Archived that whole thing about how etls have to be hot and 22

[AllThingsTarget101]

We had a GE up until about a week or two before she started so there shouldn't be much out of best practice.

I am in college too so I get what they teach you but in my opinion, much of how things are done can be learned better through experience rather than a book.

Provided you don't know what 'business college' is in terms of Target, you probably don't have much to speak toward about your Front End being run on best practice...

Spot's 'Business College' = McDonalds Hamburger University.

Sounds about right.

 

[Softlines Owns My Soul]

I can't speak to the looks aspect - I think that's a store to store thing.

But the young ETLs thing is definitely something Target wants - they want people they can mold into their own image, not veteran retail managers who have their own (sometimes better, sometimes worse) ideas about business. They want a "leader" who is not enough of an actual leader to challenge authority above them when they see things that may be unfair and drive the corporate spiel. They also attract new college graduates who often do not have a particular life goal, they just went to college because that's what you do. Before anyone criticizes the last point, let's be honest: very few go to college and say, "my goal is to be a manager in retail". I don't hear that often, even when recruiting for management level positions at my current job.

 

[MrBullseye]

The thing about a new ETL GE at this point is if you've been without one for a while they very well may be changing things that were supposed to be done in the interim and weren't touched.

Correct, they could be trying to get your Front End on best practice...however they shouldn't be 'changing' things too much; we're told in business college to sit back and observe for 30 days until we start to change things--90 days until we start coaching. You might easily observe tons of opportunities, but if you instantly try to change them you run the risk of TM's being crybabies.

I'm mostly talking about all these "don't say no" changes. I know another store in my district is having trouble because they have a very veteran team and apparently the STL tried to have a new GE Exec pretty much roll it out.

I think he wanted to challenge her, but it probably wasn't the best idea given her team.

 

[GrumpyAP]

Why do all our ETL's look like olympics snowboarders?

 

[Retail Girl]

Why do TM's have a problem with 'not saying no'?
Get over it.
It's not your store to run and policies change to increase guest loyalty. When I was a child I remember my mother having to pay for something I knocked off a shelf and broke. #youbreakityoubuyit is archaic...why argue with a guest over their return or price change? It doesn't affect you.

Honest people generally have a problem with dishonest people getting away with stuff. Especially since, in the end, it is the honest people who end up paying the price for the dishonesty.

But I guess by that standard, there's no need to BOB or LISA since not doing so would increase guest loyalty, and it doesn't affect us.

 

[sigma7]

It doesn't affect you right until they get coached, CCA'd, or termed for questionable price changes, contributing to shortage, etc. I'm all for reasonable price changes, making it right for the guest, etc. but target has policies in place that contradict the say yes to everything idea that is going through some stores. When even the LOD can't say yes to that $150 price change on a TV, I guess the cashier should just go ahead and change it without bothering the guest by asking a manager if it's okay.

 

[sigma7]

If something is reasonable, fix it for the guest. If you can fix something for a guest that doesn't really cost anything but a little time and effort, then go for it. But to do whatever the guest wants is not the answer. Doing what we can within reason to satisfy a guest when we've screwed up (signing issues, constant out of stocks, damaged merch) is the way to go. Attempting every return is great, but if a guest paid cash and has no receipt and has reached their $70 limit, and doesn't want to do an exchange within the same department...not much else we can do to help them out.

 

[Retail Girl]

Actually, I do tend to believe most people are honest. But working in retail (and living in this world, period) long enough has shown me the lengths people will go to. When I trained for guest services, the stuff they told me about that people would do never even crossed my mind. Let's be real, here...you don't have to be a shoplifter to know that people shoplift.

My store is known for a great vibe and guest service. But they also empower us to not let people get away with breaking the law. We'll happily send those fake bills, returns with rocks instead of the product, and guests who walk out with TVs without paying to your store. Less headache for us and more time to help the guests who actually pay our paychecks.

 

[Retail Girl]

If something is reasonable, fix it for the guest. If you can fix something for a guest that doesn't really cost anything but a little time and effort, then go for it. But to do whatever the guest wants is not the answer. Doing what we can within reason to satisfy a guest when we've screwed up (signing issues, constant out of stocks, damaged merch) is the way to go. Attempting every return is great, but if a guest paid cash and has no receipt and has reached their $70 limit, and doesn't want to do an exchange within the same department...not much else we can do to help them out.

