Pros
- Absolutely the best company culture I've ever worked with. I've worked with a lot of retailers, and I can honestly say that this company provided me with more opportunities to learn and grow professionally than any other. Employees are highly valued and innovation is considered a way of life. - As a larger retailer, there are generally plenty of positions to advance into if you have the right skill sets and attitude. Advancement can be political at times, but since there are so many stores, especially in metro areas, you don't always have to play the political game to move up - Just try a different store. - Atmosphere is everything and this company has a great one. There are numerous programs and initiatives to make the experience fun for the employees and encourage them to build lasting relationships with each other as well as the customers. Further, the employees are also encouraged to build a community presence through volunteerism and being active in community organizations via the Viewpoint Committee. - Good corporate/field relationship. Having worked at both corporate and in the field, I can honestly say that the corporate office is far more in tune with whats happening in the field than most retailers. It's easy to get access to the information and people that you need to get the job done.
Cons
- Your experience with Best Buy is heavily impacted by your supervisors and upper management. This can be a good thing with the right sort of people in charge, but a lot of times it can also be a bad thing. Test the waters first before leaping in, if the store employees seem upbeat and happy to be there, odds are the GM is a good one. - Advancement is often tied to performance on a store level. If your store isn't performing to expectations, you can't advance even if your department is doing well. Your only option is a lateral move to another store or riding things out until the store improves. - Politics is an ever present factor. Promotions are in the hands of the management team, therefore if you aren't on their good side, you won't get promoted. It's as simple as that. Accept that, move on and play the game - or do your job exceptionally well.