Archived Feeling overworked

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RistrettoShots

Previous Starbucks TL/Coffee Master, ASM, now Mana
Joined
Aug 30, 2013
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So today I was scheduled to work 7-345 and the only other person scheduled was a NEW girl 115-9. Keep in mind this is on a Sunday at Food Ave.. Getting close to the holidays as well so we are constantly busy. I didn't have time to do a few things that I should have done and I don't think the new girl is going to be able to pick it up. This was her first time left by herself... I feel really bad for whoevers opening tomorow and I'm pissed tht we were scheduled like this. My coworkers were mad about it as we'll because it seems like our team lead has been putting herself in front of us as is not acting like a leader. I was wondering what you guys thought here.. I feel like I am being overworked and I'm trying really hard to keep up. I almost always get shifts by myself at Foodave and the past 3 Sundays it has been that way. Idk if she understands how busy we actually are. Uhg.
 
We do understand. Our Starbucks person closing called out. We had to closed Starbucks. Finding back up on certain areas is hard to do. Do what you can before you leave & communicate to your gstl or Lod on what you have done, helps the opening person greatly.
 
It's just that my TL was available on Sunday... She knew we needed another person because 3 of my coworkers told her we would. Instead... She schedules herself to come in Monday at the same time someone else is.. Really? A Monday? Food ave is dead on Mondays.. Uhg. image.jpg Also I'm starting to feel like se doesn't like me. She asks me to do things that no one else is asked. Like getting on the counter and cleaning the tops of equipment, cleaning under the ramps, Printing the Rpq and basically alot of stuff she's supposed to do. One day I came in at 6 and she still didn't have the primos done. Or sauces, or cookies and sandwiches. I talked to a girl who worked here 5 years and quit about a week or two ago for a new job she could actually use her college degree for lol, basically she said that the way my TL is treating me is how they treat people who they want to quit. Another coworker constantly tells me that the TL needs to stop working me like a dog. But what confuses me is that she picked me as Top Performer... I'm pretty new like 2 and a half months in.. So I was happy she recognized my hard work but it seems the further I get into the job, the worse I am being treated. Also she wrote me like 4 vibe cards last week.. Idk if she had to or did it because she actually noticed how hard I was working. Do TL normally write that many vibe cards?
 
I have worked in a few different Food Ave's during my tenure. And the holidays are the worst. At my high volume, scheduling was never a problem. We always had 3-4 person coverage on the weekends, always opened and closed with 2 people. Then all of sudden people started quitting or being fired. Leaving only 4 people doing FA when I transferred out.


During the days at my low volume store, we started out doing opener/mid/closer on the weekends, opener/closer during the week. During the holidays, we always ordered extra on high demand items and backstocked a lot of stuff in the backroom freezers. Then they started only scheduling an opener and closer all the time, even the holidays. No overlapping coverage. By the time you walk in, you have to prep on what was out and for next day, take guest orders, and then close.They would always schedule us where we would have to rush to close. Like 4-9 but closing would take us after store closing.

We would never had a properly trained team or enough coverage, we worked with a team of 5 people. No one got one on one training with a FATL because we always rotated the FATL out or they would quit. Sometimes they would just put new hires or cashiers in FA with no training.

And during the holidays they would push seasonals to operate FA by themselves. Rush through training. Lots of times, they would be NCNS, I would be forced to do doubles or pick up shifts, and run out of hours.

Lots of times, I had to come over from Hardlines (after escaping FA) to train newbies and seasonals in a 30 minute rush so I could go back to Hardlines.

Now I am hearing my old FA is only open 10-9 daily (10-8 Sunday).
 
The FA I work in is 8-9 daily (8-8 Sunday) although we don't get any real guests until 1030. I feel like I am trained pretty well. We just hired a new girl and I believe we are getting another soon because 2 recently quit. So currently there are 7 of us, one girl only works 5 hours a Week which makes no sense at all.. Uhg but we also have someone who is on a LOA for school right now.
 
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I am a PA in market and 3 weeks ago, we got a new Market TM and my most recent trainee... He was Fresh as having no Target work experience at all..and within 5 days he had his first solo close.. Literally before his first close I was only scheduled to have 2 shifts with him.. one of course was spent on the computer the whole night, and the 2nd was closing routines and actually closing the zone with him... (I legit couldn't even get deep into the zoning aspect). I felt bad for the kid as I know the workload in Market is absolutely rediculous at my store...

