Archived Non-Guest Related Positions

[NPC]

So I'm curious about some of the other non guest interactive positions at Target. I came on as a seasonal cashier, and they decided to keep me. I eventually went on to Guest Service, and dabbled as a GSA a few times. I have no interest in becoming a GSA/GSTL. Despite liking Guest Service for the most part, it does really wear down on me. I'd like to try something different.

However, I am curious about some of the other positions available. First of all, what exactly is Flow and Plano, and how does one get into those positions? As I understand it, they're the ones whom stock the shelves? And they work that weird, 3am shift? What are some of the physical demand for this job?

What other positions are available, where helping guests isn't the main focus? Backroom? I've wondered what HR would be like, but I assume it's impossible to get into HR without someone actually leaving. I've been curious about Cash Office as well, but in my store it seems like a weird position between Guest Service and GSA. It's more like just a responsibility added on to whomever they trust back there, rather than an actual position.

What about logistics? Is that the same as flow?

 

[thecabbage]

Logistics is the entire department dedicated to unloading, stocking, replenishing, etc. There are a bunch of positions withing logistics like backroom, flow, instocks, plano, and pricing & presentation ( there may be a few more but this off the top off my head).

As far as going into the specifics of each job I'll allow tms who actually work in logistics to answer that (I only work the front end also lol).

 

[NPC]

Logistics is the entire department dedicated to unloading, stocking, replenishing, etc. There are a bunch of positions withing logistics like backroom, flow, instocks, plano, and pricing & presentation ( there may be a few more but this off the top off my head).

As far as going into the specifics of each job I'll allow tms who actually work in logistics to answer that (I only work the front end also lol).

Ah wow! So there's even more positions than I thought. Logistics, is just the main title for it all. Kind of like how Front End = Cashier, Cart Attendant, GS, Food Ave, SB, right? So then I'm basically interested in working somewhere in Logistics. I'd liek to add I have very minimal sale floor experience. I only know from working in Softlines ages ago, and some brief training in Pfresh.

 

[commiecorvus]

I'd recommend the search function and the wiki.
Spend an hour or two reading up and you will probably know as much or more about the various positions around the store as most ETLs.

 

[NPC]

I'd recommend the search function and the wiki.
Spend an hour or two reading up and you will probably know as much or more about the various positions around the store as most ETLs.

Yeah I'll do that next. I already got some good information from this, I didn't know what the other positions other than flow where. I guess when it comes to actually seeing my options for moving into logistics, I'll just have to talk to one of my LODs. I only work closing shifts, so I guess I'll see what they can tell me.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Be careful, spot is making flow cover the salesfloor in the mornings to help guests. Backroom, maybe your best option.

 

[NPC]

Be careful, spot is making flow cover the salesfloor in the mornings to help guests. Backroom, maybe your best option.

Does that mean that they're coming in later now? I usually work all evenings to closing, so I never see them. But from what I can remember they're there for at least part of the day. So I figured I'd have some guest interaction, just not as much as the front end. Backroom sounds nice. I feel like I'm better skilled with organization, multitasking, and working FAST. I do fine with guests and I do well solving problems...but damn, this week really took it out of me. I want to try something where I can use more of my strengths.

 

[squirrely]

Even if you move to a different work center, you will still get occasionally cashier shifts. If you're trained for cashiering, they will use you for it.

 

[asidius]

Brief description of work centers that don't revolve around guests:

Flow unloads the trucks and stocks the sales floor early morning.

Backroom replenishes the sales floor throughout the day the store is opened.

Receiving works with the vendors who replenish their own products.

Instocks scans empty and low locations on the sales floor to fill the floor.

Plano & signing sets the aisles with new products.

Pricing marks items for clearance.

 

[RXninja]

Pricing also sets new shelf labels/PC balloons for price markdowns and markups. My store starts it at 8am now, so the team regularly gets interrupted by guest questions and calls for backup to the front.

