Archived Poor ETL training

[sabria]

So just a concern/question.
I just started the "business college" monday after accepting the offer just over a week ago.

First day was just classroom/orientation and was pretty decent. Yesterday was my first day in store #1 where i'm training under an ETL-HR and she was great and I had a good time. She showed me all of her day to day processes including a lot of stuff outside HR. She really did good at giving me an understanding about everything from the back room, sales floor, and front end. Did some general interactions with team members, customers, and then shadowing her as she returned to the office for a lot of her HR core duties. Even when just shadowing she always is explaining things to me unless she's on the phone/in conversation with someone else. She's super nice and really seems to care about everything she's doing and definitely has the respect of the team.

Today I was in store #2 in the area and I'm training with an ETL-Sales Floor in this one. After introductions I basically just followed him around a couple times and while he's not really an asshole or anything he just comes across as really smug and non-caring when he talks to anyone, even me. I was in the store for 7 hours today and I spent probably 5 of those hours on my own because he'd leave me to zone or leave me alone to tasks such as re-shop where I spent way too long not fully knowing the store yet and nothing was organized. Softlines/hardlines stuff all mixed in totes they just dumped into one car.
My trainer would just leave at random times saying "I'll be back in a bit, work on this." or "I need to go check my computer."

While careful not to engage in conversations that could cause issues among team members, I quickly learned and confirmed my fears. The team members who would spoke about him say he likes to sit in his office and just run around barking orders and that he's inherently lazy.

I really fear this is going to be a lot of potentially valuable time for training lost to me. On one side, theres a team lead who I started basically going to for direction due to my ETL trainer being MIA so much - and she (the team lead) is nice and knowledgeable and constantly on the move. Essentially what I hoped to see out of my ETL trainer. So as long as she's working when I'm in that store for training I'm probably going to be looking towards her a lot. Honestly I'd definitely like to recommend her to the powers that be for all the initiative and care she puts into her job as well.

That all said, is it worth talking to my HR training coordinator at my next "business college" class session (tomorrow) about my observations/feelings/concerns about the ETL training me at store #2? Or would it be better to just leave things be and just put my time in over the next 6 weeks and get out? After I finish my training, I'm going to be in 1 of 2 stores both of which are back near my home almost 3 hours away so it's not like I'll be sticking around here.

 

[mrknownothing]

You've probably seen the acronym ASANTS (All Stores Are Not The Same) thrown around on here. And what you've experienced thus far is ALANTS (All Leaders Are Not The Same). At this point, the best thing to do is focus on what you're learning and be ready to take it with you to your store. When you start in your position, you'll take that info with you and combine it with the leadership culture at your store to develop your own style of leadership.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

From another thread:
The first step is that you have to own your training. Like others have said, the training ETL probably does not care at all if you succeed or not. The best thing you can do in this situation is ask very high scope questions to your trainer. Ask things like "What are your goals and strategies for improving your front end's X (conversion, vibe, turnover, BTS results)?" or "How do you hold TL's accountable on the salesfloor?" or things like that. Your trainer will either provide a good answer or not. If they do, then you just improved your training. If not, then ask "Who in our district has done the best at X and why?" and then write that store down. Once you are out of business college be sure to reach out to those stores and even ask to status or shadow them. I had a crappy trainer once, and then the next week I was at a neighboring store because I figured out they were better at GE than my training store!
Thanks
@Rock Lobster

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

This posting by @Mhugh220 should answer most questions:
You are an hourly employee until the end of business college (6 weeks). As long as you clock in 50 hours you will get paid the salary offered to you. Remember to get as close to 5o as possible so you get your full paycheck. Your first 2-3 days will be in a classroom setting with other ETLs. You'll learn a few hot topics about Target - mostly HR (how to treat your TMs), some AP stuff, and most definitely about how Target is pro-team not anti-union. You'll probably learn a lot about the new initiative they are introducing at the time. I came in during the VIBE so we learned a lot about that. This will be from 9am-5pm each day, maybe less depending on the person teaching it.

On your 3rd or 4th day you will start at your training store. Here you will shadow an ETL (in your case HR) for the next 6 weeks (minus 3 days). Your training will be a combination of computer-based and hands-on training. Your schedule will mirror your trainer's schedule. So no more 9am-5pm. One day may be early morning and the next could be closing, or closing then opening. Just depends on how your store does ETL scheduling.

You'll learn a lot over the next 6 weeks. You won't learn everything but a good amount about the fundamentals of leadership and expectations at Target. There will be a few days during this training that you will be back in the classroom. Those dates will be determined later.

After the 6 weeks, if assigned to a store with a vacancy, you will start at your new store. Here you will shadow the STL and perform LOD duties. Training is set at two weeks of LOD duties but some stores extend that for new ETLs. If you don't have a vacancy then you will either stay at your training store or go to another store as an extra ETL until your position is opened.

Once you are in role, which technically begins on your first day at your assigned store, you are no longer in training and will now be salary (no more clocking in)
Thanks @Mhugh220

 

[Amaazingdude]

In my experience...almost every job at Target is learn as it happens.

 

[RedorBlue]

I have been an assistant store manager for three large companies. My years of experience I have learned: own your own training, make friends in high places and DONT ROCK THE BOAT. This ETL GE may be a crappy trainer, but you don't know who his connections are, so I wouldn't advise bringing his name up at all.