Archived fellow tl issues

[Nauzhror]

Rrg?

 

[canibedreamin]

Last year we hired a gstl and GSA during the holidays. Both new to target. One left in the spring the other is still there, still not properly trained. I was training them as well as cashiers during the height of the holiday season - disastrous...

Which one left? lol

 

[PinkZinnia]

Gstl

 

[Nauzhror]

How can someone be a GSA for nearly a year and still not be properly trained?

I can imagine them not being very good at their job, but as far as training goes, that seems like something that should take no time at all?

 

[Retail Girl]

Last year we hired a gstl and GSA during the holidays. Both new to target. One left in the spring the other is still there, still not properly trained. I was training them as well as cashiers during the height of the holiday season - disastrous...

Which one left? lol

The smart one?

 

[Retail Girl]

How can someone be a GSA for nearly a year and still not be properly trained?

I can imagine them not being very good at their job, but as far as training goes, that seems like something that should take no time at all?

No time at all? For a GSA from scratch? It usually takes a couple of months for good cashiers to really own a register. It usually takes a couple of months for a person at guest services to start really owning decisions. It usually takes a couple of months for an in house promotion GSA to really find their footing and take control for full shifts and do it confidently. So for a new hire GSA who knows nothing about Target trying to do all three of those things at once? I think a good four months is minimum to really get on solid ground. And even then, not working their way through getting to know the store and how things operate, I see it being a disadvantage for at least the first year.

 

[PinkZinnia]

She isn't sure of herself. And the longer it goes, she doesn't want to ask how to do things that she should know. She often asks me to help her or to find out how to do it. I don't mind, and I know it is covering for her, and in time someone will figure it out, but if I can help her in the meantime, then why not..

I don't like how they set people up to fail in our store, don't know if that's a common thing at target. Everyone should be able to learn things in their own way, not just told quickly, be wound up and sent to the floor to do it.

Imagine how profitable target would be if they actually spent the time to train their employees correctly..

 

[Retail Girl]

I believe most people want to be able to do their job to the best of their capabilities...or at the very least want to have the knowledge to do so, even if they don't always (or ever) do so. So knowing how to do your job, and how to succeed, is going to make people do better, make them happier, more confident, more likely to stay longer, etc, etc. That's why I get after people to ask questions when they are training...ask me to slow down, repeat myself, clarify, engage with me....you'll learn more and we can build your knowledge together...and dear God, if you can do your job and do it well, it makes my job a lot easier as well.

 

[redeye58]

Rrg?

Rretail Girl, Dominatrix of the front lanes /jk

 

[Nauzhror]

How can someone be a GSA for nearly a year and still not be properly trained?

I can imagine them not being very good at their job, but as far as training goes, that seems like something that should take no time at all?

No time at all? For a GSA from scratch? It usually takes a couple of months for good cashiers to really own a register. It usually takes a couple of months for a person at guest services to start really owning decisions. It usually takes a couple of months for an in house promotion GSA to really find their footing and take control for full shifts and do it confidently. So for a new hire GSA who knows nothing about Target trying to do all three of those things at once? I think a good four months is minimum to really get on solid ground. And even then, not working their way through getting to know the store and how things operate, I see it being a disadvantage for at least the first year.

Dunno, I honestly don't recall any of those things taking anywhere near that long. Standard cashiering is something I don't think should take more than a few hours to fully learn, it's only the interacting and dealing with guests that should be "difficult", and only then if that's something you're new to. There's nothing remotely complicated or difficult about ringing up an order. Service desk I can see taking a bit longer, but even then I think someone intelligent can learn nearly everything within 2-3 shifts.

GSA, again I'd say it's the intercommunication skills that seem most difficult, not the actual tasks themselves. Also the balancing and multi-tasking of those tasks.

I can see it taking a while to get a good routine down, but I wouldn't really consider someone who can do every individual aspect of their position but isn't as fast as others or quite as good at multi-tasking as someone else to be improperly trained because those are aren't really things that can be trained, they're more habits that eventually become ingrained and that some people are naturally much better at than others. Same with confidence to make decisions, I don't really think confidence can be "trained".

My standards might not be realistic for most people though, I've always been overly analytical and a very quick learner. For example when in school math classes consisted of about three days learning a given topic, I got A's on every test by coming in for a day, taking no notes but listening to the lecture, seeing 1-2 examples, and then going, k, got it, that seems easy enough, no need to come in for the next two days to see more examples of this, and then skipping the next two sessions.

 

[signing genie]

How can someone be a GSA for nearly a year and still not be properly trained?

I can imagine them not being very good at their job, but as far as training goes, that seems like something that should take no time at all?

