Sunnystep Reviews

Dear Visual Art Director, Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us. I’m part of the new HR team at Sunnystep. Our HR team has conducted a thorough review of your tenure with us, and we believe it is important to present a complete and objective account of your time in Sunnystep. - Upon joining, you were assigned two store renovation projects. These projects were incomplete when the stores opened, with interiors remaining notably bare. Despite promises to address feedback and complete the renovations, you did not meet these commitments and kept dragging for months. Your words would agree but your actions would not follow. You tend to disregard feedback from anyone from the team. - Although you apologized in formal discussions and assured improvement, you continued to use inappropriate language and foster a negative work environment, especially when management was not present. Our HR issued a warning letter upon receiving multiple complaints and asked you to stop spreading negativity and impacting new colleagues; on hindsight, this made things worse. - You also incurred significant expenses in four-digit amounts without prior approval, which the company absorbed. You admitted your mistake and apologised in front of your manager, but underneath you would complain to other colleagues about it. This inconsistent and toxic behavior is extremely damaging to a small team. Additionally, the budget for the first renovation project was exceeded by more than twice the original budget, though we approved this to provide you with more creative freedom. - During your three-month probation review, we acknowledged some positive contributions, but we decided to extend your probation due to the incomplete renovations and your consistent reluctance to accept feedback, We communicated this decision to you clearly and provided specific examples to explain our reasoning. While you accepted this decision in a professional and mature manner during the meeting with your manager, you left the office abruptly on that same day and missed a company event intentionally to express your unhappiness, which fell short of our expectations for professional conduct. - Looking back at your first few months with us, you demonstrated dedication and enthusiasm, even purchasing Christmas presents for the team. However, after your probation extension, you became increasingly negative and resistant to feedback, despite our efforts to support you. - Just before your fourth-month performance review, you resigned, sending a farewell email that highlighted your "high performance." During your exit interview, you mentioned that you resigned preemptively due to concerns about potential termination. - Before your official start, we mutually agreed that you would take unpaid leave for an art fair you would organize some time after you join. However, you did not inform anyone or take unpaid leave while working on the fair which lasted for more than a month while continuing your duties with us. This has led to significant delays in your deliverables for that entire month. When we discussed the matter after the event was over, you insisted that the fair did not impact your work. However, the reality is that many key deadlines were missed. - By the time you left after 4 months, the 6-month project you were tasked with—the revamping of our retail store concept—had not even begun. You had only worked on 2 of the 7 key responsibilities outlined in your contract. Additionally, after your departure, we discovered that the design files in your folder we worked hard on for an urgent project were emptied. We are uncertain if it was done intentionally. Reflections and Corrections: What We Could Have Done Differently: 1. Skillset Assessment: We did not thoroughly assess your technical skills during the interview process, which contributed to the issues with store visual presentations. We were surprised that you had no graphic design skills at all as a visual art director and also that you were not willing to pick up simple tools like Canva. 2. Managing Second Chances: We may have given too many opportunities for improvement, which ultimately proved detrimental as these chances were not appreciated. Actions Taken to Improve: 1. Enhanced Onboarding Program: We have started a comprehensive one-week onboarding program covering brand, product, and company introduction to better equip new hires for success, and also expectations for professional practices. 2. Performance Management Program: We now have a clearly defined and enforced performance management program, including OKRs and regular work alignment meetings to ensure clarity and accountability. 3. Structured Improvement Plans: We have implemented structured performance improvement plans to support employees needing additional training and development. 4. Regular Support Conversations: We conduct regular one-on-one meetings to better understand and address the needs of our staff, ensuring they receive appropriate support and guidance. Thank you for your contributions to Sunnystep. We hope these reflections and changes will help us continue to improve and support our team more effectively in the future. Over the past year, we have strengthened our HR practices, management structure, and corporate communications. We are fortunate to have a passionate and driven team working closely together towards our mission. We wish you the best in your future endeavors. Best regards, Sunnystep HR Team