Archived 'Dream job' within Target

[callmetaylor]

If you were given free reign in your store, how would you spend your days?

The current structure of the store stays the same- leadership is the same, work centers are the same (and still have the same TMs)- literally the only difference is you are now given the freedom to decide what you work on.

And no, "quality tester" at Starbucks doesn't count!


Personally, I'd be really in to the idea of being in charge of everything that falls through the cracks. Capacity problems, finding all of the expired food/broken/defective items on the salesfloor/in the back, maintaining the quality of WACOs and shelf labels, managing challenge (or, rather, enforcing challenge and holding TMs accountable) I love finding mistakes, not because I like the idea of a "gotcha moment" but because you have 100% proof that you just took something that was broken and fixed it.

Obviously over time I'd rather this be about fixing broken processes and coming up with the most efficient solution instead of fixing a million tiny errors that are bound to repeat themselves with the broken system, but I think you'd need to focus on the tiny errors at first in order to 1. understand what is going wrong 2. develop new strategies, and 3. rid the store of them so you can start new and not have to worry about old errors popping up.

 

[anathema]

I would love to spend my days LOCUing the backroom and reworking everything, then backstocking it beautifully in my image and if anyone messed it up, I would kill them.

 

[instockout]

If you were given free reign in your store, how would you spend your days?

The current structure of the store stays the same- leadership is the same, work centers are the same (and still have the same TMs)- literally the only difference is you are now given the freedom to decide what you work on.

And no, "quality tester" at Starbucks doesn't count!


Personally, I'd be really in to the idea of being in charge of everything that falls through the cracks. Capacity problems, finding all of the expired food/broken/defective items on the salesfloor/in the back, maintaining the quality of WACOs and shelf labels, managing challenge (or, rather, enforcing challenge and holding TMs accountable) I love finding mistakes, not because I like the idea of a "gotcha moment" but because you have 100% proof that you just took something that was broken and fixed it.

Obviously over time I'd rather this be about fixing broken processes and coming up with the most efficient solution instead of fixing a million tiny errors that are bound to repeat themselves with the broken system, but I think you'd need to focus on the tiny errors at first in order to 1. understand what is going wrong 2. develop new strategies, and 3. rid the store of them so you can start new and not have to worry about old errors popping up.

You should give instocks a try. At least at my store, we are given full reign over what we do. We work a lot on capacity/quantities, we purge out the backroom as much as possible, we do a lot of super zoning, and random other tasks. A lot of the time we do stuff, like you said, that just kind of falls through the cracks. Instocks will walk around the store more than a lot of other people and have to pay more attention to a lot of things, so we notice when things aren't right. But then again that's my store, and I know not all stores run instocks like mine. Also we only do as much as we can with the time we're given

 

[callmetaylor]

I was given some instocks shifts a few months after I started at Target and I hated it. I begged to be taken off after only like 4 weeks (so basically after 4 shifts) I just remember being so slow- seems like the LOD was always a little disappointed with how much I got through...and I didn't understand the whole "scan through the list"...I didn't understand why I couldn't just scan everything I came across that was low/empty. Sometimes it wouldn't "progress" to the next aisle once I moved on...it was all super confusing to me. Also, I'm not big on guests (although every now and then I'll have a wonderful guest experience and realize they're not all terrible!)

That being said, my training was terrible- I was literally told "just scan everything that's low and type in how many are there" so I didn't totally understand what I was doing. I imagine I'd have a way better sense of things now.

But with your description, instockout, I could see instocks being super satisfying- it was empty/low, now it's not!


Glad to see you guys like purging the backroom as much as I do...easily my favorite thing to do!

 

[CsideMaster]

Honestly?

Doing what I do. Overnight, unloading the truck and stocking the store. It's simple and easy but it's also a good workout with all the lifting boxes and constant walking and moving heavy items etc. i love the hours and don't mind the work. Plus I get to listen to my music being I work overnight lol

 

[HRZone]

Honestly?

Doing what I do. Overnight, unloading the truck and stocking the store. It's simple and easy but it's also a good workout with all the lifting boxes and constant walking and moving heavy items etc. i love the hours and don't mind the work. Plus I get to listen to my music being I work overnight lol

And wear jeans should you desire

 

[Deli Ninja]

Shoe and/or Jewelry/Accessories Specialist. Everything has a spot but can be flexed if necessary. If I run out of things to do, I can always just deep zone swimwear/RTW one rack at a time. I actually like helping guests and really enjoy making everything look just right. If the Specialist positions hadn't gone away, I'd probably be one instead of being in Deli now.
I mean, if I could just get 32+ hours a week to make things look good in-store, I'd rock it.

 

[oath2order]

Doing what I do now, signing. The fixture room is basically the center hub of the behind the scenes stuff of the store. Part of my job is to keep it organized. A well-organized fixture room does wonders for how your store will function.

Other than that, I fix all the signage that doesn't get sent, audit what corporate fucks up...