No time at all? For a GSA from scratch? It usually takes a couple of months for good cashiers to really own a register. It usually takes a couple of months for a person at guest services to start really owning decisions. It usually takes a couple of months for an in house promotion GSA to really find their footing and take control for full shifts and do it confidently. So for a new hire GSA who knows nothing about Target trying to do all three of those things at once? I think a good four months is minimum to really get on solid ground. And even then, not working their way through getting to know the store and how things operate, I see it being a disadvantage for at least the first year.

Dunno, I honestly don't recall any of those things taking anywhere near that long. Standard cashiering is something I don't think should take more than a few hours to fully learn, it's only the interacting and dealing with guests that should be "difficult", and only then if that's something you're new to. There's nothing remotely complicated or difficult about ringing up an order. Service desk I can see taking a bit longer, but even then I think someone intelligent can learn nearly everything within 2-3 shifts.

GSA, again I'd say it's the intercommunication skills that seem most difficult, not the actual tasks themselves. Also the balancing and multi-tasking of those tasks.

I can see it taking a while to get a good routine down, but I wouldn't really consider someone who can do every individual aspect of their position but isn't as fast as others or quite as good at multi-tasking as someone else to be improperly trained because those are aren't really things that can be trained, they're more habits that eventually become ingrained and that some people are naturally much better at than others. Same with confidence to make decisions, I don't really think confidence can be "trained".

My standards might not be realistic for most people though, I've always been overly analytical and a very quick learner. For example when in school math classes consisted of about three days learning a given topic, I got A's on every test by coming in for a day, taking no notes but listening to the lecture, seeing 1-2 examples, and then going, k, got it, that seems easy enough, no need to come in for the next two days to see more examples of this, and then skipping the next two sessions.

Exactly only took me three hours to truly learn cashering and two weeks for guest service. I got stuck with gsa duties for awhile but only too me two closing shifts to get it down. Pegged to be gsa but not worth the time and money so took the signing job instead.

 

[commiecorvus]

I think there's a big difference between learning cashiering and being good at it.
You can pick up the basics of waiting tables in an afternoon but mastering it takes a a long time.
Register is kind of the same thing.
You can just ring up what they throw at you or you can pay attention to what's going through, is there earrings tucked in the purse?
Can you get a redcard out of this person?
Did you notice the bag of dogfood on the bottom of the cart?
No it's not rocket science but there is an art to it and owning the area, knowing what corners to cut, when to call for help and when to just take care of it yourself, when to hold and when to fold, does take time.
The problem is they throw people on the register with no real training and little chance for getting that footing.
If they don't already have a abundance of self confidence or experience than it's not going to be a great experience.

 

[signing genie]

True but target hiring externals into leadership position with no really training or being its there first job out of college really shows how the company cares about having competent people working for them(forgot sarcasm font). Truly i believe tms should be trained more than just a day or so tho.

 

[60SecondsRemaining]

I didn't read all of the replies, but in my experience, direct is generally the best way to go about it.

Go directly to this person and ask them to give you feedback directly. If they have issues with your work, you would appreciate if it came to you, so you could fix it immediately. Ask them for specifics. If they cannot provide specifics, ask them why they feel they have this perception of you.

Your best case scenario is to do this over email, copy your ETL and HR, then go to this person and ask them to respond.

Target also utilizes a tool known as a GAPS grid, which you can fish off of workbench and email to this person with a "hey, I heard you had some issues with my work so if you could fill this out for me I'd be really grateful for the feedback!". In my opinion, the gaps grid is a steaming pile of shit, but in this scenario you're essentially brandishing it as a weapon to fend off a coworker who more than likely has a grudge against you.

They key, really, is to be as professional and direct as possible. Keep your ETL and HR in the loop and make sure everything is documented. Eventually your coworker will get the point that you aren't down with his shit, and move on to someone else.

 

[canibedreamin]

That's great advice. Thank you!

 

[Bosch]

Oh, yes. It got to me. I couldn't believe that a cashier felt she could be rude to me because she had to wait for me to finish up something at guest services to get her her change. It really opened my eyes to some people's real personalities.

I'd have told them if it was that big of a rush they could/should have switched registers.

I'm not sure they'd have liked that response, but it's true. Ran out of singles, register next to you is open and the GS(A/TL) is busy or not available for some reason? Move.

I don't expect most cashiers to do what I've done before, (grab a $20 bill from my register, walk over to another register take out 20 singles and put the $20 in it in its place and take the singles to the register I was on) but simply moving to another lane is not difficult.

Nor is switching the denominations between registers, but that I can see making some people freaked out for AP-related reasons, but my logic is if my hands are clearly visible to the cameras and both registers have the right amount of cash at the end of the night no harm done.

I have done that, and just told the GSTL/GSA that I did, they figured out what money needed to be moved to make it all even. They were tied up and could fix my move later but it kept the line moving. Only been told keep everything visible.