QVC – “Nice people, poor pay”

Pros

- Nice people, positive culture
- Unique business model presents amazing challenges
- Good benefits
- Nice work environment - good onsite services, good food in the commissary, ATM, convenience, oil changes
- Nice little perks like sample sales, holiday dinner, summer picnic, etc.
- Challenging
- Good work/life flexibility (compromise - see below)

Cons

- Salaries generally poor and increases are meagre. People considering joining Q should negotiate aggressively before they join because the attitude is that once you're in they have the upper hand and you should be thanking them for a 5% increase.
- Unsurprisingly, best talent generally moves out because of salary, leadership and other concerns. What is left is mediocre+ employees.
- Q4 is your life. Vacation in Q4 is discouraged, which is par for the course for retail. But, the rest of the year there is a fair amount of flexibility and there are open minds for nonstandard working arrangements like 4x10. But during Q4 (and big events outside Q4) there is a certain expectation that one will do what one must to get the job done. This may mean LONG hours - like 8AM - 2AM or consecutive 12-14 hour days. Get used to it.
- There is a residue of "old timers" who have been with Q since the early days and the company takes absurd pains to avoid firing them regardless of poor performance. Thus, they get passed from department to department, dragging down performance and morale all along the way.
- Some of the upper-level "leadership" is woefully lacking in people skills (and frankly lacking overall). They need training, guidance, and coaching.
- Difficult to get budget to develop staff with activities like training, conferences
- Difficult to get resources to get anything done

Advice to Senior Management

Make it easier to move tenured but low performing employees out.
Make a real effort to retain your top talent (pay, rewards, respect).
Coach your mid-upper level leadership. Low-level managers (Director and below) are carrying the leadership weight of those above. They should be supporting one another.
Look at the marketplace- your employees are. Compensate accordingly.
Reward best talent with training and exposure to industry events.
Seriously evaluate the initiatives in the pipe and identify where the best business cases reside and cough up the dough to make them happen.