Archived Questions on flow training

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I finished my first day yesterday and was put straight to work with little information given. Spent the entire day asking TM's on what and how I should be doing things, I was just wondering if that's just how flow training is? On my training schedule it mentions a trainer but I never met one, and I was told to ignore the booklet that orientation told me to get when I first get there in the morning, I was wondering if that's normal?
 
Sad but true. Spot is not big on training especially for flow. Get with your TL and ask your fellow TM,s.
 
Ok Thanks guys for the replies, just finished my second day and it was alot smoother then the first. I guess it was just abit jarring one the first day being put into work without knowing anything but my TMs and TL have been fine with me asking all the questions about every little thing haha.
 
I started out on the flow team and was told what to do once and that was pretty much all of my training. I had to observe and figure stuff out on my own. That was 18 years ago and things have changed since then at my store at least. Now newbies spend about a week training with a team trainer.

I switched to plano about 8 years ago and welcome the opportunity to train new people for pog, especially since we are down to 5 people including our TL.
 
I spent about two days or so with my trainer before they were transferred to softlines. I had another one, but i really wish target put some effort into actual training and moved away from the throw them in the deep end of the pool method of training
 
From an ETL Log - there is formal on-the-job training for TMs to follow but it's rarely followed. Same goes for TLs and ETLs. I trained my TLs to be proactive with new TMs. They would shadow a trainer for the first week, the TLs would follow up with them each night to see if they had questions and quality check their work, then after 2 weeks I would have them shadow me so I knew they were being trained correctly. The first night can be a lot to take in but after the first week things start coming. We could tell after the 2nd night if the person was going to last.
 
Ok Thanks guys for the replies, just finished my second day and it was alot smoother then the first. I guess it was just abit jarring one the first day being put into work without knowing anything but my TMs and TL have been fine with me asking all the questions about every little thing haha.
If you still need additional help or clarification for basic things, go into the training room and browse one of the Flow TM guidebooks. I didn't get one when I stated, but when I became a trainer I read them just so I would know what was in there.

I really miss being a trainer...
 
Don't stop asking questions.
There are going to be things that have more than one answer (multiple locations).
Keep trying to expand your knowledge of the store andhow things work.
 
I am with the flow team at my store and we train New team members how to do everything some of them even get trained at back stocking after work in a month or two. Then after a couple of months at the store they send the new team member to me and I show them the right way to push pfresh since I am the food truck Captain at my store.
 
Yeah, that sounds about right for Target training (don't get me started on how instocks and cashier training goes here:eek:). When I started on flow I was introduced to the flow trainer who then assigned me to somebody else and I ended up shadowing them and a couple other TMs for a week. Worked pretty well I think but now newbies get stuck breaking out and pushing HBA for an hour or so while the people who do the training are in the back working truck unload. Its kind of a mess.

So like everyone's saying, ask questions and see what others are doing.

If you still need additional help or clarification for basic things, go into the training room and browse one of the Flow TM guidebooks. I didn't get one when I stated, but when I became a trainer I read them just so I would know what was in there.

I really miss being a trainer...

The existence of any sort of training manuals is a new one to me. I mean it makes sense they'd exist but all we've got here are a couple out of date pamphlets nobody touches, sitting next to the wall for Vibe cards. Also if you become a trainer, is there any well, training for that? I get introduced to new hires as a trainer but when I asked my TL if there was any prepwork for that the answer was "there's an online quiz if you want to take it, I guess. Otherwise just let me know if you have any questions."
 
Once upon a time, the training system at our store was terrible. New people wouldn't know how to read a schematic after their 5th truck.

Then i told my TL, " I am the new team trainer and I will train them my way." I took 2 new guys at the same time and the next truck they were able to push solo with very few questions.