Exactly. At that point there is nothing we can do. That's where I have to thank my dentist for my pearly whites so I can smile in the guest's face and apologize. If they don't want to take any of my options then the years of orthodontia do the trick. Never any complaints and I did everything I could for the guest.

Actually, you don't have to say no. You can just give it back to them on a gift card. And if it's too far over the $70, you can use the emergency override code. I did it the other night for a television and a gaming system so the guest could buy a new television.

 

[AllThingsTarget101]

There are a few ways around the 70 dollar limit and with the vibe and other things our STL has given us the go ahead to use any way necessary to make the guest happy with very few exceptions.

 

[mrknownothing]

My question for you - which demographic aligns most with these qualities, AND can be easily mass-recruited from?

See: sheeple.

 

[MrTaskMule]

Gregg only wants blonde-haired blue-eyed hot Caucasian women. Sounds like an art school reject I read about from the 40s

 

[sher]

I finally understand what you guys mean about hot, young ETLs, but this guy is only training in my store. Not staying. Eye candy for a few months though. He's probably 12 just because I've already objectified him.

 

[SrLOGtL]

I think I have the answer...

I used to recruit ETLs on-campus after I finished the internship program and I noticed the same trend in the candidates I was passing through the first leg of interviews. I noticed that candidates who looked more presentable had a higher level of communication. They were confident, ambitious, and less likely to choke-up during interviews.

The ETL position is nearly 100% social - gaining buy-in, engaging and inspiring, driving for results, collaborating, etc.
I'll pick on Engineering majors because they usually had the most difficulty:
Your typical Engineering major is focused on analytics. They aren't prepared on any social level through their upper-division coursework, and it was almost impossible for me to make eye contact with them while recruiting at career fairs. Communication is a skill that takes much longer than others to fully develop, so as a result Target focuses on hiring candidates that already have this skill with the intention of building up less significant skillsets during training.

It's not that ETL's are all attractive - if you threw them in a t-shirt and jean khaki's without any accessories, hair products, loafers or makeup they'd look like regular TMs. The blonde business major got the job because she was prepared through half her coursework being focused on corporate communication and organizational structure.

ETL's carry themselves professionally knowing that the expectation is for them to LOOK like managers. I think consumed TL hit the nail on the head with this one.

Complete crap. I can tell you first hand, yes communication skills are important, but they're second to being analytical and a problem solver. Usually by the time your are an effective store manager or ASM that has worked their way up, you have developed your communication skills. This rubbish is exactly what has been bred into the culture of college campus recruited new hires for the past few years. Now they think that's all they should look for to hire, because someone once told them these things were important. So frustrating...

 

[nobiliscus]

I think I have the answer...

I used to recruit ETLs on-campus after I finished the internship program and I noticed the same trend in the candidates I was passing through the first leg of interviews. I noticed that candidates who looked more presentable had a higher level of communication. They were confident, ambitious, and less likely to choke-up during interviews.

The ETL position is nearly 100% social - gaining buy-in, engaging and inspiring, driving for results, collaborating, etc.
I'll pick on Engineering majors because they usually had the most difficulty:
Your typical Engineering major is focused on analytics. They aren't prepared on any social level through their upper-division coursework, and it was almost impossible for me to make eye contact with them while recruiting at career fairs. Communication is a skill that takes much longer than others to fully develop, so as a result Target focuses on hiring candidates that already have this skill with the intention of building up less significant skillsets during training.

It's not that ETL's are all attractive - if you threw them in a t-shirt and jean khaki's without any accessories, hair products, loafers or makeup they'd look like regular TMs. The blonde business major got the job because she was prepared through half her coursework being focused on corporate communication and organizational structure.

ETL's carry themselves professionally knowing that the expectation is for them to LOOK like managers. I think consumed TL hit the nail on the head with this one.

Complete crap. I can tell you first hand, yes communication skills are important, but they're second to being analytical and a problem solver. Usually by the time your are an effective store manager or ASM that has worked their way up, you have developed your communication skills. This rubbish is exactly what has been bred into the culture of college campus recruited new hires for the past few years. Now they think that's all they should look for to hire, because someone once told them these things were important. So frustrating...

