Pros
The company culture is the reason why I have been here for almost 9 years. I have worked in retail for over 17 years for several retailers (pac sun, the childrens place, journeys, hollister, forever 21), and Hot Topic Inc is by far the best company I have ever worked for. The expectations are very high, but you will receive the support and tools to succeed (if you apply yourself). The leadership at this company treats you like a human and values your work life balance. The company provides monthly weekends off for every manager which is unheard of in the retail world. Store Managers are not required to work over 40 hours, and if they do its because of an emergency and you are paid overtime. The company also welcomes feedback from its store employees regarding operations, technology, policies and product. I have personally communicated concerns on several occasions and saw a resolve from HQ relatively fast. I have had tons of opportunities to speak directly to the buyers, the VPs & even the CEO. (The VP's frequently travel to stores) You also have a lot of creative freedom in the store in terms of merchandising and social media management. Its a pop culture store, so the customers are happy to be there. It is a fun environment if you have the right mindset and team. There is also a TON of opportunities for growth, the company always prefers to promote internally first. All of our District Managers were previously Store Managers, and a lot of our Store Managers started as Assistant Managers and sometimes even associates! I could go on and on about why I love the company but I am writing this so glass door lets me look at other reviews. (cus im nosey not because I'm looking).
Cons
The technology is a nightmare, but they acknowledge it and are working on it. The company is sometimes slow to get rid of terrible managers at a store level. We give them too many chances. I think upper management is great, but there are some store managers and assistants that are completely useless. Pay isn't very competitive, but the benefits outweigh that to an extent. I have turned down multiple higher paying job opportunities because it isn't worth it to work somewhere I won't be happy.