruitment event co-organized with a government agency (a rapid interview session).

When I submitted my résumé through the job bank, the additional requirements emphasized: “You must explain why you like ** sports and describe your related experience. Applications without this information will not be accepted.” I carefully provided the requested information, received an interview notification, and was also told to bring a résumé. I wrote an autobiography as well. However, when I arrived, I still had to fill out another official résumé form from the government agency (to collect data?).

There were six people at a time, interviewed one-on-one, and each interview ended after only a few minutes. I really couldn’t understand it. I only found out what it was like when it was my turn. When I handed over my résumé, I had already said that I had brought my own résumé for them to look over; the interviewer just smiled, nodded, and set it aside. Then they asked me to introduce myself for about three minutes. I had not originally worked in the service industry and wanted to change careers into store sales, so I was simply curious and asked why. I also mentioned that I was a member, shopped there frequently, and described my sports-related experience. Then they asked me to choose one photo to represent myself and explain why. That was it. In short, the interviewer quickly brought the interview to an end, smiled, and apologized, saying that after my three-minute self-introduction, they had found that I did not possess the personality traits they were looking for. Then they thanked me for coming to the interview (and it was over).

The openings included store manager, full-time, and cashier positions. The three-minute self-introduction was apparently only to assess personality traits, which left me completely bewildered. Is this a direct-sales company? (Are they looking for someone enthusiastic, outgoing, and generous?) From beginning to end, they did not ask any detailed questions about the sports-related position I had applied for—for example: Have you thought about how to promote this sport? How would you develop it? What are your thoughts on this sport? What are your plans for the future? How would you deal with difficulties and setbacks? None of that—none at all.

I left in total confusion and disbelief. This interview experience was completely different from the interview processes described online by other people. It did not even count as a proper formal interview. They clearly had not carefully reviewed my résumé—was I really eliminated after three minutes? But then I thought that perhaps what I expressed was not what they had expected, such as saying that I really enjoyed chatting with people, had an optimistic and lively personality, was outgoing and generous, and liked helping others. But what would be the need to advertise yourself like that right from the start? Maybe my personality really is not suitable. I would not begin by heavily emphasizing how distinctive my personality is.

They did not seriously read my résumé or autobiography at any point. They only flipped through them quickly when they wanted to ask me questions. The interviewer then thought of one of the three questions printed on the A4 acrylic board on the table that we had been asked to think about while filling out the form: “Choose one photo that can represent you and explain why.” ………………… (Was the board with the questions we were supposed to think about just there for decoration?)

I do not know what the items I was asked to prepare were for. Although I have bought quite a few products from Decathlon, the interview experience was genuinely unpleasant. I’m sorry, but I have to give it a poor review.

The interviewer was very friendly, and the atmosphere was very friendly and casual. The office at the Taichung Nantun flagship store is spacious, and there are many employees.

I recently interviewed with the French company Decathlon for an E-commerce Platform Specialist position.

The interview process was very enjoyable. All three interviewers were Taiwanese members of the e-commerce department and were very friendly. They asked many questions, so we talked for two hours.

I had not heard back after a week, so I thought I should proactively call one of the interview managers to ask about the interview results and status. If I was not selected, I also wanted to know what aspects of my skills and attitude I could improve and strengthen.

I just called the manager in charge of Decathlon’s e-commerce interviews. He was very kind and explained their recruitment process to me. He told me that the entire process takes 1–3 months, so it takes a long time to receive the interview results~ (He said that almost all of his colleagues had to wait that long before receiving an offer.)

First, they have to wait until all the candidates—10% of the several hundred résumés they received—have completed their interviews. (He said I was interviewed in the early stages, so my waiting time might be longer than that of other candidates.) The applications then have to be submitted to the French General Manager of the Taiwan region for review and discussion before a decision is made. There may also be a second interview and other steps in between, meaning the process will take approximately 1–3 months!

OMG. Then I asked whether they would select around 3–10 people from the many candidates, right? He said they were hiring.....just 1 person. It really is a selection of one in ten thousand!

I decided not to waste time waiting for an offer. Who can go 2–3 months without a job while also bearing the risk of ending up with no offer at all? I quickly moved on~~~

p.s. This manager also told me that most foreign companies take several months to make an offer this way.... I had never applied to a foreign company before, so this was truly an eye-opener @@

The group interview was fun, and the group discussion revealed people's personality traits. It was very relaxed.

I applied for the position of hiking and trekking lead, which should have been the leader of that program. Ironically, the entire interview focused on things that were not very relevant, and did not even mention screening or assessment of professional abilities.

The interviewers were all assigned at the last minute and were not HR specialists.

In the end, I realized that what the company actually wanted was not someone with genuine expertise in the field.

If you're a passionate young person with no experience, that's okay—as long as you can speak well and show enthusiasm, your chances of being hired are definitely higher.

A share from a professional in hiking equipment with more than ten years of experience who was not selected.

Position: Sports Leader

Salary: 35k–45k

My thoughts after working here for more than three years.