You did mention Cash Office, most stores rely on the GSAs to cover those shifts; however, my store has 2 former CO TMs (myself included) that get the bulk of those shifts and we only have one CO trained GSA at the moment. So becoming a GSA would not guarantee you any time in there.

Now, a sometimes full time position that usually has little to no guest interaction is clerical/HR TM. I've covered that position before when ours was on vacation, you may get the occasional phone call from a guest inquiring after open positions and/or the status of their application/hiring status. But mostly you would interact with TMs and do mostly clerical work dealing with the schedule, reports, payroll stuff and projects from the HR-ETL.

Another low guest interaction workcenter is the ad-prep portion of the signing position. Depending on the store, they may only allocate approximately 8 hours for it on a Friday or Saturday. My store regularly does about 12-16, so ASANTS. I have only had to help guests when walking back and forth from my prep area to the signing PC (and checking locations for 7x11s).

The only thing I don't like about CO, clerical, and ad prep is the amount of sitting around on my posterior while working. It is not good for the circulatory system and decreases overall health even if you exercise regularly.

 

[NPC]

Pricing also sets new shelf labels/PC balloons for price markdowns and markups. My store starts it at 8am now, so the team regularly gets interrupted by guest questions and calls for backup to the front.

You did mention Cash Office, most stores rely on the GSAs to cover those shifts; however, my store has 2 former CO TMs (myself included) that get the bulk of those shifts and we only have one CO trained GSA at the moment. So becoming a GSA would not guarantee you any time in there.

Now, a sometimes full time position that usually has little to no guest interaction is clerical/HR TM. I've covered that position before when ours was on vacation, you may get the occasional phone call from a guest inquiring after open positions and/or the status of their application/hiring status. But mostly you would interact with TMs and do mostly clerical work dealing with the schedule, reports, payroll stuff and projects from the HR-ETL.

Another low guest interaction workcenter is the ad-prep portion of the signing position. Depending on the store, they may only allocate approximately 8 hours for it on a Friday or Saturday. My store regularly does about 12-16, so ASANTS. I have only had to help guests when walking back and forth from my prep area to the signing PC (and checking locations for 7x11s).

The only thing I don't like about CO, clerical, and ad prep is the amount of sitting around on my posterior while working. It is not good for the circulatory system and decreases overall health even if you exercise regularly.

Yeah, if doing CO means I'd need to be a GSA, then I'm not interested. Haha. I've been asked if I was interested in GSA/GSTL a few times, but I just really don't think it's worth it for the pay. Normal days are great....but busy days are hell. Especially now that we just got Self Check-outs.

How did you get into the clerical/hr positions? Who did you talk to? Was there an opening for one? And what kind of skills would you say are the most important for those roles?

Heh, speaking of sitting all day, the one and only time I ever seriously injured my back was when I moved and used too high of a chair to sit for the table I was using. 8-10 hours later of constant work at the computer in an apparently terrible sitting position despite seeming harmless at the time, completely wrecked my lower back. I couldn't get out of bed. I was crying and everything. Even went to the doctor because it was so bad so fast. LOL, Really shitty, yet funny ordeal. And I would like to not go through that again. Haha. I want to get one of these babies...

My insurance agent has one, and she loves it. I'm not too worried about sitting for long hours, as I'd combat that if I needed to since that stupid ordeal.

 

[redeye58]

I have one of those; 'kneeling' or 'relax the back' chairs.
I found mine in a thrift store & re-padded the knee pads 'cause they wear out first.

 

[NPC]

I have one of those; 'kneeling' or 'relax the back' chairs.
I found mine in a thrift store & re-padded the knee pads 'cause they wear out first.

Oooh nice! Have you noticed a difference? I've been pretty sedentary the last month. I don't know how much that chair will save me if I don't get back to working out again. I need to get back into moving again. And being exposed to sunlight. Hisss.