 

[SFSFun]

I pretty much already get to do whatever I want, with the caveat that I also need to get all of the SFS and SPU orders done on time. This time of year, that takes 2-4 hours max from my 8 hour shifts. The rest of the time, I come up with various projects to do in the backroom. This week I'm doing 12 steps in bulk/receiving to condense things and prepare for the lawn and garden assault we're about to get hit with.

 

[DoWork]

I'd check dates. All dates.

 

[YourPPTL]

Do exactly what I do now PPTL...LOVE IT

 

[Circle9]

Disregard vendors, just work on recalls, MIRs and maybe sweeps. I don't like dealing with people.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Getting hours to keep equip up/running for 8 hours for the team.

 

[pinkp2ie]

I wish I was a ETL for electronics and just get free reign of to make things sell as best as I can and chose my team

 

[Noiinteam]

If I never had anything to do with shoes, I would have my dream job.

 

[StockerAce]

Honestly?

Doing what I do. Overnight, unloading the truck and stocking the store. It's simple and easy but it's also a good workout with all the lifting boxes and constant walking and moving heavy items etc. i love the hours and don't mind the work. Plus I get to listen to my music being I work overnight lol

Same. We don't have to deal with guests either, which is the main attraction for me. The only thing I don't really care for is doing the truck unload...but it's a necessary evil, so it is what it is. Overnight backroom is nice too.

 

[callmetaylor]

I'd check dates. All dates.

It is truly horrifying the number of out-dates I've found in my time at Spot. And most of the time it's many months, sometimes a little over a year, out of date.

There are certain products that sell terribly at my store (all of the Annie's brand stuff, a lot of the healthy off-brand cereal, etc) and I'll take a quick glance and check for out-dates on those items at other Targets...haven't found any so far. So either those products sell way better at other stores, or they manage to actually do their job.

At first I was livid with my fellow TMs for allowing it to happen, but honestly, now I can see that it's leadership. Leadership will care about it for a week or two when I tell them how bad it's gotten- they'll do a couple of "freshness huddles" where TMs take an aisle or two and search every product for expired stuff, but then it'll be quickly forgotten and TMs will be pushed for speed > quality again.

I think it would make more sense to have one or two TMs responsible for all out-dates. There would be a schedule for checking aisles and they could fix capacity problems, help zone, etc in the process.

I get it...it seems like wasted time sometimes, but one of these days the wrong guest is going to come in, find some horrifically out-of-date pack of meat or something else where dates really matter, and cause a major shitstorm. And honestly, I wouldn't blame them.

 

[glo]

I would love to get paid as much as I do now and go back to backroom. I guess the only gimmick, dream come true type thing would be without any leadership on my back. Purely backstock/batches.

No guests, no worries. Do my job daily and be done with it.

 

[SnorlaxTM]

Given how my position is basically floating, I would love to spend a few days (not in our glorious red and khaki) just perfectly zoning and pruning out of dates and updating counts that way we actually get product. And toss in a few SFS shifts to keep me from going nuttier than I already am.

 

[Doglover89]

Hmm...so many possibilities. I really enjoy POG. I find it challenging and enjoy seeing tangible results for the amount of effort I put into my work. I love a good, clean, perfect super zone so if my store had brand tms, I'd probably like that too. I also like SFS, as long as it stays busy. So I guess I'd say I'd want to do a little bit of everything.

 

[Pale]

I wish I was a ETL for electronics and just get free reign of to make things sell as best as I can and chose my team

This. I would fucking love to be an electronics TL. Especially in my store, where electronics is basically forgotten when they need the help.

 

[LaTarjetaRoja]

A bit of a stretch, but you did say dream job... I'd work 8-4:30 Monday-Friday making every endcap look amazing. Setting new salesplanners, tieing, putting up nice new freshly cleaned shelves, pushing, filling holes, making sure all ad signage is correct, everything zoned to planogram, etc. Heck, I'd even zone the clearance endcaps.

 

[Kaitii]

I want to be an electronics TL in which I actually STAY in my department and do everything I can for it.

Also pick a new team cos damn sorry guys but ya'll suck

 

[Pale]

I want to be an electronics TL in which I actually STAY in my department and do everything I can for it.

Also pick a new team cos damn sorry guys but ya'll suck

Again, This. All but 1 of our electronics team needs to fucking go. And our leadership needs to learn that electronics really can't respond to the lanes.

 

[Kaitii]

Again, This. All but 1 of our electronics team needs to fucking go. And our leadership needs to learn that electronics really can't respond to the lanes.

Also we shouldn't do CAFs/go backs for other departments, I wanna include toys and whatever other department electronics is saddled with (apparently some stores have sporting goods thrown in???), bcos electronics while kinda small needs CONSTANT tending to)

And then the god damn day before/of a visit it's like eLECTRONICS WHY DOES THIS LOOK LIKE SHIT FIX IT like ???? you never give us a chance to work our god damn department ?????