Archived Are GSAs held up to the same expectations as GSTLs at your store?

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Bullseyerc

GSTL
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Mar 31, 2016
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As a GSTL I hold the GSAs just as accountable if not more for their mistakes and wrong doing at my store.
 
If you want my problem, I think its the actual organizational structure and titles. All Target needs to do is say going forward, there is always supposed to be one person watching the lanes (kind of like how there is always an LOD). The LOD can be anybody from Senior TL, ETLs, or the STL. The Senior TL can be the LOD while their bosses are in the building, and they are still in charge of the store. They can even tell their peer TLs what to do while the LOD. In the same fashion, right now we call for GSTL for the front end person, but that is also the title of the boss of the GSA so it gets really confusing for them (and creates the dissonance of getting paid too little for doing the job of their boss). Just make up a new title like LOD for the front end (call it Front End Supervisor or FES) for now. GSAs, GSTLs and above could all be the FES. While you are the FES you are the one grabbing calls, telling cashiers where to go, speed weaving etc. The GSA could be the FES while the GSTL is there.

Now the difference is that both the GSA and the GSTL could be the FES, but when not the FES the GSA is just a TM covering Service Desk or Cashier or Carts. The GSTL is required to manage during all shifts, even when not FES.
 
Or just get rid of gstls all together. Add more GSA's and only use GSA's. Utilize ETL GE for performance management. Boom. Simple. Done.

Edit: maybe even pay those GSA's a little more? An extra 75 cents or dollar instead of 50 cents.
 
I am a GSA and I own up to any mistakes that happen during my GSA shift. For instance, it was my fault a team member hit non-compliance for their lunch one day so I told my etl and GSTL right after I realized what happened that it was my responsibility. As far as expectations go, I care about red cards when it's my shift but if I don't hit goal I'm not gonna cry about it or get in trouble. I don't get paid enough to care about it beyond my one GSA shift a week. One of the GSTLs constantly passes off her TM trainings onto the GSAs and want us to have these TM complete their trainings on our shifts. But again, if it's a busy day I'm not pulling several cashiers from the lanes to go do a training that the GSTL was responsible for a month ago. Again, I don't get paid enough for that and it's not my job to do her job.
 
And ABSOLUTELY GSAs should get paid more!! We are responsible for managing 14+ checklanes and 10-20 team members all in one shift, plus guest services and Starbucks, and I'm often by myself doing this with no support from LOD. All while pushing red cards and making one spot, guest services, and the checklanes brand. I'm the one who has to deal with angry guests and glares from old ladies when lines are long. I'm the one who gets nasty guest comments when I walkie for a backup and lod tells me to work through it. I am the one that the rest of the store thinks is "whiny" or "annoying" when we have to constantly call for backups. The front end is a dumpster. It's unbelievable to me that GSAs is only a 50 cent increase for all that we do.
 
And ABSOLUTELY GSAs should get paid more!! We are responsible for managing 14+ checklanes and 10-20 team members all in one shift, plus guest services and Starbucks, and I'm often by myself doing this with no support from LOD. All while pushing red cards and making one spot, guest services, and the checklanes brand. I'm the one who has to deal with angry guests and glares from old ladies when lines are long. I'm the one who gets nasty guest comments when I walkie for a backup and lod tells me to work through it. I am the one that the rest of the store thinks is "whiny" or "annoying" when we have to constantly call for backups. The front end is a dumpster. It's unbelievable to me that GSAs is only a 50 cent increase for all that we do.

And that is why I turned the position down quite a few times when asked if I wanted it.
 
Or just get rid of gstls all together. Add more GSA's and only use GSA's. Utilize ETL GE for performance management. Boom. Simple. Done.
That would be hilariously terrible at stores with an ETL-GE/SF and no Hardlines TL.
 
They're two entirely different positions though. I think a PA gains a whole lot more operations/process knowledge than a GSA and that's very valuable.
Now that my store has a new gstl I've been moved to pfresh and made the pa and while I agree that GSAs should make more a good PA is what keeps the pfresh area brand normally by themselves and ends up doing alot of the pulling for their area. I know every time I shoot a batch I have to pull it myself
 
I don't hold mine to the SAME standards as me, but I do ask that they act professional and be confident in their decision making. Like it or not they are the "manager" if they are alone and on duty, so I ask that they know the policies inside and out, I ask that they have the confidence to handle the difficult guests. I don't want someone in role that as soon as they encounter the slightest problem they defect to me. Which some of ours have. Or someone who can't get behind store processes such as RedCards.

I will say the one thing that is great about GSTL/GSA is it gives you those skills you need in life to handle yourself in difficult situations. Fine, so you don't get merchandising skills or certain operational knowledge that other positions give, but I believe a position like that can get you further because you're more skilled at working with people directly, which in ANY job is a major requirement.
 
A good PA works closely with vendors and the FDC team, and must maintain strong relationships with all of them. A developing PA will even hold them accountable, as far as their authority allows them to.
 
Exactly, they're also tasked with stuff like the store order and are held accountable for food safety issues and steritech scores. A good PA is just like a good GSA... They own their departments when their leadership isn't there. Most people just don't know all that a PAs job entails.
 
They're two entirely different positions though. I think a PA gains a whole lot more operations/process knowledge than a GSA and that's very valuable.

Notice I wasnt saying a p fresh should make less. I am just saying a GSA holds that vital of a role in the store. They are leading a pretty big team themselves and make huge decisions when it comes to guest issues.
 
Because the guest most likely is gonna complain about the lack of bananas to the GSA rather than the PA. As a GS TM, I hear complaints about how "you're out of ___" and "when will you get more ____" all the time. If a guest is gonna get pissy, 9/10 it's not gonna be the people in grocery that have to deal with it and "make it right" for the guest.
 
GSAs is essentially GSTLs in our store. Criminally underpaid! Actually the cashiers go to the GSAs more than the GSTLs in my store because some GSTLS are lazy and leave the work to the GSAs. GSTLs disappear to do "paperwork" while the GSAs deal with all the headaches. It's a position that needs to be revaluated.
 
GSTLs are basically GSAs. We had 4 GSTLs at my old store, and they were the 4 worst leads in the building. Absolutely worthless. GSAs did just as good a job as them. I think GSTL is a leadership position that needs to go. It's a waste of money.
 
Plus they know nothing about the world outside their little microcosm at the front end. It says a lot when basically any team lead in the building can cover a GSTL, but a GSTL can't cover for any other team lead in the building lmao.
 
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