Haters gonna hate

 

[commiecorvus]

I think I have the answer...

I used to recruit ETLs on-campus after I finished the internship program and I noticed the same trend in the candidates I was passing through the first leg of interviews. I noticed that candidates who looked more presentable had a higher level of communication. They were confident, ambitious, and less likely to choke-up during interviews.

The ETL position is nearly 100% social - gaining buy-in, engaging and inspiring, driving for results, collaborating, etc.
I'll pick on Engineering majors because they usually had the most difficulty:
Your typical Engineering major is focused on analytics. They aren't prepared on any social level through their upper-division coursework, and it was almost impossible for me to make eye contact with them while recruiting at career fairs. Communication is a skill that takes much longer than others to fully develop, so as a result Target focuses on hiring candidates that already have this skill with the intention of building up less significant skillsets during training.

It's not that ETL's are all attractive - if you threw them in a t-shirt and jean khaki's without any accessories, hair products, loafers or makeup they'd look like regular TMs. The blonde business major got the job because she was prepared through half her coursework being focused on corporate communication and organizational structure.

ETL's carry themselves professionally knowing that the expectation is for them to LOOK like managers. I think consumed TL hit the nail on the head with this one.

Complete crap. I can tell you first hand, yes communication skills are important, but they're second to being analytical and a problem solver. Usually by the time your are an effective store manager or ASM that has worked their way up, you have developed your communication skills. This rubbish is exactly what has been bred into the culture of college campus recruited new hires for the past few years. Now they think that's all they should look for to hire, because someone once told them these things were important. So frustrating...

We had an STL who looked like the standard handsome quarterback type but when it came to talking to people he would invariably piss them off.
He had a way of talking down to people, wouldn't say good morning, and would bark orders.
I have to admit to not liking him at first but after a while I noticed he treated everyone this way even the ETL's.
His priority was sales and he would have the ETL's out with the flow team if that was what it took.
He looked at my work load and put me on a regular 38 hour week.
The result was our store was golden for two years in a row.
Of course the other result was they sent him off to a problem store and we got a touchy feely STL who was creeped out by my epilepsy and performanced me out.

 

[STLinMaking]

Im not 22 and not hot, but i still got hired as ETL. LOL

 

[Guest]

 

[commiecorvus]

OTE="STLinMaking, post: 122614, member: 687"]Im not 22 and not hot, but i still got hired as ETL.

Im not 22 and not hot, but i still got hired as ETL. LOL

So you would be the exception who proves the rule?

 

[ETHICS DEMANDER]

Every "buisness" degree person (even outside target) have no people skills ... so I would never likely hire one for my company but I have noticed that target does like to hire only to fill diversity standards and attractive looks (although after a couple of years they look torn up and crap..lol) . Had one etl tell me he was hired only cuz he was black and he was proud of it cuz he didn't have to work hard til they hire another black person.. same manager that was asked by a team lead if a new etl was hot he replied with "she's got big boobs" .. right by the employee entrance/office/breakroom (aka common area with tm like me to overhear)

 

[ETHICS DEMANDER]

Every "buisness" degree person (even outside target) have no people skills ... so I would never likely hire one for my company but I have noticed that target does like to hire only to fill diversity standards and attractive looks (although after a couple of years they look torn up and crap..lol) . Had one etl tell me he was hired only cuz he was black and he was proud of it cuz he didn't have to work hard til they hire another black person.. same manager that was asked by a team lead if a new etl was hot he replied with "she's got big boobs" .. right by the employee entrance/office/breakroom (aka common area with tm like me to overhear)

Oh and that "big boobed etl" was dumb as heck.. like in everyway.. where you question how they survived to adulthood

 

[yme73]

I don't care what the etls look like but just give me one with a brain that can think for themselves. And can say no we didn't get the 4x4s done with the two people we have for 6 hours because they are doing back up. When the district comes in. Have a back bone. I think that's why they go for the 20 year olds they are very good with those kool aid smiles.

 

[Guest]

Not gonna lie. Eye candy is nice.

 

[mrknownothing]

Not gonna lie. Eye candy is nice.

They have to be good for something, right? :-D

 

[Guest]

Nothing wrong with looking at eye candy. Just don't perve on the candy.