Sadly, the cons are plentiful and include the management, workload, toxic office environment, pathetically low wages, and a lack of support or care for any personal issues.
Gear4music run under a facade of being a caring employer that offer a variety of learning opportunities and career advancements. This was a particularly strong pull factor for myself and many others, but to be frank, these opportunities simply do not exist. Once you realise that you are stuck in the most stagnant job on planet earth, you begin to become thankful that the lack of opportunities can not lure you in any further. The job is exciting for a few weeks until you realise you've made a terrible mistake.
There is no variation to the role. Day in and day out you write product listings and follow a hefty list of commands and demands, for it all to end up meaning nothing. There is always a bucket load of criticism and passive-aggressive comments being thrown at you in regards to your work, which only validates how little the company care despite all adverts that say otherwise.
Gear4music also have such unrealistic expectations when it comes to your productivity. They will also repeatedly add to your workload by continuously asking you to rewrite everything that you have been working on. To follow, each week you are given a "quality score" which SHOULD reflect the quality of your work and how well you completed your tasks. Now, let me tell you; these "scores" reflect nothing other than how well you are liked by your management. All that that number defines is an undeniably clear pecking order for how much you are (or are not) favoured amongst your peers.
Speaking of management, it is like stepping back into school where the environment is flooded with gossip and toxicity. Be prepared to hear about how yours or your peers' names were mentioned in gossip whilst you were not there. The second you realise that this is the standard everyday chit-chat from management, you'll find yourself looking elsewhere for a job, whilst also convincing yourself that "there are other jobs out there that will value my presence".
The lack of professionalism is shocking and there needs to be an imminent re-evaluation in the way management works, including what can or can not be discussed in the workplace along with some basic principles to follow. All of this toxicity will leave you feeling dismissed, out of place, paranoid, and ready to quit at any given chance. You'll find out at Gear that there is a very minimal (or if any) response to employee concerns, and you will find yourself feeling humiliated and deflated as G4M are either incompetent or reluctant when it comes to improving their employees' experiences.
As you may have grasped by now, this place is a breeding ground for mental health issues. If you did not have any issues when you arrived; then you will by the time you eventually leave. Gear4music do absolutely nothing to support their employees when it comes to illness (whether it be mental or physical). You'll find yourself explaining yourself over and over until you add "lack of support or understanding" to the list of things that make working there so unbelievably difficult.
Unsurprisingly, the lack of morale is not compensated for by the wage packet. Do not believe it when you hear they don't have the money, because they do... You should read about some of the bonuses the hierarchy give themselves each year, whilst those at the bottom of the ladder are paid next to nothing. They also use this recurring excuse as to why they can't offer advancements or promotions to their employees.
It's such a shame that so many employees find themselves feeling so worthless and overlooked in a space where they should be thriving and feeling validated. These are some of the most creative and talented people you will ever meet and an awful lot of them have left or are planning to leave; it is time for a change, Gear...