(We are 25-30% volume of the store and most weekdays we only have 3 market team members (an opener, mid, and closer)..
 
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Figured I'd mention some stuff now that I've been working at Target for 11 months.. Things have changed a lot.. Since I was hired , one girl was fired, 2 team members moved to other areas of the store & only answer back up calls, another refuses to make FA his primary, 1 tm is on an LOA, and 5 other team members have quit since. We now pan 140 pizzas a day. I think we are a pretty high volume store. Our vibe scores are the best in the group & district. I am now a Starbucks team member... I love it and the money is nice, but food ave still holds part of my heart. Plus I was actually asked not to quit FA so I still work regular shifts giving me my 40 hrs & occasional o/t. I am a food ave team trainer & have been Top Performer 4 or 5 times this past year. Just this past month I have been recognized through Walk the Vibe as an amazing team member, I also won the "vibe contest" for July and was recognized as Starbucks Top Performer. It feels amazing To finally be rewarded after working my ass off so long but I do sometimes think I would make a much better TL as the current. She seems to talk down on TM's a lot... I was wondering how hard it is to start a Food Service Assistant position in a store like mine... I think it is needed badly. Not saying I would want to position bit I think it would be a great addition to the team and could posibly motivate some ppl to work harder... I'm ranting too hard rn haha. Any feedback appreciated.
 
Figured I'd mention some stuff now that I've been working at Target for 11 months.. Things have changed a lot.. Since I was hired , one girl was fired, 2 team members moved to other areas of the store & only answer back up calls, another refuses to make FA his primary, 1 tm is on an LOA, and 5 other team members have quit since. We now pan 140 pizzas a day. I think we are a pretty high volume store. Our vibe scores are the best in the group & district. I am now a Starbucks team member... I love it and the money is nice, but food ave still holds part of my heart. Plus I was actually asked not to quit FA so I still work regular shifts giving me my 40 hrs & occasional o/t. I am a food ave team trainer & have been Top Performer 4 or 5 times this past year. Just this past month I have been recognized through Walk the Vibe as an amazing team member, I also won the "vibe contest" for July and was recognized as Starbucks Top Performer. It feels amazing To finally be rewarded after working my ass off so long but I do sometimes think I would make a much better TL as the current. She seems to talk down on TM's a lot... I was wondering how hard it is to start a Food Service Assistant position in a store like mine... I think it is needed badly. Not saying I would want to position bit I think it would be a great addition to the team and could posibly motivate some ppl to work harder... I'm ranting too hard rn haha. Any feedback appreciated.

Food Service Assistant is pretty much a Perishables Assistant is is not?

If it is, it is a rough job. You are pretty much the Team Lead of your area (As a PA, it is PFresh for me), but you aren't it is that weird vague area.

You will find yourself surrounded by problems on a daily basis, which really all you can do is notify higher ups because of your position. You would order food for your area (Similar to the SBTL, i think does) and be very hands on over the inventory area.

Perishables Assistant/Food Service Assistant is probably, IMO, one of, if not the most hybrid position in the store.

You control your inventory more than any other area, by ordering your own food you have to plan ahead.Know whats in your backroom and more importantly its self date and plan around it.

You will have obscene tasks that you will never find time to do no matter how hard you try, and your managers will know it.

You will bust your ass and will probably be your hardest worker in your store, but no one will ever realize it because they only notice when things go wrong. This is probably the hardest part of the position.

The positives of this position are numerous though as well, you will learn more than I think MANY Team Lead positions do, and IMO, have just as much responsibility.

I can't stress how important time management is. You have to compact your day in order to get through everything.

Not being an actual "Leader Position" is what makes this position tough, To be good, you have to Earn the people's respect you work with,because you can't Command it.

IMO this is THE position to be in to be a Team Lead, and if you can be a successful Food Service Assistant (if it is the same as a Perishables Assistant) then I think you could be successful at anything in the store.....
(Besides GTSL probably, lol)
 
Basically, a FSA is to Food Ave what a PA is to P-Fresh, a GSA is to the front end, and a brand TM is to the sales floor (particularly in softlines).
 