My training schedule is as follows:
1st truck: (before break) how to unload truck onto pallets, How to read schematic,multiple locations, how to work nop/item search. order we push truck (after break) how to organize backstock after brought back, defectives, mis-picks, and rest of less important things.
2nd truck: (before break) Go over all parts of schematic again, how to drive pallet-jacks,setting goal times and meeting them, anything else I forgot, (after break) Setting more goal times
3rd truck: Quiz from TL about random things emphasis on schematic. then on their own
 
I think AP is the only work area that really gets it right with new employee training. I trained 2 weeks as a TPS back in the day, and 6 weeks as an APTL more recently. For both jobs I traveled to multiple stores and trained with/shadowed multiple AP leaders over those weeks. I'm talking 6 or 7 stores during my APTL training.

IMO, most other positions should have much more thorough training. Part time TM positions, up to a week. Full time TM positions, at least two weeks. And two+ weeks for TL positions. Real, solid training with a flexible schedule based on an individual employee's needs, training plans, statuses with their leaders, etc. I think it creates employees who are not only more educated (obviously), but also sets them up for success. It helps them and Target out in the long run by increasing job satisfaction and reducing turnover.
 
Flow training: *hands you box cutter* here are the numbers on the box C17(1)* 5-3-6 would be aisle C17, starting from section (1) in from the main aisle, go the the 5th section, the 3rd shelf up from the ground in that section, and the 6th slot over on that shelf. The * means that there may be a second location elsewhere in the store, usually on a nearby endcap.

Place all boxes down in the appropriate section. after the trailer unload is finished, we will go back through and open up each of these boxes, push (stock) the appropriate amount of product, and send the rest to backstock. Break down your box so that it is as flat at possible, and place it in a metal cage. Do this for each box in every aisle you are assigned to until the end of your shift.

Flow training from soup to nuts, at least at my store.
 
The existence of any sort of training manuals is a new one to me. I mean it makes sense they'd exist but all we've got here are a couple out of date pamphlets nobody touches, sitting next to the wall for Vibe cards. Also if you become a trainer, is there any well, training for that? I get introduced to new hires as a trainer but when I asked my TL if there was any prepwork for that the answer was "there's an online quiz if you want to take it, I guess. Otherwise just let me know if you have any questions."
There are sales floor, backroom, and flow trainer and trainee guide books. They are pointless if you already know what you are doing. They are also filled with a lot of instruction that would kill productivity if everything was followed exactly how it's written.

To become a trainer I took a quiz, that's all. Flow really isn't hard, and you don't really need more than a day of training, or any specialized training. I saw it more as an opportunity to meet new TMs and to make sure they knew as much about the job and their tasks as I did. TMs that have been there as long or longer than I have still know less about their job than I do.
 
Flow question: I've been Flow Team now for 5 months (Super T). I will keep this simple. I'm in grocery (beverages), how many boxes are expected to be pushed per TM, per hour at your store ? Thanks!
 
Target believes 1 minute per box. HOWEVER, in grocery you fave to FIFO and getting on your knees, doubled over in the shelving, to FIFO cereal for example, takes longer than a minute, IMO. Just do the best you can. I usually keep my box cutter out of my pocket on the floor, saves a little bit of time. Stay in an aisle till it's done. Use a cart for any damages, plastic and cardboard. Repacks on the end of every aisle. We shoot each item before putting in a repack.
 
Flow team training is the worst ever.. If you come in and are put on flow with no previous retail experience... "you're gonna have a bad time"-(south park reference)

My training for flow was "come in at 430 and look for Fred"... No tour of the store, no meeting anyone on flow, no idea where to go other then just the front door. Next thing i know im on the line with everyone going 100mpr and im trying to figure out WTF is going on. It was a horrible experience. Thank god i was with 3 other newbies that day and they were also "having a bad time". I had about 4 years retail experience but never unloading the truck that first hour was one hell of ride.... When i hit the floor it was a walk in the park once i knew about the locations on the box. My previous employer for the previous 3 years (kmart) had run a similar system so i kinda knew what was going on but basically they just said "here take this box and throw it on the floor where it goes" and that was it.. all by myself... lol.. It was joke. I just relied on my previous retail training and that got me through... Oh, and there were no "trainers" back then in my store.. The whole trainers thing came about a year after lol.

This was all over 3 years ago. Im afraid the training is probably even worse now...
 
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