Archived Core Responsibilities ETL?

Hello All,

First I have worked for Target for 5 years from 2006-2011. I came back to Target recently in 2013, I have seen a drastic change in ETL responsibilities. The biggest of which is that my store ETL's are never present during a closing shift. I was wondering what exactly does an ETL of a Target store have to do to warrant zero visibility to the closing team? I also have noticed that my store's executive management team (ETL, STL, and even TL) are more like a high school clique. They only associate with each other and for most of the night follow each other around, tackling a small zone together where if separated can do so much more for the team.. I was wondering if my store ETL's are abusing their power to make themselves the least un-helpful part of the closing team? There is a picture that my supervisor at my primary job (Target is my second job) has that best describes my experience with my store ETL's.



Unfortunately, my store's management team is more like the top picture of a boss who isn't a part of the team and just barks orders around to its employees. I have had ETL's who are true leaders before in the past. I was wondering what can a team member do to report this observation? Is there any uniformity that Target expects from its ETL's? Personally I can't respect a leader who is like the "Boss" picture above, if they are not a part of the team, experiencing the sweat, tears, and hard work that a minimum wage team member has to go through, then they are not true leaders!

Always remember this rule when asking a question, all stores are not the same, all stores are not the same, all stores are not the same.

Sounds like you got some bad bosses in in your store.
I'm really not sure what the average is between the two throughout all the stores in the system but folks can weigh in.
For what it's worth my ETLs sucked in a lot of ways but they were always willing to jump in on shelving and stocking.

This is exactly why I asked this question because I wanted to know how common this was. If you are the LOD, and there is no one above you present during that time I'm sure there are many who use their time performing the least labor intensive work possible. I'm not saying that ETLs should be working pulls or have a dedicated zone at night. But when it comes down to a store having call outs, up in sales, 5 or more huge pulls on the line, tons of foreign at guest service, back up needed at the front and not one ETL helping out with any of that but instead asking over the walkie "can you update me on the pulls?" "Team can we get someone to respond to backup". If there is a team leader and another ETL in the store I don't think a little help from them is asking to much.

Also I was asking if there was any expectation from Target Corporation for ETLs to help out on the floor. Are the stories of great ETLs who help out on the floor great but not expected? If it's not it should be known.

Also I was asking if there was any expectation from Target Corporation for ETLs to help out on the floor.

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Not that I'm aware of. ETL participation in the workload is actively discouraged at my store but I have seen otherwise at different stores. Our TLs are great though (mostly).

importracer98 said:

Hello All,

First I have worked for Target for 5 years from 2006-2011. I came back to Target recently in 2013, I have seen a drastic change in ETL responsibilities. The biggest of which is that my store ETL's are never present during a closing shift. I was wondering what exactly does an ETL of a Target store have to do to warrant zero visibility to the closing team? I also have noticed that my store's executive management team (ETL, STL, and even TL) are more like a high school clique. They only associate with each other and for most of the night follow each other around, tackling a small zone together where if separated can do so much more for the team.. I was wondering if my store ETL's are abusing their power to make themselves the least un-helpful part of the closing team? There is a picture that my supervisor at my primary job (Target is my second job) has that best describes my experience with my store ETL's.

Unfortunately, my store's management team is more like the top picture of a boss who isn't a part of the team and just barks orders around to its employees. I have had ETL's who are true leaders before in the past. I was wondering what can a team member do to report this observation? Is there any uniformity that Target expects from its ETL's? Personally I can't respect a leader who is like the "Boss" picture above, if they are not a part of the team, experiencing the sweat, tears, and hard work that a minimum wage team member has to go through, then they are not true leaders!

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If I didn't know better I would swear you are talking about my store. I have said many times that it is ran like a highschool and the etls are ( well they think ) the cool kid group. I have been with Spot since the mid 90s...there has been a HUGE change in the way etls conduct themselves. I find it beyond frustrating when I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get things done and they are standing in the middle of the floor....and wont move out of the way...they see you coming ( with a pallet , tub, flat etc ) ...but they are huddled together.....fighting for a position to plant their lips on the stls ass. . They just stand there till you come to a stop and then they say oh. are we in your way. I want to say no smarty I just stopped in the middle of the floor to stare at all of you staring at me....

The contract ETLs sign states that they will not spend more than 50% of their time doing physical tasks. ETLs were not hired to be TMs. Well I signed a statement like that. However it is not enforced all the time. Therefore some do 50/50, some do more work, some do less. I did 70 work 30 management at first. Then when my process was golden I did 50/50.

Mhugh220 said:

The contract ETLs sign states that they will not spend more than 50% of their time doing physical tasks. ETLs were not hired to be TMs. Well I signed a statement like that. However it is not enforced all the time. Therefore some do 50/50, some do more work, some do less. I did 70 work 30 management at first. Then when my process was golden I did 50/50.

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50%? Hmmmm....I wonder if my store ETLs even get close to 50%.

Either way I personally don't believe an ETL position requires a college degree, STL I would say so. Back when I started a team member who worked hard and showed great leadership could make their way up to ETL without a college degree. My store had ETLs who worked for the company for many years and worked their way up and the store was flawless. I believe things started to go down when Target changed the requirements for ETL to college degree, some who can have any field of study besides business. This shut out any aspirations for great team leaders who wanted to work there way up the ladder. Some Target team leaders show more leadership than then some ETLs that I worked with.

importracer98 said:

Mhugh220 said:

The contract ETLs sign states that they will not spend more than 50% of their time doing physical tasks. ETLs were not hired to be TMs. Well I signed a statement like that. However it is not enforced all the time. Therefore some do 50/50, some do more work, some do less. I did 70 work 30 management at first. Then when my process was golden I did 50/50.