Working in food ave I know that at my store we have plenty of problems I already try my best to take care of. Our coolers go down often and first thing I do is notify the SFT. I used to notify my TL, who would notify the LOD, who would then notify SFT. I realized things get fixed much faster if I notify the SFT first. I believe that knowing how to do things such as ordering & putting in work orders would benefit the team regardless if it was myself or someone else who knew how to do these tasks. I already go way above and beyond with tasks around the area and it's totally normal for me to go in the back and grab supplies or stuff from the back room freezer. I already know how to order salads from the cooler. & I am very knowledgable in Food Safety as I've acquired my food handlers certificate. So I'm curious, what am I not doing that a team lead already does besides obvious things like coachings, ordering, & fixing problems. I don't mean to sound cocky at all by saying that I can do this & that I am just trying to get an honest opinion &figure out if I have a future at Target or if I am wasting my time or working hard for nothing. I am aware if I want such a position I need to go after it myself but am afraid to say anything until I know for sure if this is what I'd like to push for.
 
@Krissfak well it looks like your leadership team loves you based off all the recognition you have gotten, so that definitely helps. Also you seem like you love your job and you're interested in moving up.

Do you have a 4 year degree?
Is your availability open?
Are you willing and capable of being a TL in other areas or even other stores?

These are a few key factors that will improve your chances of getting promoted. The reason I ask the 3rd question is because there is times when TLs are asked to change roles and have to be flexible, plus it's good to learn all aspects of the store if you want to continue advancing with Target.

The next step would be to let your immediate TL and ETL know your interested in promoting and ask them what steps you need to take to get you closer to that goal. Maybe they think your ready and they will tell you to apply for the next available position or maybe there is things they think you need to improve on first, so finds those things out and improve them.

Also it's a good idea to have a mentor who will give you constructive feedback and guidance. This mentor can be your immediate supervisors or any leader in the building that you think would have your best interest in mind. It can even be someone outside of Target, but if you want to do that I would still choose a mentor in your store and choose a 2nd mentor from outside. Your Target mentor can help you improve your weaknesses and also put in a good word to your STL and DTL when it comes time for interviews.

When everyone feels you are ready, then make sure to always check the hiring needs board in TSC for any available TL or speciality positions, also you should check on EHR too, if your interested in a position at another store. I won't to stress the point about being ready because if you jump into a leadership role knowing you are not ready for it, it can be a disaster and you could end up quitting or getting fired. It can be very overwhelming if you have never led a team before, leadership roles aren't for everyone. Also it's dependent on the area you are leading because some are easier than others, but you should go in with the mindset of being ready for any position thrown at you because you are confident in your leadership abilities.

Also it helps to have a good rapport with your ETL-HR and STL, if they don't like you or don't think your ready, then your chances are slim to none.

Oh last thing, if for some reason they say you are not ready for being a TL, don't let that discourage you, continue to stay positive, give your best effort, and improve on the weaknesses they laid out, and continuously get feedback from your mentors and leadership team to get you closer to your goal. If this fails and you have no hope left, then that's when it would be time to go another direction and find other opportunities outside of Target but don't burn your bridges with Target.

Hope this helps, let me know if you ever need anything.
 
I do love my job :) I remember being asked once my 90 days were up where I could see myself eventually with the company. I said I was only here to make some money while I am not in school as I applied for food avenue due to my interest in Culinary Arts. I do not currently hold a 4 year degree but did attend a vocational-tech while in high school where I graduated with a 2 yr certificate for culinary arts & restaurant management operations. Long story short I was attending community college for Baking & Pastry arts but I realized It was everything I had already learned at the voc-tech school. My goal was to work for a few years and save up enough money until I can go to a better school and get my 4 yr degree. So I do currently have full availability. I am trained In Food Avenue, Starbucks, and P-fresh. I want to keep myself around food rather that means Starbucks or food avenue.. So I can see myself in either of those areas. My TL is constantly asking for feedback on the team or anything that can be changed so today I mentioned possibly opening a food service assistant or brand TM type position. TL thought It was a great idea and explained the only problem was finding a TM who was interested in moving up with the company because they wouldn't give the position to a random TM. It was explained that the only person she could see having that position would be myself but I had already previously told her (90 days) I couldn't see myself moving up and staying with Target. TL did explain that it would help me to develop myself and build my confidence. She also explained that I don't have to stay with Target forever and if I am looking to better myself for the real world and things such as college interviews it would be a good choice. I am going to think about it for a week and get back to her but it seems like it would be the right decision to go for it as I can't see too much bad coming out of it. I really appreciate everything you said and will think long and hard on it. Thank you!
 
