Excellent companies FOCUS on taking care of their greatest asset--people. CHRO-celebrate your pyrrhic victory.
Pros
FOCUS Brands is a good company. I have met some incredible people at this organization. Unfortunately, the good people last for a short period of time. Talented individuals are not appreciated as much as they should. The building is very old; however, I give credit to those responsible for trying to improve the in-/exterior. I appreciate the effort made to enhance the aesthetics of the facility. It is hard to keep a very old building in order.
Cons
If I had to make the decision again to join the company, I would not do so. My advice to a person considering a job at FOCUS is to conduct extensive research on the company. The company could be a match for you. It really depends on where you are in your career and what you want to do next. If you are starting a career, you will gain the experience needed to go to another company. We have some good recruiters but talk to people who work for the company. Joining the company will be the toughest decision you will ever make. This is not a company where you can use your intelligence on a regular basis. Some leaders feel threatened by your knowledge. Diversity exists in the lower levels of the organization. On the cover of QSR Magazine, you will see nine faces (FOCUS Executive Team) that do not look like most people in the Greater Atlanta Area. One of the presidents pictured left the company abruptly several months ago. The picture makes you think that the U.S. doesn't have enough qualified Asians, Hispanics, African-Americans, etc. to work at FOCUS. The executive team photo, for the most part, looks like an ad for a retirement community. Diversity does mean have people of various age groups in leadership positions. Some of the C-Suite members are very nice. Others walk past you as if you are invisible even if you speak to them. UPS, Coke, Mercedes Benz, Porsche and other companies in Atlanta are able to find diverse executive talent. ROARK, the parent company, looks like Norway as well. The main issue that most associates have is that opportunity for advancement is not available to all associates. A recent example is when the CHRO promotes unqualified associates multiple times in less than six months. The CHRO sent a long message to the company trying to validate his actions. Our issue is with the CHRO. We are not complaining because we were not selected for the position. We did not know about the positions until we saw and/or heard about the promotions. Our issue is that of fairness and equality for all associates. We do not care about his close relationship. We are concerned about fair and equitable treatment for all. A group of associates has been energized to unite against this inequality. We refuse to just complain. We will unite to "do something" about inequality. We provided the group with contact information for the Atlanta EEOC Office. The government needs to step in to remedy this situation. Some people are very frustrated and will resign shortly. Unfortunately, I will not celebrate my second anniversary with the company because I will be a former employee soon. You cannot talk to HR because all rooms have glass walls, you can hear conversations when you sit or walk outside of the rooms. Other associates can see who is talking to HR. I tried my best to make this employment relationship work. I will be a former employee in a few weeks. Best wishes to my friends who will continue to work at FOCUS Brands.