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50%? Hmmmm....I wonder if my store ETLs even get close to 50%.

Either way I personally don't believe an ETL position requires a college degree, STL I would say so. Back when I started a team member who worked hard and showed great leadership could make their way up to ETL without a college degree. My store had ETLs who worked for the company for many years and worked their way up and the store was flawless. I believe things started to go down when Target changed the requirements for ETL to college degree, some who can have any field of study besides business. This shut out any aspirations for great team leaders who wanted to work there way up the ladder. Some Target team leaders show more leadership than then some ETLs that I worked with.

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I agree, a degree for ETL shouldn't be required. In many jobs a degree doesn't justify qualifications, it's just used as a filter so recruiting doesn't have to go through 100000000s of applications. But not all TMs who work their way up are great leaders. Our ETL HL did 14 years before making ETL. I saw management skills but not an ounce of leadership. Very untrustworthy, led from her desk, couldn't complete her own demands, no team work, and didn't develop anyone. Some people let the title go to their heads. Great leaders motivate follows to move.

Also I've seen great non degree holding ETLs and great degree holding ETLs.

Mhugh220 said:

I agree, a degree for ETL shouldn't be required. In many jobs a degree doesn't justify qualifications, it's just used as a filter so recruiting doesn't have to go through 100000000s of applications. But not all TMs who work their way up are great leaders.

Also I've seen great non degree holding ETLs and great degree holding ETLs.

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Definitely! I know there are many team leaders within Target who would not make great ETLs.

However, there are many GREAT team leaders who really care about Target as a corporation and its employees. They understand the way Target works from all aspects since they worked their way up (Backroom, sales floor, instocks, guest service, food ave) They are molded from the beginning to lead, through team leader meetings and following their ETL. I believe the future of Target is with those leaders, if they could promote more within, instead of hiring fresh pretty and slim college ETLs, target would be running more efficiently. I know many of you can think of at least two team leaders who would make great ETLs. Its a shame that many of those who I can think of left Target because a newly hired ETL straight from college with a pretty face and lean body barks orders. Without truly understanding that you need to bring yourself down to their level to understand your workforce. Talk with them, work with them, understand what their job entails and how it effects their day during a busy and slow workday. Team members who work their way up and get promoted within understand all of this and therefore show empathy and lead with example!

We helped each other out. They taught me Target and I developed them into better leaders. Not the fundamentals because they had those, just tuned up to where higher ups would recognize their efforts and support them in moving up the ladder.

I don't understand why Target prefers college grads but they are missing out on great TLs who should be running the show. And I'll extend this a little further...I believe a TM could quite possibly be able to move all the way up to STL and be successful. It's not about knowing business tacts specifically but rather knowing how Target operates. Target knowledge can pay bigger dividends than outside experience.

Mhugh220 said:

I don't understand why Target prefers college grads but they are missing out on great TLs who should be running the show. And I'll extend this a little further...I believe a TM could quite possibly be able to move all the way up to STL and be successful. It's not about knowing business tacts specifically but rather knowing how Target operates. Target knowledge can pay bigger dividends than outside experience.

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YES.
People from other retail companies who come to Target and think they know ALL retail are often wrong. They know their previous companies, but Target does things quite differently and instead of thinking they know it all, they should learn all they can about Target and apply their knowledge.

Mhugh220 said:

The contract ETLs sign states that they will not spend more than 50% of their time doing physical tasks. ETLs were not hired to be TMs. Well I signed a statement like that. However it is not enforced all the time. Therefore some do 50/50, some do more work, some do less. I did 70 work 30 management at first. Then when my process was golden I did 50/50.

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Maybe Spot should add a moral clause in their contract....to treat others with respect...seems to be lacking with the new wave of etls.

At our store, Sr. Team Leads (Team Leads training to become ETLs... or in other words, Target is too cheap to pay them as ETL's) close the store. Since our volume has gone down and the heads have been rolling, I've seen more physical labor from our ETL's. But when I see the STL pushing carts, watch out - it's going to be a BAD night.

Since our hours have been cut most if our ETLs, SRTLs & TLs will help us close. They will jump on a lane, help push CAFs, do reshop & even zone. The weird thing is, there are 3 or 4 that will not ever help with anything no matter what. When the STL or other ETLs are there they have to, but otherwise, forget about it!

Ours are all on rotating schedules. We're a ULV org 1 store. 730 flow process.

Every Salaried exec (ETL's and STL) is to rotate weekends, with one closing shift during the week and one off-day during the week. All the SrTL's and TL's and GSA's more-or-less rotate the same way.

tgtguy said:

Maybe Spot should add a moral clause in their contract....to treat others with respect...seems to be lacking with the new wave of etls.

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I don't know why some ETLs think they are better than TMs or can justify treating someone disrespectfully. I had several TMs who were in their 40s+ so naturally I respected them because they were older than me. I even respected kids fresh out of high school.

Most of our ETL team treated TMs with great respect and had a great working relationship with them. Everyone, in this group, got dirty and did the hard work when it was needed. Those ETLs that treated TMs like poo were also hated by other ETLs and were lazy.

At my store, the only core role for an etl is to flirt with me every time they see me

Store/area specific. I'm in a lower volume store. ETL/LOD zones a department during closing shifts - with a small expectation of ETL-AP.