Archived Strung along for TL position..?

[Talico9596]

Hey guys. Wall of text warning lol.

I'm currently a GSA and have been in that position a little more then a year. I've made it clear to my STL and ETL's that I want to pursue a career with Target. I'm a year and a half away from finishing my college degree in psychology.

Originally when I made my intentions known I was given Accessories and told to "own it" and make it "my own", I was told to take an active roll in my own development for a TL position. I had ZERO experience in softlines however and was told over and over again to "own it", instead of given any direction or training. In addition I was given no softlines hours and was essentially expected to zone it during my GSA shifts. :/

We recently got a VMTL again, so I was taken away from Accessories, which, no hard feelings because tbh I felt lost and stupid over there. I was again 'given' cosmetics, this time with far far more success. I was taught how to research and pull batches, was given the expectation of putting away product on truck days, and some creative freedom like setting endcaps that aren't selling well.

I've gotten great feedback from my STL and ETL's on things I've done independently like making cartwheel signs to place near product and making sure product for upcoming sales is well researched. They always make sure I'm their to talk to the DTL about cosmetics when he visits and I've gotten glowing reviews from him, even a hug. On Wednesday they called me in to talk to visting higher HR people (?) about cosmetics who seemed happy and impressed that I could even talk numbers about the sales in cosmetics. This has been going on for a good.. two months.

HOWEVER, I'm yet to get a TL interview and the option to be on the bench. I know of one other TM who has passed interviews and is currently on the bench, but I'm a little butt hurt as he's seemed to of had to jump through far far less hoops then me. I dare to say favoritism is at play because he's friends with all the TL's.. Am I being dragged alone? or am I just not being patient enough?

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Spot is known to carrot dangling. Depends on headcount & store size.

 

[redeye58]

A degree is a waste if you're pursuing a TL position since they seldom promote ETLs from TL.
Pretty sure they'll see how much work they can wring out of you before you catch on.
If they were serious about your development, you'd have a mentor & would be prepped for bench interviews.
After you graduate college, you'd do better to seek a spot in the intern program rather than try to ratchet your way up.

 

[HRZone]

Get your degree just in case they are stringing you along. Then get a better job if they continue to ignore you.

Whoever you talked to about promoting I would ask them for feedback. What more do I need to do?

 

[SweatyShirts]

Hey guys. Wall of text warning lol.

I'm currently a GSA and have been in that position a little more then a year. I've made it clear to my STL and ETL's that I want to pursue a career with Target. I'm a year and a half away from finishing my college degree in psychology.

Originally when I made my intentions known I was given Accessories and told to "own it" and make it "my own", I was told to take an active roll in my own development for a TL position. I had ZERO experience in softlines however and was told over and over again to "own it", instead of given any direction or training. In addition I was given no softlines hours and was essentially expected to zone it during my GSA shifts. :/

We recently got a VMTL again, so I was taken away from Accessories, which, no hard feelings because tbh I felt lost and stupid over there. I was again 'given' cosmetics, this time with far far more success. I was taught how to research and pull batches, was given the expectation of putting away product on truck days, and some creative freedom like setting endcaps that aren't selling well.

I've gotten great feedback from my STL and ETL's on things I've done independently like making cartwheel signs to place near product and making sure product for upcoming sales is well researched. They always make sure I'm their to talk to the DTL about cosmetics when he visits and I've gotten glowing reviews from him, even a hug. On Wednesday they called me in to talk to visting higher HR people (?) about cosmetics who seemed happy and impressed that I could even talk numbers about the sales in cosmetics. This has been going on for a good.. two months.

HOWEVER, I'm yet to get a TL interview and the option to be on the bench. I know of one other TM who has passed interviews and is currently on the bench, but I'm a little butt hurt as he's seemed to of had to jump through far far less hoops then me. I dare to say favoritism is at play because he's friends with all the TL's.. Am I being dragged alone? or am I just not being patient enough?

I might not be correct here and heaven knows I don't have all the information so just bear with me a little bit but it sounds to me like you're being a little too passive about your transition towards becoming a TL. It sounds like you're waiting for them to give you a date for the interviews without you pushing the issue a little bit and making sure it happens.

It's one thing to express interest and say "Hey, I want to be a Team Lead! Help me out" but it's another be assertive and say things aren't moving as fast as you'd like them to and so you'd like to sit down and hammer out a good date for your bench interviews.

Because really that's what you'd need to be doing as a Team Lead, take charge of things and be assertive. Maybe that's what they're waiting to see?

 

[BackroomAlpha]

Carrots have been dangled in my face for over a year. No interview, lied to multiple times, Im expected and held accountable as a TL and thier replacement when on vacation. Still no ETL or STL has spoken to me in a year lol. Don't know what im waiting on anymore or why im expected of so much. Oh well

 

[monkeyman90]

you'd be better off leaving and coming back after your degree in 3 months

 

[BigEyedPhish]

Didn't even read anything in this entire thread, just posting to say, yes, you probably are..

 

[tgtfla]

Being on the bench is just a step,and it is also part of the string along process,just like every other store we have people sitting on the bench for a while and in spite of the fact that they are deserving of promotion and have received multiple "verbal promises" that they are next,now that vacancies are here,they have been overlooked.The sad thing is that it is no surprise.

 

[Rock Lobster]

I am sure there are stores out there that do dangle the carrot on purpose, but...

I can honestly say that I have never been in a store that did it in a manner that would be considered on purpose. Often times, we know that TL X is leaving or TL Y is struggling right now and we want to replace them with someone else. The problem is that we can start talking to the replacement and trying to get them ready but the TL Y might have a timeline that suddenly is getting drug out. The store up the street may be over by a ton of TLs due to reductions and we have to take a transfer from them before we can promote someone in our own store. There are so many factors out of our control and its annoying.

I will say if they want to promote you they are likely working on it. Things just take forever because Target is a large company and there are rules that keep us from just promoting who we want at any given time. The nice thing is that it comes in waves. I was told I would be waiting forever at almost every level I had to promote, and then all of a sudden turnover picked up and they started promoting out of nowhere.

 

[RandomGeek]

Right now there are 3 GSA's at my store that are chasing after the carrot. We're supposed to be getting a starbucks, and all three are trying for it. However, I've heard rumblings that the spot's already pretty much filled by someone that transferred in that's on the bench already. And yet..... Dangle that carrot. Get more RedCards, and you have a shot!

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Depending on your store size. The Starbucks TL job maybe taken over by food tl.

 

[glo]

Right now there are 3 GSA's at my store that are chasing after the carrot. We're supposed to be getting a starbucks, and all three are trying for it. However, I've heard rumblings that the spot's already pretty much filled by someone that transferred in that's on the bench already. And yet..... Dangle that carrot. Get more RedCards, and you have a shot!

Like @Hardlinesmaster said, your Food TL may already have Starbucks under them. Do you have a Cafe, and who is the TL for that?