Wow, I haven't been on here in almost two years. Well, if you guys would like an update-here's how everything's going..
I was asked to cross-train at Starbucks- loved it so much it's now my main work center. The FATL ended up leaving and FSA position opened up. I did not take the position.
I became a certified Starbucks AST.
Taught myself latte art before the flat white even became a thing..
Got approval from Starbucks DM and RM
To compete in the Barista championships.
Became second ever Coffee Master for licensed stores in my region.
Target decides it will not participate in the Barista championships..
Continue to work my ass off keeping the department consistently green on Steritech visits and vibe scores.
Recieved the first ever YOU award for my store.
TL tells me he will try to get me an O come review time.
I decide to participate in "Talent Day" to take steps into moving up.
I don't get an O -, end up getting a smaller raise then last year. Am dissapointed, find out I am pretty much maxed out, ETL-HR is attempting to get me a higher paygrade (if my store allows 2 FSA) until I get on the bench.
We are now up a crazy amount in sales for the year. Over 50%, continously green, &my SBTL has been working on the floor a lot so I agreed to be him for the next 2 and a half weeks.

So here I am doing the job of a TL with the pay of a regular Starbucks TM..

I find out tomorrow if my store will allow two FSA's. Wish me luck I need this!
 
Kudos for taking the SB bull by the horns!
Beware of carrot dangling, tho.
If you start looking like you're getting the runaround, look into working at a standalone Starbucks & work toward a manager position.
@Sickofspot could tell you all about the perks.
 
Most of the carrot dangling was my own fault. I never wanted to move up but realized I was screwing myself out of money. My STL & ETL HR must really like me because they decided to give me another 50cents. Although they were calling it an FST position I think they meant FSA..they said they might get in a little trouble for that. They want to sign me off and get me on the bench within the next few months & few more dollars once I get a TL position.
 
@redeye58 I have looked into it and applied to stores in my area for shift supervisor position in the past but no stores near me seem to be hiring. I've heard the perks are great-free drink,food,tips...tuition reimbursement..one can dream.
 
Sounds like you've got strong support from your leadership.
Hopefully, they'll get you on the bench as quick as they say.
Good luck.
 
Depends on the area.
Some standalones would snap up Target baristas while others turn up their noses, saying we're not 'real' baristas.
Kept me from looking at a standalone position.
 
I feel over worked at times. Like management has unrealistic time frames to get things done. The other day I worked a 4 hours shift and the stl wanted me to research and basically 4x4 all bedding and zone all of D and so reshop as well as help guests, get calls and back up cashier and wondered why I didnt get most of D super zoned or one cart of reshop done (I had 4). Then I had ten min left the other night and the lod asked if I could help her with a pallet that had 40 boxes on it and as I was leaving she said did you finish the pallet? I was like no... I had ten min... And she seemed upset. I'm sorry but no one can do all that in those time frames especially when everything is Is in the wrong location hense the 4x4 in bedding taking forever. :confused:

Also when zoning they want us in each aisle a maximum of 3 min.. But then wonder why it's not super zoned.. Have you met A block? Lol
 
Like management has unrealistic time frames to get things done.

I couldn't agree more with this!!!

Personally this is the most frustrating part of the job. One time I had less than ten minutes left in my shift and the LOD gave me a fairly large size pull and said I should be able to finish it before I left. I then needed to help a guest so there went a solid three/four minutes, but even without helping the guest there was absolutely no way I would have done it all in that time. Then the LOD seemed pissed that it wasn't done.

I've even heard that particular leader sometimes gives team members pulls, gives them a ridiculous time limit, and then says he is going to time them. But from the way he says it they think he is timing them to be mean and not to motivate them.
 
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