Archived Ex ETL AMA (ask me anything)

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Little history. Was an ETL for over 5 years starting as an intern then straight out of college. Currently work for another employer in the retail industry.

Started as ETL-AP, ETL-Overnight Logistics, ETL-HR, ETL- Logistics. Went thru 11's (when you still had to interview), 13's and STL round robins.

AMA about Target, my experience and how a signed off STL wasn't allowed to transfer when asking for one for personal reasons.

Go.

Also, will be 100% honest
 
Wow! It sounds like your stl didn't like you. But, you find a better job outside of spot. Now a days, things are mess at spot..
 
Any insight on all the bonuses ETLs receive? I know it might be personal but I've always been curious.
 
I would also like to know what the routines for the etl is on none lod days
 
My ETL is always in their office on the computer....most of the shift. What is she doing on there? Is there that much executive work on the computer or is she just playing around?
 
why does Target only hire ETLs from College and not promote from within ?

Why do the ETLs care very little about pfresh ? when it is the most succesful and the only reason most guest come into the store in the first place.

Where does the ETL go for 3/4 the day ???? Very rearly do I see the ETL on the floor.
 
I definitely would like to echo the following questions:

a) Why hire from college and not promote from within?
b) Is their amount of executive work (memorizing numbers? filing paperwork? whatever?) really excessive enough to warrant repeated noticeable absence from the sales floor?
c) What, generally or specifically, does the executive work entail? Is it actually _hard_ or ... are the majority of ETLs um .... not intelligent?
d) How much of the 'cause - effect' strategy for improving AAR/ServiceScores/etc. is made up ... ? It sounds very much like it is some atrocious improvisation.
 
TL and TM wise, do you guys pick targets to go after? It seems like a person can be the best one week and then gets bombarded as the devil for a few months and if the person tolerates it long enough the next target is chosen
 
Do the ETLs gossip about the TMs among each other? I know the TMs gossip about the ETLs, I just wonder if the same is done in reverse.

Which AP position did you enjoy the most and why?

Which was your most dislike AP position, and why?

On your LOD shifts, how often did you find yourself helping out your team with the tasks they had to do, such as zoning, reshop, push, backstock, unloading the truck, etc.?
 
patient-bear-21.jpg
 
I'd just like to echo the question "What happens during ETL meetings?"
...And really anything that happens behind closed ETL doors?
 
Did u hate your life
At first no. I busted my ass and had great STL's that recognized me and gave me time off, etc. Granted I worked some long days, but they understood that and reciprocated.

When I got to my awful batch of STL's, yes I hated my life, my DTL and all the lies they threw at me.

My first 4.5 years I drank the kool aid heavy
My final .5, I wanted to vomit it all up
 
Wow! It sounds like your stl didn't like you. But, you find a better job outside of spot. Now a days, things are mess at spot..

Yes I did. My STL HATED me. That will be an entire long post/reply later, but long story short, I was in a store ranked 75/76 stores in the group and came in as LOG to fix everything. I uncovered so many things wrong It would take me years to right. I called her out often on her accountability, attendance and straight up leadership and she made up lies to the DTL, etc. I had other STL's backing me, but the DTL promoted her and was her golden child. Irony is, 30 days after I left, she was fired for fraud which I brought up to our Region HR about and she blew me off about it.

I do have a better job outside of Target. Very similar pay, less hours, less stress. Same complaints about call ins, payroll, etc, but just overall less stressful. Different clientale I guess
 
what goes on in the exec meetings? is it really a bunch of talking crap about team members?
I mean it depends what kind of STL you had. Couple stores, they were 7a every Monday and done by 8a. No bullshit, plan the week, work the plan, etc. No gossip, nothing.
Other STL's I had we had meetings over 4 hours weekly that accomplished 0. Contained 90% gossip and time wasting. I actually used to walk out on them when it happened considering I was 4a LOG I had to be there at 3 every day (no Flow TL) and my STL would have meetings at 3p and expect me to stay and would never have an early meeting
 
