Archived New and frustrated

[tartanarmytm]

Hi. I started as flow seasonal in October. Just before Christmas I was told I was going to be made permanent and work in a specific section. I had an evening job that I didn't like and wanted to quit but I was worried about hours. They said I would get crosstrained so go ahead and give notice. That same day I tripped over a flat going to backstock in a dark space in the warehouse. I got pretty banged up but the guys got my ice and the manager offered help and sat with me for 15 minutes or so until my shift ended. Since I was still seasonal I didn't miss a minute, didn't miss a day, didn't cost them anything medically because I need this job. That night I did give notice to my other job. The bruises faded after a month but I'm old so the rest still hurts but I do my job. I was even sent to different departments doing things that I was amazed they told me to do but anyway like I said I need the job. That was about 10 weeks ago I'm still waiting to be crosstrained. I'm still waiting to be told exactly what my job is and what I'm supposed to be doing. A few weeks ago my hours changed from morning to afternoon so now I'm on the floor pushing truck, helping guests, doing restock and I was even called to a register but couldn't because of lack of training. When I was going to clock out recently, the ETL and whoever the person that follows her around is, called me over to guest services for a chat. It seems I'm not getting enough of my truck done. I have a section in transitition, plus a lot of repack that usually includes three or four other departments and there's backstock and even the backstock of a phantom tm. I'm over 50 now and have worked for several stores, re-shop was never done like this place. She said it's the most efficient way, doing re-shop for the whole store. The problem is I get stopped because people need help. She did not like it when once I asked if there was somebody that could help a guest that needed things from the back because I'm doing re-shop. I'm just wondering when am I going to get trained. Period. Just in the basics, like what to do in case of a fire? Shoplifter, lost child, attacked.... Other stores we had videos that we had to watch by a certain date from hire..... this job might be the best paid nonmanagement retail I've had but so not what I expected from Target.

 

[sigma7]

That all wasn’t covered in orientation? The emergency procedures stuff?

Your ETL and TLs are the ones to talk to about getting adequate training. But I can guarantee that you signed a learning plan stating that you knew how to do your job requirements and felt comfortable doing them. Unless your HR is that disengaged that they aren’t even trying to fake training.

 

[tartanarmytm]

Learning plan? What's that? I found this site to look for answers to see what all the letters mean.... I've found so much more.

 

[tartanarmytm]

Our head of Flow came from HR at two other stores, she never said anything. We didn't know we were permanent until others quit coming in.

 

[sigma7]

Learning plan? What's that? I found this site to look for answers to see what all the letters mean.... I've found so much more.

It’s the training outline for your first couple of weeks. You should have been covering these topics with your learning mentor and TL. Basically the best practices and things you need to know to be successful at your role. Also would include things like hazmat training specific to your role, info security, ladder safety, powered equipment certification. Depending on the depth of training and the amount of shifts you’re working, you should complete your learning plan in the first 2-3 weeks on the job, and then cover it with your TL, sign it, and turn it into hr.

 

[sigma7]

Is that standard procedure? Because that certainly isn't how it worked when I first started.

Yeah...that’s how it’s been in my district since I started close to a decade ago...

I’m not saying that my new team members are always getting 100% top notch training, but my expectation is that new hires own their training, the learning mentor guides them, and TLs and ETLs are actively involved in their team’s training and doing check for understandings and follow ups. If I ever have a 30 day check in where a team member tells me they still really don’t know what’s expected with them, I am following up with the leaders to find out what the gap was and address it. Learning plans are spot checked to verify that they received training. I or a member of my Hr team ask them all random questions flipping through their learning plan with them (and they have to answer appropriately) before we key it. I keep it random so that leaders don’t only teach them how to clear a call box since they know I’ll always ask that etc.

And then me and my HR team 100% own hazmat, ladder safety, info security...those more administrative web based learnings that everyone has to have regardless of position. Only stand out is food safety, we make sure they do the training module, but then still cover those topics with their mentor and leader after.

 

[sigma7]

Hours in February up until around Easter are usually pretty tight. They tend to drop after Easter and then pick up again around the end of school/start of summer. I’m always clear about that with my seasonal hires. We find a lot of great talent during Q4 and I try to keep on as many as I can afford who are performing. There’s some tough decisions to make, but if we extend an offer, the team member is made aware of the hours situation and they know what department they are being offered.

Stores modernization has thrown a curve ball at a lot of us, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Your store didn’t exactly know what you would be doing when they offered you. We combined our flow and hardlines team a while back and have seen success, but it came with a lot of growing pains.

 

[HRZone]

That all wasn’t covered in orientation? The emergency procedures stuff?

Your ETL and TLs are the ones to talk to about getting adequate training. But I can guarantee that you signed a learning plan stating that you knew how to do your job requirements and felt comfortable doing them. Unless your HR is that disengaged that they aren’t even trying to fake training.

