If you are looking at a job in the field:
With retail turnover being so high, you probably may know if you show up, get your work done and smooze your management, you have a pretty good chance at getting handed a slightly better position with a set of keys. With Harbor’s turnover being abnormally high, the odds are even better. I’ve seen entry level people with not a hint of retail experience climb on up the ladder scaling two or three promotions in matter of months.
Unfortunately, the most common scenario I saw usually goes that you get hired, are offered about ten hours at minimum wage, you add that up and realize once taxes are taken out, it won’t pay for your gas to get there and home.
If you are interested in a position at the retail store and don’t have any other options, my advice is:
Try it out…short term. Try to upsell. If you do well, the store managers love it because it goes back directly to their own performance. You will probably find out very quickly if you are at a “good” store or an “everyone seems to quit by walking out and cursing” type of store. Get out asap if you aren’t happy- there is too much retail the world to work at a bad HFT. Ask to do things that you haven’t done before so you can slap it on your resume, walk over to Home Depot and tell them you have the experience.
If you are considering a position at HQ in Calabasas,
How many meetings did I have to attend to introduce the “new” VPs? Only to find out a few months later they have disappeared. Turnover is high, pay was poor and you’re working with executives that if anyone knew their salaries, it would cause a war. When I knew I was leaving, I confided in many other coworkers and so many, (after finding out I was defiantly leaving) admitted to trying to find something else. “Take me with you!” That’s your culture. I found a much better job and I regret every minute I didn’t try to get out sooner. I hate to say it but I feel that there may be validity to a review I saw that “Company has a bunch of fake reviews in June. This place is hell! dont work here ” Harbor Freight knew about Glassdoor and their poor reviews. There was talk of what they could do to improve them…I remember laughing out loud that NONE of the options were to attempt to do their part in creating a better workplace. That would probably cost too much. Hey may be greedy and uncaring about their employees, but they are not stupid.
