Archived Helping New Team Members

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I try to be a helpful person at work. Sometimes I get marked as a bit of a company man because there are alot of people who take their hatred of the company to that kind of for us or against us level. Me helping people who are new is mostly because I didn't get much of a warm introduction when I got to the store.

Yesterday morning a new team member was searching for help and only could really talk to me since nobody else introduced himself and the other team members didn't seem to acknowledge his presence alot of the time. He needed guidance with punch corrections because he had problems since he started four days ago with punching in (he was not in the system). I told him as much as I could about punch corrections, but at the time i came to help him out there were about a dozen team members around us.

Everyone is yelling, and nobody seems to understand that I am trying to help this man out. I would have said something, but these are the say-what-i-want-when-i-want types and typically I don't exist to them unless they feel the need to speak to the peasants.

Do you find, for one reason or another, that it is difficult to get to know new team members because of things like this?
 
I always introduced myself to new team members, say good morning, and be accessible.
It's just too easy to see new folks as interchangeable and only to be worried about if you have to have direct contact with them.
 
I really only introduce myself to the new ones that are really timid looking because they seem to have the hardest time fitting in and getting comfortable. The more confident ones will usually introduce themselves to me anyways and will make friends quickly so I kind of just don't bother as much. I don't have a lot of motivation to do anything, but if there's on thing I'd use energy on is helping the scared newbies.
 
I've always been an introvert, so I go out of my way to say hi to anyone and everyone. At spot I am a trainer and I have more cross training than most of the etls in my store, so I want to be able to let them know they can ask me any question and I will either have an answer or know what team will.

And you never know if you fail to say hi if it will be your last chance. And that's a regret that can be hard to live with.
 
Hmm while I was waiting for an interview at Target, two people said hello to me and what not.
So I thought that was cool!

I think I'm a good person at learning and being nice and stuff, so I hope I get along with everyone tomorrow.
 
I don't go out of my way to introduce myself to new team members (I'm front end so it's kind of hard because one day they're there and the next they're not) but if I see a look of confusion on a new TM's face, I will ask if they need help. I don't at all mind helping out.
 
When I would get new cashiers, I would make it a point to introduce them to each cashier, let them know about how long they have been there. Introduce them to the other GSA and the GSTL's, TL's, ETL's and STL if they happened to cross our path while in training. Many of the management in the store I worked are very socially inept and I always thought that personal encounter helped.
I never forgot how I was thrown on a register when I first started not knowing who was who. I would also try to pair them with cashiers who know what all the Target acronyms stood for. I wish there was pecking order sheet that would have the position and the person's name who belonged to it.
I would also make it a point to ask if they needed help with the time clock, lockers or anything else.
When I was leaving, I heard from so many tm's that I helped them feel more at ease in a new situation. I still hear it when I occasionally shop at the store.

ps..sometimes where I work now I will call for guest assistance instead of customer assistance over the PA system. They giggle and all know its me, but many of them thought I worked in the hotel business before I worked there...It
so stupid Target calls their customers guests - I think I had read somewhere its because they patterned their retail experience from a Disney seminar that some big wigs had gone to.. Even the name tag resembles Disney's... It's stupid - if most of the people in the store were my guests, I would ask them to leave.
 
I find it so interesting how Target handles new hires and its team members. When I first started, I only knew my "cohorts" of other team members in my orientation group. And the ETL-HR who did the orientation, that person is still my favorite. But they don't introduce you to anyone or give you insight to who is your "boss" or bosses. I was just trained to report to LOD. I had to figure out everything on my own. This really goes against any "team" inclusion. You literally have no ties to anyone and certainly the opposite of what their practice seems to be.
I made sure from day one to make some kind of connection to everyone I came in contact with. I wasn't going to allow anyone's high school mentality and stand-offishness to get in the way of my success. Now, everyone knows my name and they can call on me if needed. That being said, I've been trying to reach out to those new TM's and just be friendly and available. I don't want to perpetuate that clique culture.
 
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