I think this is an enterprise that seeks innovation and change. Perhaps not all of its technologies or philosophies are the newest or fastest, but Decathlon Taiwan is not afraid of failure. Learning by doing and then continuously improving is Decathlon Taiwan’s strength. I have not had any other full-time jobs in Taiwan. After graduating, I worked part-time for six months, saved some money, and went on a working holiday. After returning to Taiwan, I joined Decathlon by chance. So I wouldn’t dare say that all foreign companies are like this, nor do I know whether Taiwanese companies are actually the same. These are simply my personal experiences and realizations from working here.

I worked my way from part-time to full-time, and I’m actually quite happy to have stumbled into this opportunity to join the company. I learned many things—not only ways of working, but also many concepts. Whatever your position, if there is something you are interested in learning, you can express it. The company will encourage you to try and learn, but learning something does not mean that you are capable of taking on that position.

To put it plainly, the promotion system is not transparent and is subject to managers’ opinions. However, this has both advantages and disadvantages, depending on your luck and how you look at it. Personally, I feel that having the right attitude and being willing to work hard and persevere will be noticed.

In terms of salary, Decathlon will not let you starve, but it is not a company that will make you rich either. It is a very law-abiding company, and its salary standards are slightly better than the statutory minimum wage. Salary increases depend on your work performance and task results, but ultimately, the manager decides whether you get a raise and how much it will be.

Overall, if you are someone who enjoys learning and is willing to take on challenges, Decathlon can offer you many paths, opportunities, challenges, achievements, and setbacks. You can spark many ideas with people who have different areas of expertise here. However, if you prefer a comfortable job and only want to go to work, collect a paycheck, and go home, Decathlon is not recommended for you.

Decathlon is willing to let employees try things and make mistakes, so relatively speaking, it is not such a high-pressure or rigid workplace. However, everything has two sides. When you encounter the wrong people, many things become inefficient and may even affect your mood at work, yet they cannot necessarily be resolved immediately. If you encounter someone who knows how to handle the situation, it is fine; if you encounter someone who does not, you will have a major headache. Whether this becomes exhausting depends on the individual.

The interview atmosphere was good, though it was a little lengthy.

It is difficult to understand the “personality traits” that the headquarters’ managers are looking for.

The job requirements are dressed up as being lively, loving sports, having strong team spirit, and so on.

Yet in the end, they do not hire people who meet the above criteria (or perhaps they do not hire anyone at all?).

The position remains posted continuously.

It seems that their standards are very high, but the people they find each time cannot stay for long.

I really do not understand what kind of employees these Taiwanese managers, who return from studying abroad with an aura of prestige, actually like.

I advise anyone planning to interview to think twice, because the reasons for rejecting candidates are inexplicable.

The benefits are comprehensive, but the job is only suitable for part-time students.

1. The flagship store provides all the benefits it should, but the monthly bonus targets are set at an unattainable level, with the required growth rate doubling every year. The bonus is visible but unattainable.

2. During the interview and onboarding process, the company attracts you by emphasizing its open-minded culture. However, whenever you offer an opinion or suggestion, the store manager dismisses it on the grounds that it does not align with Decathlon, assumes you are causing trouble, and criticizes you.

3. The people above keep passing tasks down to you, making your workload increasingly heavy under the guise of learning.

4. Neither the promotion nor salary-adjustment process is straightforward. Whether it is a promotion or a raise, the people above have the final say, and there are no clear standards at all. If you know how to flatter and please those above you, it does not matter even if your work is poor. If you do not know how to flatter them, they will only tell you that your abilities are insufficient, but will never tell you what you lack, making it impossible for you to receive a raise or promotion.

5. They say one thing and do another. Whenever they are caught saying something inappropriate, they simply deny it afterward.

You can join to gain experience for a while, but be mentally prepared to endure unreasonable demands.

The company gives employees room to make mistakes and emphasizes “responsibility and freedom.” There is freedom to exercise management and decision-making skills, but you must also complete the tasks within your responsibilities.

I interviewed for an operations position at the Ruifang warehouse. The hours were 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with normal start and finish times. Occasionally, there might be shift work, but there would be no excessive hours or overtime.

I graduated from NTU’s business school and earned a master’s degree from a Top 30 university worldwide. I decided to submit my résumé to Decathlon because I really admire the company’s products.

The first time I interviewed for the operations manager position at the Ruifang warehouse, they also required me to converse in English on the spot. The entire process took two hours. After touring the warehouse, we discussed the company, as well as potential promotion opportunities. The interview itself was fairly pleasant. Not long after I got home, I received an offer—but it was for a warehouse administrator position, with a salary of less than NT$30,000.

I feel that offering this salary is completely inconsistent with my academic background and experience. Decathlon likes to promote its dreams and respect for talent, but why does it feel like they are making a joke out of those dreams? When I saw the salary offer, I honestly felt that the time I spent going to the interview had been wasted........