Sadly a lot of stores aren't printing a learning plan for their new team members.

The codes should have been covered in orientation I agree.

If you don't know these things you need to speak up and ask your HR for more training. As far as hours go there are no promises at Target. Unless you are a team lead or pmt there is no promise of hours or cross training.

You will only learn by asking. Ask a leader or another team member you trust when you have questions.

 

[tartanarmytm]

Wow I like your store and your district! I have asked questions, they said yeah we got to get some hours so you can do that. Now it's push truck push truck push truck throw a label push truck push truck and you have re-shop!

 

[HRZone]

Wow I like your store and your district! I have asked questions, they said yeah we got to get some hours so you can do that. Now it's push truck push truck push truck throw a label push truck push truck and you have re-shop!

We're you not expecting this?

 

[sigma7]

Wow I like your store and your district! I have asked questions, they said yeah we got to get some hours so you can do that. Now it's push truck push truck push truck throw a label push truck push truck and you have re-shop!

This is what we do...sell, push truck, sell, push returns, sell, fill, sell, sell, backup, sell, zone, fill, sell. This is really all we’re focused on these days. These are the basics of Target retail.

 

[tartanarmytm]

No like I said I've worked at other places never Target never experienced this. All smaller stores I guess that's why.

 

[tartanarmytm]

Is what it is.

 

[sigma7]

This is pretty typical of big box retail. So some days we are working with as many team members on the sales floor as a much smaller apparel retailer. Grocery is running on less hours than a grocer. But we do this to protect margins and stay profitable. We can debate all day about how much is too much cutting and what we really need to stay profitable. I don’t think anyone on this site would disagree when I say that we would all benefit from more payroll and our stores could have amazing results.

But I will say that a lot of issues in stores I’ve seen first hand are Etls who either are more interested in social hour than leading their teams and don’t manage effectively...or they are more focused on tasking, end up running circles around their TLs and TMs, but never develop, lead, or performance manage their team. Unfortunately the workhorses burn themselves out and the others benefit from it taking quite a bit to performance out an ETL.

Add to all this that now we’re asking store leaders to completely change the way we think and get things done in the spirit of modernization, we’ve got digital growing, guest experience more of a focus...it’s no surprise that there’s several stores experiencing struggles.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Welcome!

 

[tartanarmytm]

Thanks to everybody. Good luck to you all.

 

[Bosch]

Seasonal TM who was made perm, sadly their training is usually nothing cause who trains them? No one cause most will be gone in short order. Then people are surprised when they don't know stuff after working for a few months.

Sadly we have to fill the gaps as other TM's for these guys/girls.

A TM who has seen this play out over and over..

 

[EchoFoxtrot]

Hi. I started as flow seasonal in October. Just before Christmas I was told I was going to be made permanent and work in a specific section. I had an evening job that I didn't like and wanted to quit but I was worried about hours. They said I would get crosstrained so go ahead and give notice. That same day I tripped over a flat going to backstock in a dark space in the warehouse. I got pretty banged up but the guys got my ice and the manager offered help and sat with me for 15 minutes or so until my shift ended. Since I was still seasonal I didn't miss a minute, didn't miss a day, didn't cost them anything medically because I need this job. That night I did give notice to my other job. The bruises faded after a month but I'm old so the rest still hurts but I do my job. I was even sent to different departments doing things that I was amazed they told me to do but anyway like I said I need the job. That was about 10 weeks ago I'm still waiting to be crosstrained. I'm still waiting to be told exactly what my job is and what I'm supposed to be doing. A few weeks ago my hours changed from morning to afternoon so now I'm on the floor pushing truck, helping guests, doing restock and I was even called to a register but couldn't because of lack of training. When I was going to clock out recently, the ETL and whoever the person that follows her around is, called me over to guest services for a chat. It seems I'm not getting enough of my truck done. I have a section in transitition, plus a lot of repack that usually includes three or four other departments and there's backstock and even the backstock of a phantom tm. I'm over 50 now and have worked for several stores, re-shop was never done like this place. She said it's the most efficient way, doing re-shop for the whole store. The problem is I get stopped because people need help. She did not like it when once I asked if there was somebody that could help a guest that needed things from the back because I'm doing re-shop. I'm just wondering when am I going to get trained. Period. Just in the basics, like what to do in case of a fire? Shoplifter, lost child, attacked.... Other stores we had videos that we had to watch by a certain date from hire..... this job might be the best paid nonmanagement retail I've had but so not what I expected from Target.

Seems like they just want you to quit. Maybe I read this wrong, though. In the long run, talk to HR or your STL and tell them your concerns. Not all stores have a great STL or HR but if you feel you can trust one or the other go to one of them. Mention you want to work and you need to work. That worked for me. I need work, not just want it. My availability is theirs to decide basically. That's how I worded it. It works.