Archived Feel like I am stuck in my position

[Rrblack]

So I have been with target for around 9 months now as a cashier/cart attendant. Never called in and always show up early to work. On good terms with all the ETLS and STL, however, I feel like I am stuck as a cashier/CA and can't move. I look around and see all these hardlines, beauty and flex people being trained ALL around the store and they can easily take other shifts and fill when needed. For me though, the only shifts I can ever pick up are CA and cashier, and I am one of the two main cart attendants. Is there any way for me to ever move areas and be trained else where? I honestly hate cashiering and never even applied for it. Applied for Electronics but said cashier was the only job they had so I took it. They also said within a few months of me proving myself I could move. I feel like I have definiettly proved myself but nothing has changed. I have asked my ETL HR if I could be cross trained but he did not seem enthused and nothing has changed. What should/can I do?

 

[NPC]

So I have been with target for around 9 months now as a cashier/cart attendant. Never called in and always show up early to work. On good terms with all the ETLS and STL, however, I feel like I am stuck as a cashier/CA and can't move. I look around and see all these hardlines, beauty and flex people being trained ALL around the store and they can easily take other shifts and fill when needed. For me though, the only shifts I can ever pick up are CA and cashier, and I am one of the two main cart attendants. Is there any way for me to ever move areas and be trained else where? I honestly hate cashiering and never even applied for it. Applied for Electronics but said cashier was the only job they had so I took it. They also said within a few months of me proving myself I could move. I feel like I have definiettly proved myself but nothing has changed. I have asked my ETL HR if I could be cross trained but he did not seem enthused and nothing has changed. What should/can I do?

Keep asking. No seriously. Sometimes it's hard to ask stuff like that while we're working because they might be busy, or handling another issue, and they just can't take a moment to ask you more about it and have a conversation. Ask multiple people too. Talk to your GSTL. Talk to the TL's of other departments. Tell any ETL that will listen. Tell your STL. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Just know, you need to do more than just "not call out" to be considered a good employee. How's your attitude? How's your Guest Service? Do you work well with others? How involved are you in the store? Do you take initiative? How are you going above and beyond? You may already do some of these things, but it's just something to consider. Look for ways to make a larger impact, rather than just fulfilling the basic role of your area.

 

[Electronics2280]

You are asking though, right? Unless you’re a once in a lifetime Target prodigy they won’t hand you anything or bother to cross train you either. Talk to team leads, ETLs, STL. Ask how you can make the store better and offer up your skills and ideas. If you see an open shift on Branch/Kronos where you think you could learn quickly, ask a lead if you can take it and have someone show you the ropes for a half hour then try it on your own.

Best of luck to you!

 

[countingsheep]

When it comes to ca and food ave you get stuck because those positions have the highest turn over so when they get good reliable people they red tape around training you elsewhere. Keep on all etls and hr dont let them push you under the carpet. One ca got out after a year of weekly reminders of wanting cross training. Qhen you get a new ca double up the requests. Sad to say but harrassing them is the only way out.

 

[pinkp2ie]

I started off my own cross-training..One time the closing backroom TM NCNS'ed and they were screwed (new ETL). I told them i was able to handle it, knew how to drive the wave. It's very simple, same with the service desk i learned on my own.

 

[Fluttervale]

Did you talk to your hr etl? If you are the primary ca they would have to hire to replace you.

 

[Dog]

Just keep pushing it, and show that you have initiative. Ask TLs from different departments that you might be interested in if they can show you the ropes. Even though hours are a little low right now, everyone’s going to be looking for extra bodies during the summer, and if you keep showing your interest (sometimes you have to be aggressive) they might think of you when they need help. I was hired as a cashier but I asked about Starbucks a few times and the food TL and ETL-GE were always dismissive - then they bled a bunch of bodies from Starbucks and had holes to fill and they had basically no choice but to pull from other areas - now I work over there a few times a week and cover breaks there every day. Being flexible and being available to help wherever is needed is a big part of it - be proactive.

 

[jenna]

Get your GSAs and GSTLs to show you how to do things.

At our store, the front end will set CL endcaps. You can learn how to set an endcap, how to do a pull. You can also offer to work reshop, and learn the store and how to use a Zebra. Ask about the portable printers, and learn how to print labels.

Just ask your GSA, or GSTL "How can I help you today?" "Can I get a walkie and put away the reshop/returns while it's slow? Just call me if you need me to cashier."

 

[TTGOz]

Your post is all too similar to what I went through for an entire year until I finally got my work center changed from Cashiering/Cart Attendant.

I was going nowhere, until I decided to talk personally to that work center's TL, ETL, and got to know the PAs and took some TM's shifts back there. I started in Grocery last May and have been there since and I've been here two years and I've become very acquainted to it. I get some cashier shifts here and there and it lowkey pisses me off, but they're always short shifts.

Just keep pushing. I literally pushed and shoved my way out of cashiering and I'm on track to becoming a PA in my Frozen Dairy department.

 

[YoNanas]

Just be persistent. Go to your STL and ETL-HR and tell them you are interested in being global and explain them how it benefits their business needs that by having you cross trained, they won't have to hire a new member.

 

[graffiti]

I agree with the others saying get to know the TLs of the departments you're interested in. Formal training barely seems to exist anymore anyway... When you're cashiering, ask if you can go help out in those other areas when it's slow or you're overstaffed up front. Even if it's just gobacks or zoning, which are the basics of learning salesfloor anyway. Ask lots of questions and show interest in learning to do new things whenever you can get over there. If you can get those leads behind you, they might fight to keep you.

 

[can't touch this]

front end overstaffed? that'll be the day

 

[TTGOz]

I always wanted to be the one out zoning and doing pulls on the front end when it got slow. I use to not have the balls to ask but I came to realize if you want to succeed, you need to be confident. No worrying about being a pest or annoying with your persistence. I told all of my GSTLs separately whenever I saw them that I want to be the one out zoning and doing things because the other cashiers do it to get off a check lane to shoot the shit, and that I wanted to do it because I was genuinely interested in learning other areas and how to do other things.

I might have sounded like a dick, but in my mind I wasn't wrong, I'd see groups of cashiers stumbling around, talking to each other constantly, barely getting work done and I'm sitting here thinking "Wow, I'd be so much better at that even if I was alone." because I actually knew the areas and knew how to read a pick label and zoning was a cake walk.

Sure enough, they started to ask me first before anyone else if I wanted to go out and help other areas. That was around the time when I got to help out a few times back in Grocery and got to know the team lead and our ETL-Food and they basically secured me a position in grocery for our Frozen Dairy department.

What's actually hilarious is the entire time I was out doing work in the store where help was needed, the cashiers I always saw doing the work had to stay on their lane and they never got chances to leave and they ended up quitting a month or two later. you just gotta be vocal about your needs.

I've let all of my ETLs and Team Leads know that I'm going for a PA position, the meat department TMs aren't too happy about this, but look at me, I don't give a fuck, I'm gonna do what I want and get that position regardless. At first, talking about switching positions or work centers makes for lack luster conversation, but the more you talk about it, the more ideas you and the other side gets, and the more you do it, the more you get trusted to work into your new work center and you get officially promoted or moved.

I'm hoping I get to see my ETL-Food next week to say "I talked to the ETL-HR and my team leader about what we talked about at my review for becoming a PA, my team leader is on board, what's the next move? I'd love to begin as soon as possible."