Not long afterward, I received a call from the manager of the Bade store, who said that they had seen my résumé and wanted to discuss a sales-floor manager position. They asked whether they could talk with me for ten minutes, and I agreed. The conversation was fairly ordinary, but I was out at the time. After about thirteen minutes, I interrupted and told them I was outside and asked whether they could call me back at an arranged time the next day. They agreed. However, the next day I waited a long time, but they never called. I contacted them proactively, but received no response. After that, I never heard from them again. Today, I received a rejection email from them through 104 Job Bank.

I think it would have been fine if they realized during the first call that I was not a good fit. If they wanted to reject me, they could simply reject me—it’s not as though I can’t handle rejection. But after arranging to continue the phone interview the next day, they should at least have notified me by text message or email if they no longer intended to call. There was no need to waste my time by leaving me waiting around.

Overall, my experience with this company was that the people were nice and the employees were friendly, but the company did not respect people.

Also, the Ruifang warehouse is genuinely quite inconvenient to reach by public transportation. After getting off the bus, you have to walk uphill for another 15 minutes. Fortunately, I’m in the habit of arriving early for interviews.

The company has a comprehensive system and good benefits, but how the system is implemented varies from store to store. In other words, the system is not followed, and the standards for benefit bonuses are also set by the store manager.

When I reported a salary error to HR, HR and the store manager kept passing the issue back and forth. Once it was investigated, it could simply have been corrected—why pass the problem around? They quibble with employees over a few hundred or thousand dollars, yet where does all the money they earn from customers every day go?

【Having spent around two years working in a mall, and based on a department manager’s firsthand experience, the following applies to the situation in the mall departments of any branch.】

From an interviewee’s perspective, it is definitely not good, because the company completely delegates interview and hiring decision-making authority to the heads of individual departments instead of having a single team handle the allocation process. So, for example, if you email the Neihu store, and they are not hiring at all at that time, the job will basically not even be posted on 104. There is no standardized interview-process training, no unified channel, and no designated person responsible for managing 104. Basically, it is a mess.

But as for whether the job is good, I can only say that in one year, you can learn every skill under the sun. While everyone is currently criticizing the department managers featured in those recruitment videos, saying things like, “It makes it look like direct selling,” “Can you just hand out manager positions to new graduates?” and “The whole store is full of managers,” I can guarantee that if you can stay in the position of “department manager” for a full year and leave with a smile, you will be someone who is not afraid of hard work, criticism, unreasonable situations, or, at the same time, managing “people, matters, resources, and finances.” What other job lets you gain experience in all four areas while allowing you to make decisions with full authority, take responsibility for yourself, and tolerate your own mistakes?

As long as you do not leave because you cannot stand it anymore or because you were fired, but leave because you have thought it through carefully, you will basically have the abilities a manager should possess. All that remains is time and experience in different industries.

I can’t say whether it is suitable as a lifelong career, but it is worthwhile to have worked there. After all, success belongs to those who have endured hardship, and the hardship and exhaustion at Decathlon teach you something—they are not just pretending to be busy or keeping busy with pointless tasks (and there is overtime pay too, XD).

Salary:

Department manager: base salary of 37K + unlimited monthly bonuses (there are monthly bonuses, so there is no year-end bonus—stop criticizing the lack of one). Receiving over 40K per month is standard, and there have even been months when it exceeded 50K.

Assistant: base salary of around 27K + unlimited bonuses

【Having worked in a store for around two years; shared from the perspective of a department manager with firsthand experience. The following applies to the store departments of any branch.】

From an applicant’s perspective, it is definitely not a good system, because the company completely delegates interview authority and decision-making power to the heads of each department rather than having a single team handle the allocation centrally. So, for example, if you email the Neihu store and they have no vacancies at that time, they basically will not post an opening on 104 at all. There is no standardized interview process, no unified channel, and no designated person responsible for managing 104. Basically, it is chaotic.

But as for whether the job itself is good, I can only say that you can learn every kind of skill within a year. While everyone is now criticizing the department managers in those recruitment videos, saying things like, “It looks just like direct selling,” “Can you really become a manager right after graduation? Do they just hand out manager positions?” and “The whole store is full of managers,” I can guarantee this: if you can stay in the position of department manager for a full year and leave with a smile, that person will be you. That is because you are not afraid of hard work, criticism, or unreasonable situations, and at the same time you gain experience managing “people, operations, resources, and finances” (what other job lets you handle all four?) while being allowed to make mistakes, make decisions with full authority, and take responsibility for them.

As long as you do not leave because you cannot stand it anymore or because you were fired, but leave after giving it careful thought, you will basically have the abilities a manager should have. All you will be missing are time and experience in different industries.

I can’t say whether it is suitable for staying for a lifetime, but it is worth having worked there. After all, success belongs to those who have endured hardship, and the hardship and exhaustion at Decathlon teach you things—they are not just pretending to be busy or keeping busy with pointless tasks (and you get overtime pay too XD).

Salary:

Department manager: base salary of NT$37,000 + unlimited monthly bonuses (because there are monthly bonuses, there is no year-end bonus, so please stop criticizing the lack of one). Receiving over NT$40,000 per month is standard, and there have also been months with over NT$50,000.

Assistant: base salary of around NT$27,000 + unlimited bonuses