Any insight on all the bonuses ETLs receive? I know it might be personal but I've always been curious.
In terms of $ amount it is all scale based off of your salary. If you fall into certain pay scales, then it is a % of that scale. It also is based on your review score. In my first 3 years, bonuses were good. I got 4-6k pre tax.
In the last 2 years though, again, good ole corporate cut back on good review ratings. People that were 90s+ were suddenly 70s so they couldnt get the bonus. Had DTL's say that a store could only have 1 EX, 1 E, etc. which is def not the case.
But ya it was 8-10% of salary.
I entered making 42k left making 63,500 so in 5 years, pay raises not bad
 
I would also like to know what the routines for the etl is on none lod days

I mean it all depends based on your position. When I was AP, I took on more LOD shifts than anyone cause I could manage my time well. It also depends on if you have/had a good ETL trainer that taught you routines. I hated being in the office. Hated surveillances so I was always on the floor helping my peers or finishing up projects in my work center.

In LOG, again, was always LOD and with a truck, POG, instocks, etc, there is no off day.
In HR, there is a ton of paperwork and follow up they have, but so many HR's bitch so much, they just cant manage their time
 
My ETL is always in their office on the computer....most of the shift. What is she doing on there? Is there that much executive work on the computer or is she just playing around?
Playing around killing time. I would say it could change now, but I probably spent about 45 mins a day on email, probably less. You really only have to look/print reports once a week, so when you do that's maybe 10-15 minutes.
If she's HL, probably looking up/planning sales planners but mainly playing around.
I wrote the schedule too, so that took tweeking about an hour every thursday. But if they are on it every day, they are picking uip a paycheck and killing time
 
Hey. Hope all is well.

Two questions

1: Why do some ETLs talk crap to other ETLs, TLs and/or HR about the actions or lack of actions of TMs in front of other team members?

2: Why do/does the p fresh team get treated like crap while hours are cut and expectations rise?

To answer #1: I never spoke bad about another TM in front of another TM. I did express concerns about tm's or tl's to my peer ETL's but never anywhere else below. If you have one that is, turn them in. That's straight moral and integrity issues

2. Mainly because Target fucked up on Pfresh. They have no clue how long/how a truck should be worked. They thought it would be awesome and threw them everywhere then realized oh fuck, not everywhere we put one is profitable. Plus I think being a "new" workcenter so to speak, people dont realize the work that goes into inventory, prep, cull, etc and think meh we can do it another day. It's just an area they said, LETS DO THIS and put very lil thought behind
 
why does Target only hire ETLs from College and not promote from within ?

Why do the ETLs care very little about pfresh ? when it is the most succesful and the only reason most guest come into the store in the first place.

Where does the ETL go for 3/4 the day ???? Very rearly do I see the ETL on the floor.

I don't know why Target doesn't hire from within as much as they should. I think it's because if you have been with the company for a while as a TM or TL you see the shady shit. Unless you are like a total kool aid drinker and peppy, they don't want that carried over knowledge and attitude to be an ETL. Where as straight out of college, you don't know better, you want a job and will try hard usually for 1-2 years before you realize you shoulda slit your wrists.

I think they don't care cause they don't know anything about it and anything foreign to someone usually they just dgaf. I ran Pfresh remodels and it was nearly impossible to train ETL's on it because they just dgaf just like they dgaf on food safety, etc.

Again, killing time. As LOG I was always on the floor stocking, auditing, backstocking. Same as AP. Only person that shouldn't be on the floor 24/7 is HR and even then they should because they should interact and talk with the team.
They are most likely gossipping shooting the shit
 
How did you enjoy the internship? Will be participating in June!
I enjoyed it to be honest. But beware, they will feed you and lead you to believe what your job is and what your job will look like and it won't look like what it really is. I was an intern trainer for 5 interns and believe me, we were told to paint it rosy red, not gloomy doom.
 
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