- Joined
- Oct 18, 2012
- Messages
- 54
I'd be happy to elaborate. With regards to my first point, the entire premise of your thread is that the knowledge you possess is somehow uncommon on this site. It is not. There are numerous ETLs, former ETLs and at least one STL who post here. I recall none who had the, and I don't know how else to put it, self-absorption, to create a separate thread asking the board to come to them with questions about how it works on the other side of the proverbial curtain. I will attribute this to maturity or perhaps just good manners.
In addition to Target, I worked in another part of the retail sector. What you did as an ETL would be called a "shift supervisor" in most every other area of retail. The higher pay is mostly attributable to the fact that Target uses ETLs as a farm system for future STLs and above. Just to provide some perspective, as a department manager in another area of retail, I was not only responsible for department sales, but for calculating and answering for my gross profit margins, merchandising and conducting all inventories. Additionally, I managed the store when the store manager and asst. manager were gone. At no point as an ETL were you calculating gross profits, making macro-level merchandising decisions, taking inventory of tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise and so on. This is not to show all the massive things for which I was responsible, it is to show how little ETLs actually do in comparison to managers in the rest of the retail industry. It's entirely unremarkable and most shift supervisors at your local grocery store chain have a better handle on their entire store than most ETLs have of theirs.
As to the second portion of my post, your attitude towards team members is disturbing, but not surprising, as the corporate culture in which you were immersed only reinforces lack of empathy and hierarchical views of the workplace. Your comment about who is "deserving" of a place in Target is the most revealing comment, yet. Let me give you a piece of advice as someone who is older than you and has worked not only as a manager, but has worked as a teacher. In both contexts, you will encounter a fair number of folks who think you are showing them "disrespect." First, you will find, many times, that there is something underlying in their lives that is greater than anything you or I have to deal with on a daily basis. Second, your reaction to these folks will define the workplace or classroom far greater than anything they will do. If your reaction in the workplace is, rather than letting go of an insolent employee, to play with their hours and give them back-to-back shifts, you will simply exacerbate the problem and alert others to the fact that you're an immature manager. I should note that none of the scenarios you listed above are situations in which a seasoned manager or teacher would demand that the person be shown the door. Finally, and this is a lesson I had to learn the hard way many times, those folks who are "disrespecting" you many times feel you are disrespecting them. Many times, they are 100% correct. People in their early/mid-20s are particularly apt to be oblivious to how they come off to others.
In regards to your shift supervisor comment. I feel you are beyond way off. As an ETL, I
WAS responsible for what happened in that store. So whether that store was an 18 million dollar store or an 80 million dollar store, it was my responsibility along with my peers of what went on thru it. Shift manager? A TL is a shift manager. Even at the new company I currently am employed at and others I interviewed with, every position was the equivalent responsibilities of an ETL. Opening/Closing building. Responsible for payroll, sales, etc. I don't know how you can be little an ETL position when it's the ETL's that fill in for the STL's or other STL's when they are on vacation or leave. Your "Shift manager" which you say is below an assistant covering an STL, then that company is awfully trusting. Many ETL's I know covered STL vacations and month long leaves as development. Far from a Shift Manager and downgrade of responsibilities like you make it out to seem.
In terms of ETL's being used as a farm system. Isn't that what every company does? I can name 10 off the top of my head that have almost the exact same management set up in retail. It works for retailers and many businesses.
In terms of macro level involvement on merchandise: So working in a freaky back to college store, you are assuming that when I was logistics I never met with my distribution center to plan/drive sales on certain top key items for college: Futons, mirrors, hangers etc?
Did you know ETL's do cover gross margin, sales , looking at gross profits and what areas are performing and under performing? I mean I am guessing you were never an ETL so you don't know that there are reports monthly that come out that we have to review and come up with action plans for? But again, you seem to know all.
When you challenge what an ETL can "order or manage". This comes from the company philosphy itself. It has nothing to do with ETL's responsibilities. Why do you think they have "buyers" for the company. That is their job. To manage what comes in/out of stores. There are stores I know of that yes, assistant managers do order for their areas. But it is more they own the "instocks" piece of it, instead of a specific team. I know that retailer is outdated and doesn't even have distribution centers so it is more of a macro level focus on it to understand what you have, how much you have and what you may sell. That is a sign of a retailer behind the times on efficiency and logistics.
I never once in any of my posts said that this knowledge is not out there already or even common knowledge. I opened a thread for those who wanted to ask a Q they wanted an answer to and wanted to know. End of story. I never once said I knew more than anyone ever at Target and numerous times have said throughout I don't know the answer to that. So again, you are far off base. Just because no one else has started something like this, doesn't make me a self absorbed person? I am sure no one else started a Walmart, because you had all your mom and pop shops, yet OMG here comes someone doing what everyone else knows how to do or understands, but does it better. I guarantee an STL could do a better AMA and more power to them. But again, you are far off base on your assumption.
I have been more empathetic in this thread to many tm's and I empathized with many of my tm's that didn't have transportation to work, worked 2-3 jobs, worked 7 days a week. You think I don't feel blessed? However, at the end of the day, as any manager should/will tell you, at the end of the day, a job must be done. I cannot empathize with someone that misses 2 days a work a week and calls in. How can I run a business long term successful? I am not assuming entire teams are bad workers and don't want to work. However, you have those in every store that bring down others. Usually those are the ones that complain about hours, etc and feel they are owed for something they are owed nothing for. Everyday I drove past people standing on the street begging for money. I would take those people over some I hired because if they are willing to be out there every single fucking day in all weather, I can only imagine the work ethic they may bring into work and love to have the opportunity to work as opposed to those who feel the world owes them. Did you know in other states, most retailers don't give a break for 6 hours of work? Most states don't require a lunch after 6 hours? You have tm's bitching after 2 hours they need a break working a 4 hour shift.
When you talk about respecting/disrespecting, again you are assuming and putting words and actions into my managerial skills. I never once said I made someone work split shifts. I said that is what the company as a whole is doing. My posts have all said that this is what Target and corporations will be going to. Did I agree with it no? But at the end of the day with someone with no options for work, you have to do what you have to do. What about ETL's that close at 2a and are back at 6a? They can very easily go somewhere else but they don't. When I talk about work life balance, I worked more awful back to back shifts, overnights to days than any employee I knew. It was what the business needed. If I didn't set that example of hard work and flexibility, how could I hold my team accountable to it. If I didn't pick up trash or throw a truck or make a bale how could I hold my team accountable? I couldn't, which is why I did every single thing my TM's had to do. There wasn't one thing above me or above them.
Again your assumptions are very far off base for someone you've never met or interacted with. I have often said throughout that I agree with things Target does and I disagree with a lot too.