Pros
I am naturally a very easy going person, I got along with everyone I worked with and everyone I crossed paths with at Steve Madden. They have exceptional employees but some in management do not seem to appreciate that. They offered great health insurance compared to other employers and FOODA which was every Tues and Thurs $5 corporate sponsored lunches. The work environment can be fun depending on what team you're on. Steve himself is a riot but that can go either way...some days he's a raging lunatic who demeans his higher level employees, others he is more calm and actually speaks with his lower level employees. I found the Human Resources side of the building to be more family oriented and nice, the other side is filled with nice people as well but LOADS of nepotism.
Cons
The nepotism at Steve Madden is off the charts, it's all about who you know and not what you know. You can be the best and brightest employee but if someone on your team is related to, or friends with anyone in management or Steve, they're coming for your promotion and in times of COVID-19 lay-offs, your job. The pay is poverty level low and raises are a joke. Oftentimes teams are understaffed so you are doing extra work without the extra pay. In many cases, emotionally abusive managers, although not all are like that. It really depends on what team you are on. My BIGGEST complaint is with how the heads of Human Resources handle complaints of managers harassment. There is 0 accountability if you are a manager who has a connection to Steve, you can get away with just about anything. Including the emotional and maybe even physical abuse of your employees, just keep that in mind. No matter how hard you try to be the best employee you are unappreciated, and your job will inevitably go to someone with the right connections. In addition to all this, management's old school approach to business is exactly what's killing Steve Madden. They need new forward thinking leaders and a bigger investment in tech/ecommerce.