Pros
-SM Product Discount -Relaxed/causal office -Reasonable, hardworking coworkers -Good work life balance- you leave on time time most days, closings for inclement weather. -Opportunity to work on multiple brands -Steve Madden Corporate provides good benefits like tuition reimbursement, community outreach, 401k, and health insurance. -Great place to work if you keep your head down and don't stir the pot. -You don't actually need to know how to do your job to get hired
Cons
-Leadership of the division is checked out and that has trickled down to the rest of the company. Upper Management is frustrated and stagnant as well because of this attitude. Most Upper Management has been there for years and has not worked anywhere else or taken classes in design or leadership, so changes happen at a glacial speed. Design is stuck doing sales and production functions. -There is no structure to grow- Assistants are reporting to VP's and raises are low. -No design calendar. There is no accountability for any department from within or to work together. People just do whatever they need to, when they need to to make markets happen. Everything is rushed, last minute, and quality of work suffers. -The design team hierarchy is almost non existent, with each designer taking on their own category as a silo. There are no formal design meetings, concept boarding, or trend services. Not sure how the management know's what the team is work on. -Despite the company being a big player in scarves and cold weather knits, not one person on the design team can make CAD rendering or create/edit prints. This is a huge source of grief for both sales and design depts and makes me wonder what people are getting paid for if they can't actually design... -design department is severely understaffed, partly because the upper management are control freaks and does everything themselves, then complains about how much work they have to do. -Culture and values are not clearly defined. Many employees described the company as a 'family', but I do not think of this as a pro because this seems to have dissolved the boundaries of professionalism, so people who are not qualified for their roles stay employed as a result of favoritism and changes don't happen for fear of damaging friendships. -Offices are in need of a decor update and are very cluttered. Layout does not make sense. -Not the design driven company it should be- creative projects are sparse for anyone who isn't a manager.