Pros
I have worked as a manager in the Southern division for over 4 years during which time I seen this company transform itself, not just in terms of its number of showrooms, sales numbers etc but in the level of professionalism it operates to now across all business functions and what it aspires to be in the future. This is evident as much as anywhere in the approach to performance management at all levels. Whilst I do recognise some of the negativity in some of the posts in this forum and the behaviours that have given cause to it, these behaviours are the Wren of the past and whilst that does mean that they cannot still be found, they are increasingly rare and will not be part of the Wren of the future. The Southern leadership team value stability and will always look to support any member of the team through any difficulties in a constructive manner. It is absolutely the case that there is daily pressure to hit targets etc but the starting point for this is always friendly competitiveness and fun encouraged through an informal and open culture. So if you are driven and capable; The Wren product is fantastic and is the best value in the market. Our showrooms are superb and getting even better (check out some of the new ones) Earnings are the best in the industry Continued growth means a wealth of opportunity to progress if you wish to. I cannot think of another business with so much momentum So if you are driven and capable there is nothing to fear here, this company will be dominant in its markets, it has gone through some pain to get where it is but now is a great time to join.
Cons
Like all retail businesses the requirement is for you to be there when your customers are available, that means (perhaps more than most) the difficulty of work / life balance is more acute so be aware of what you are signing up for and how it will work for you. The company is young and dynamic, change is fast and frequent, as a result sometimes these changes are not as thought through as thoroughly as they may have been and the communication of them may leave something to be desired. This can be frustrating but that said they generally work out in the end, you have to be prepared to roll with it!
