Pros
No positive experience during my time in this role
Cons
I had high hopes for my role as a Procurement Coordinator at UNQILO, but the reality fell significantly short of expectations. The position was advertised as a streamlined, organized role, but it quickly became clear that this was not the case.
Firstly, the role was not as advertised. I was led to believe I would have a manageable scope of responsibilities, but I ended up juggling tasks far beyond what was initially described. I was responsible for maintaining consumables, fixtures, business essentials for over 50 stores, new store opening, and handling special projects. The workload was overwhelming and poorly managed. THERE WAS ONLY ONE PROCUREMENT CORDINATOR TO MANAGE EVERYTHING. No such thing as team.
Additionally, there is no clear chain of command. Directors and GHQ from various departments often issued conflicting directions, creating a chaotic and confusing work environment. Not to mention GHQ member and directors which where mostly ex-pat could not communicate clearly in english, therefore it is very diffcult for non Japanese speakers to clearly understand the project and task required. I have sat through meetings where only japanese was spoken. This lack of coordination and communication severely impacted productivity and made it difficult to perform effectively.
The role was also under the supervision of an expatriate director who had previously been the HR Director in Canada and was transferred to Director of Business Operations purely due to nepotism, as he is from Japan. This favoritism led to a lack of effective leadership and exacerbated existing issues.
The responsibility and expectations placed on the role were unrealistic. Despite frequent inaccuracies and issues from the store end, I was expected to accommodate and spoon-feed the stores, which was both frustrating and inefficient.
Another significant issue was the preferential treatment given to expatriates from Japan. Local employees are expected to cater to their every demand, which creates a substantial communication gap and fosters an unfair work environment.
Overall, my experience at UNQILO was frustrating and disappointing. The role was poorly structured, the expectations were unrealistic, and favoritism towards expatriates created an unpleasant work environment. I would not recommend this position to anyone looking for a well-managed and fair work environment.
Backstabbing and unloyalty is promoted here. And don't believe when they say hybrid. They required me 3 days in office and randomly would require me to travel or go to stores on my WFH days. I was told by 3rd parties whom I would work with on a dalit basis they have worked with 4-5 different people in th procurement coordinator role due to high turn over and no one being able to reach their expectations.
RUN THE OTHER WAY!! RATHER MAKE 10K LESS THAN WORK FOR UNIQLO USA LLC. ESPECIALLY THE STORE SUPPORT CENTER IN NYC.