Pros
Great people Spreetail has figured out the hiring machine. They know how to seek out and find the very best people you could possibly hope to find. I worked alongside some of the brightest minds and most hardworking people. They were and are some of the most authentic people I have ever met. There were many times I was blessed by their presence and they made my life better all around. Some of them are friends that I think I'll be connected to for the rest of my life. Community outreach Spreetail is very passionate about their community outreach. The company focuses heavily on making a difference in whatever community they're a part of. You would be hard pressed to find a company that volunteers as many hours as Spreetail does to make other people's lives better. Being an overnight worker I didn't have the opportunity to help with his a lot, but it was very encouraging to be working for a company that makes a commitment to donating time and money toward making the world a better place. Social interaction Spreetail believes in strengthening its team by providing a plethora of social activities for them to interact with each other. I believe that this actually does strengthen the team and is something they should cling to. Again, being overnight this is a luxury I was unable to take advantage of most of the time. Good pay While working at Spreetail, I was compensated handsomely.
Cons
Burnout There is a growing trend in management to burn out talent in order to maximize output. Spreetail isn't the only company that does this unfortunately, but it is a deeply troubling trend. The sad fact of this is that eventually people catch onto it and eventually it will cause a large talent bleed. Spreetail has seen a large exodus of talent that was fed up with being used for a goal that felt like a golden carrot being dangled in front of them. Promises of a land of milk and honey are quickly forgotten when you're crying at home wondering how your life got to this point. Companies like Spreetail need to remember that the reason they are profitable is because they hire smart people. They need to utilize those people in effective ways that make life better for everyone, not allow them to burn the candle at both ends until they aren't even a person anymore. I worked my butt off at Spreetail, but there were plenty of times I was made to feel less than. It damaged my confidence and made me very uncomfortable, and in the end ushered me out the door because it was clear I no longer fit. But I question whether anyone fits this mold. When that becomes the question, in my opinion the mold needs to be broken. 24 hour support I cannot stress this enough. 24 hour support is a mistake. People aren't meant to be up overnight. We're just not built for it. Most of this is a societal issue, if you are up overnight you will never interact with the important people in your life on the same level again. I never got to see or talk to my friends or family because I was asleep when they were awake. It sucked, a lot. This also made me realize there was no possible chance for me to move up in the company because every opportunity was a daytime position and nobody would ever take over my position. I loved my overnight team, but they shouldn't be working overnight. It sucks. (have I mentioned it sucks yet?) Safety concerns Spreetail has questionable expectations around their fulfillment centers. These places (at least the one I went to) are dirty and unsafe. Speed and output override safety and quality and that's an extremely sad state of affairs. There were many teammates who expressed how when they didn't comply due to safety concerns they were made to feel less than, and that is completely unacceptable. Communication Spreetail has many ways to communicate. Email, MS teams and direct meetings are all fantastic ways to spread knowledge and help build understanding of goals and provide clarity. However, many times communication is hidden from stakeholders or only certain select pieces of information are shared. DO NOT DO THIS. Tell your team what is going on when you know what is going on. Don't make things up, don't mislead people. Just be up front and honest. And update things with your team as soon as you know so that they can help you when the really big problems come knocking. That's the only way you'll be successful going forward. Leadership and responsibility The leadership team needs to take responsibility and empower their employees to do great work. Those people were hired for a reason. Be flexible and allow yourself to pivot when a better idea than yours presents itself.