This is a real honest review. You’ll just have to read if you want a true insight into this workers experience
Pros
The culture that has been set in place there is incredible- you will believe what you’re told and you will sell it as such. The community around Met Market is amazing. From the customers and employees who keep the place ticking its truly one of a kind. Every time I go into a different grocery store I realize how special the people I work with are. Such high energy and positive when they are representing the brand. To be a valuable team member there you have to have special qualities. Otherwise, frankly, the team will weed you out. My cons list is going to make it seem like I hate the place, and that would be incorrect. I have a genuine care for the individuals I work with, and that feeling is reciprocal (at least one could hope) For unskilled work this is decent pay- if you communicate your desire to grow in the company and you match that energy you will be given opportunities to do so, your benefits are excellent also. If you are a college student or need some help getting stability- I can’t think of a better place.
Cons
Some minor details have been altered to protect my identity to keep it real with you guys. Wow, where do I start? I’ll begin with the recent developments due to COVID. Yes, I can concede the company is doing everything in their power to *appear* to be doing everything in their power to best protect their employees. We initially were getting a taxable bonus per paycheck that essentially equates to a two dollar per hour raise. This has recently been pulled out from under the rug- in perfect timing too- right once someone in our branch has been diagnosed with COVID-19. This seems to be symbolic of the entire company- they will do right initially, and once they have bragged and talked it up enough about what they’ve done correctly, they revert back to what will be the easiest/cheapest route. They will claim the company is bleeding out- this is plain false. We have had record sales due to covid. Think, where did you go during the lockdown? It has seeped throughout the entire organization- with this attitude of “f it, someone will do it.” You have absolute workhorses throughout each department that carry about 90 percent of the true, deep work that is completed. There are headcounts throughout the store to ensure proper social distancing guidelines can be enforced. This is completely contingent on who the leadership is at the time. Translation- it is done every once in a while. Scheduling- it’s an absolute nightmare. You can be scheduled 20 hours one schedule, 30 the next, nights one week, mornings the next. When you complain, multiple times, only then will it be fixed. The goal posts will then be moved until everything is reverted back to their way of doing things. Are you noticing a trend here? Strong team members will be absolutely shafted by management, where you will have special needs team members (and god bless these kids) as the only source of help for bagging assistance in the front end department. The front end is seemingly short staffed at all times- even when they have new hires. What this means is you better learn to bag- I don’t care what department you are in, you will be called up to bag and have to forfeit your duties in your assigned department. I can barely get any work done in my assigned apartment at times. Yes, you pay the price for the incompetencies of leadership of certain departments writing a very basic schedule. Leadership is out of touch with Who they trust for delegation. They do not advocate for their strongest workers. They use their strongest workers. Who they trust for hiring and for delegating tasks to, who they trust to complete tasks, who they hire into new leadership, who they trust to train new team members, is all completely out of touch which is why you can see so much dysfunction. I’ve noticed it get gradually worse throughout the multiple years I’ve been there. *why, oh why, can you fail upwards here?* Being a weak link here appears to be rewarded- if you suck at your duties, someone will create an excuse for you or have someone coddle you.