Pros
Is it cheesy if I say everything?
Truly though, from my very first interaction - with who I can only describe as the most diligent, personable, and real recruiter I've ever met - through my very enjoyable and expedited interview process with my amazing team, Grocery Outlet continues to amaze!
Everyone you encounter is so welcoming and genuinely happy to meet you. It's clear from day one that overall, the company has very low ego; we're all interested in collective success and operate with the "one team, one dream" mindset. In my first few weeks, I kept thinking that the other shoe HAS to drop, but it hasn't, and I still find myself experiencing surprise and delight regularly.
The office is very surprising and not what I expected when I came onsite for my interviews. Open-concept, modern looking with a gym, private showers, multiple places for meetings (private and open) and tons and tons of buyer samples (yum!) I think there are only one or two offices in the whole building, and they are designated for confidential functions only. It's like, "Executives: They're Just Like Us!" (CEO and Vice Chairman sit in the open-concept, too). It's great!
There is a healthy mix of tenure that is a constant reminder that the company is invested in hiring and retaining the right people and propelling them to grow successful careers here. There are so many examples of working from the ground up, and having experience in several different areas of the business, creating new roles for teams to fill needs and expand reach - very encouraging! This doesn't mean that we hire based on talent alone - everyone shares the same level of scrutiny around finding the right cultural fit, and it shows!
I am also loving how humble the culture is and how the structure is relatively flat. The level of bureaucracy and political red tape I experienced at my previous companies (large corporate retailers) was often a source of extreme stress and very low job satisfaction. From leaders stifling creativity and acting as blockers, to creating a CYA culture of fear of taking accountability. At GO, this isn't the case - I am regularly reminded of this based on the amount of runway I was given immediately, how mistakes are not treated like the end of the world, how quickly decisions are made, how much trust leaders have in their people, and how collaborative everyone is, even at the executive level.
All in all, I am so glad that I didn't allow Grocery Outlet to become a missed connection in my job search. I thought I knew what I wanted and where I wanted to be, but I was so, so wrong. I am now at a fabulous company full of amazing and hard-working people, and in a new role that is mine to shape and build out and grow. It's the best decision I've made in a long, long time! This is truly a hidden gem of a company and a real diamond in the rough!
Cons
The company has operated like a small company for a long time and sometimes documentation and structure around processes isn't the best and you have to learn from one or more people to get the full picture. Also, when you have a job that has touch-points with multiple departments and functions, it can be a little overwhelming to figure out who does what, etc. Fortunately, everyone is super open and willing to help, so you aren't ever stuck!
