Archived Cross Trained Vs. Not Cross Trained

[scott17]

Hey guys.

do you prefer to be cross trained or work in the area you were hired for only?

I was hired as cashier, and i like it so far. it doesnt seem too hard but im still getting used to it.

right now i would like to stay as a cashier only so i can be better at my job quickly, but i have heard about people getting hired for one job then getting thrown around the store in different positions.

at some point i might want to try out guest service, or the food court, but i would like to stay as cashier soley for a few months at least to be the most comfortable.

have you guys been cross trained very much? and what jobs do you like doing the best?

 

[Sasha]

I started as Cashier, then I was trained in Food Ave and Guest Service. Recently they've decided to make me permanent at Guest Service so I haven't cashiered for a month now, and I like Guest Service SO much better than being a Cashier. Most of the Team Members at my store prefer to do hardlines. One of my best friends started out as Cart Attendant, then he Cashiered, and then hardlines, and he was trained in Electronics...now he does signing, and he's been doing that for like a year now. I think its better to be cross trained, it helps you do your job better, because you have more of an understanding of the store and how other team members help with your job.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Also, you will get more hours.

 

[commiecorvus]

Understanding how the store works makes any job easier, the more jobs you know the better you understand the store.
And as the master of hardlines pointed out you get more hours.

 

[eatcowsnotCAFS]

I was originally hired for Starbucks. Before the Starbucks even opened in my store, I was trained for cashier, photo and guest service. 7 months later, I'm trained for cashier, photo, guest service, Starbucks, food ave, softlines, hardlines, plano, pharmacy, gsa/gstl, and a little bit of HR.

What has cross-training done for me? First, it's given me a heck of a lot more hours. I'm not even Starbucks anymore. If I was still just Starbucks, I'd be stuck around 15 hours/week. Despite my limited availability being in college fulltime, I still swing 39.5 hours/week thanks to my knowledge of so many work centers.

Not only does it make me useful (during the day if I'm in one workcenter and another needs help, they can always move me wherever they need me), but it mixes it up a bit. Cashiering is fun at first-- but good lord does it get repetitive. I'm usually in a different workcenter from day to day, and it makes my week go by fast. Knowing each workcenter also helps you understand your job better.

 

[scott17]

Oh wow some of you are trained in a ton of positions. Maybe in between semesters i will try to get trained in another area but for right now im too busy to try to learn another thing at work, and right now more hours isnt necessarily good for me since i have class and midterms to study for.

Were you all approached to be trained in another area or did you go to you TL or someone else to try to get moved/get more hours?

 

[Jin]

Cross Train, tbh they only give me like 35hours. and a person like me with no life i rather work. so days that im off i tell HR to give me those days that im off if possible if someone wants to call those day off ill do Electronics or Cashier. and that boosted my hours to 40-45hrs ^_^.

 

[FrontEndKnowItAll]

Oh wow some of you are trained in a ton of positions. Maybe in between semesters i will try to get trained in another area but for right now im too busy to try to learn another thing at work, and right now more hours isnt necessarily good for me since i have class and midterms to study for.

Were you all approached to be trained in another area or did you go to you TL or someone else to try to get moved/get more hours?

I think that you will find that most of us here are trained in many positions. For instance I know cashier, photo, food service, guest service, deli, bakery, produce, flow, plano, hardlines, electronics, backroom, and bits and pieces of some other things. It just comes with time if your one of those people that likes to learn new things.

And for your question about who to go to. I would start figuring out who the TLs are around the store and see if they need any help or if they know if any other team is looking for some help.

 

[eatcowsnotCAFS]

I told my ETL-HR when I was first hired that I wanted to learn everything possible. That's why she had me train guest service and photo before the Starbucks I was hired for even opened... instead of just having me waste away cashiering. Learning softlines and hardlines were just random opportunities... they didn't need me up front during a few shifts and those departments needed help, so I was trained in them. And then once you're over there once, you'll surely be over again!

 

[bulldoggirl1]

I'm trained in cashier, guest service, photo, GSA, hardlines, softlines, operator, grocery, produce, and have gotten thrown into electronics occasionally during the holidays. I've just started training in Food Ave. I love working in a variety of work centers-more hours to get and keeps things interesting. Like someone else said, if you want to be cross trained, figure out who the Team Leads are and let them know that you're looking for more hours and willing to learn more areas. One thing with retail is that turnover is constant, so you never know when there will be an opening in some area or another.

 

[HLTL4Hawks]

Like others have said, cross-training opens the opportunity for more hours, but also keeps work more interesting in my opinion. I started as a cashier, did that alone for a whole year and I was about to go crazy! Luckily when I transferred for the first time I was put into Starbucks, which led to Deli/Bakery and eventually to Food Ave. TL/GSTL and with my latest transfer Sr.TL Hardlines. It's definitly a positive thing to do overall!

 

[WannaBthebestTL]

As a teammember I started out as flow in hardlines then switched to softlines, then cross trained in backroom, seasonal SFTM, pricing, receiving, pog,ad set on Sunday's this opened many avenues to give me hours to work or to finish out the day if a workcenter was not going to get it completed. Try something new it is fun who knows you may like something better than cashier, you also find out what TL you like.

 

[pzychopopgroove]

I'm cross trained in cashiering, electronics, sales floor, *and* cart attendant, and I'm shafted into 95% cashiering hours. I've gone to my ETL, with no response whatsoever..

Oh, did I mention I was hired on for sales floor, an area I personally enjoy almost as much as working Cart Attendant shifts?

 

[mrknownothing]

I was offered cross-training in hardlines over the summer, but I'm still waiting for my training. Though I did get a random 1.5 hours of training at Guest Service. Because of this, I'm the one they pull from the lanes if they need help with sorting re-shop at Guest Service or if the sales floor is short on TMs to zone.

 

[Formina Sage]

The only workcenters I don't know are pharmacy and Food Ave/Starbucks.

 

[aunteeflow]

I was hired in august as flow team member. The first week I only worked two days. The next week I was used for pulls as well,that took me up to four days. Held at 4 days a week for two weeks until I started meeting the other team leads and voicing my desire to cross train. Last week I broke 40 hrs for the third time since I started. Now I'm at a point where sometimes I even work double shifts in different workcenters. So far I am flow,cart attendant, signing,push and zoning.
Cross training definitely means more hours. The funny thing is that many of my Co workers complain that they don't get enough hours yet they do not seem to be willing to cross train.
So far nothing I have done has been hard so I really don't understand why more ppl don't do it.
I look at it like this, it's a job so why not work?