 

[redeye58]

The difference is that you can't slouch or lean so it tends to work your core muscles a bit more depending on how much you sit.
Practice holding your ab muscles during lulls & you can get a little passive workout there.
Re: cash office is supposed to be done by GSAs/GSTLs but ASANTS.
I know a few folk at my store did CO who weren't front end. Up 'til I left, I was a pinch-hitter in CO.

 

[RXninja]

I got into Cash Office when the Specialist position was still a thing by being persistent. I didn't get it the first time I interviewed, but after the person they did hire flamed out, they gave me my chance.

As far as HR-TM goes, I never actually had the title. I only covered the position when the TM was on vacation or they needed extra help during our P-Fresh transition getting all of that training done. If that's what you are interested in, I would suggest looking at the hiring needs for surrounding stores to see if they have any positions available. I wouldn't expect 40 hours a week unless your store is ultra high volume though. Our former HR-TM saw her hours get cut from 40 to around 30-32 hours per week. The new TM there has about the same M-F.

I like that stool! If I thought it wouldn't get stolen, I would get one!

 

[redeye58]

Re: chair - Burn your name into the frame because they're popular.

 

[RXninja]

Re: chair - Burn your name into the frame because they're popular.

Like some people do with bicycles!

 

[instockout]

Brief description of work centers that don't revolve around guests:

Flow unloads the trucks and stocks the sales floor early morning.

Backroom replenishes the sales floor throughout the day the store is opened.

Receiving works with the vendors who replenish their own products.

Instocks scans empty and low locations on the sales floor to fill the floor.

Plano & signing sets the aisles with new products.

Pricing marks items for clearance.

but backroom is really the only team that rarely has to deal with customers. flow at my store rarely does since they leave at 8-9. im on instocks, and we are basically a specialized salesfloor. more capable and what not.

 

[OffYaPhone]

At my store, there are two TMs who are scheduled to do CO. They're usually in there by themselves. There is also one GSA who has some CO shifts. He also is doing HR now since our old HRTL moved and the old HRTM was promoted to TL. Interestingly enough, my former HRTL wanted me for the TM position but I work a day job and they couldn't afford to pay me my current day job salary.

There is a shift at my store early Sunday morning (they come in at 6 a.m.) that does signing (change signs for new sales, etc.). I asked the ETL in charge of that and she's going to start scheduling me for that starting in October. This all happened because I'm cool with quite a few TLs and talk to them. That ETL is also going to speak to my ETL-GE about scheduling me to be a cosmetics/HBA TM. I'm doing all I can go run away from the front end (outside of my GS shifts) because being on those lanes is burning me all the way out and I'm really tired of hearing about REDcards.

 

[Targe]

In my store, we are on the overnight process for flow. Rarely, I have to engage guests. We have our flow TMs that unload and push the truck. We do have additional TMs that do select things, such as the pulls from our backroom (more later), PIPO on occasion, and cardboard.

We have an overnight backroom entirely dedicated to working the 10:30 autofill, backstocking the black line freight (We are not push all), backstocking the leftover truck push, and if we have the time, do additional tasks ranging from audits to pulling price change.

Cardboard is simple, keep the cages empty in a timely manner and race back and forth from the bailer/compacter to select areas of the floor (H&B, Electronics, etc). Then when you cannot crush any more cardboard, make a bale!

I've personally done the flow push and backroom. Lately, I've been drafted into backroom more (Possibly permanently through the holidays), and I enjoy it. Our shifts are usually 10:30/11pm - 7/8am.

Generally, if you are on O/N, you will have to take breaks when the LOD calls it (Exception if you are a O/NBR who started at 9pm).

There are other types of Flow, with 4am and 6am processes as well. (May be others, but I haven't heard of them).

Always remember, ASANTS!!!

 

[ClearanceMaster]

Pricing and instocks wouldn't really be a great option for you because we now have to come in during store hours to be here for guests. We are basically salesfloor with a tasklist. Your best bet would be backroom or flow. As much as target is trying to make flow team a Salesfloor team member, my flow team rarely even acknowledges guests unless they are moving a flat out of the way for them. But ASANTS