The mother of all rants.

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talan123

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I lost it the other day and actually went from being frustrated to being seething angry. They held interviews for Team Leads, I didn't get it but that wasn't the annoying part (didn't help but still).

It was the fact that they told a lot of other people, six or seven by my count, that they need to work on their Target vocab (can somebody explain to me how that prevents promotions?) and they needed to show leadership.

So now, I have four or five people that have been here for six months who think they can tell me what to do. I don't do anything they say or suggest that I should do because I have actual work to get done. But it is taking a lot of my time up to listen to them.

What finally drove me over the line was their last hire, a Sr. TL. They held us in the building while they did a final head count. Four times over the space of ten minutes because they kept getting confused on counting from one to seven. I called out who was where and what they doing and that we were all there because everybody was right there. Still confused them.

What drove me over the edge was the fact that this person was promoted two steps from team member to Sr. TL. I cannot even transfer from within the same building from one team to another, while they are promoting people based on god knows what criteria.

I lost it, went outside and screamed the "F" word to the top of my lungs and walked away (we had closed).

So I have finally come to the terms that this company is so broken from the inside out that it may not actually be a functioning entity. No matter how well you do your job, your vocab will count more than anything else. No matter what you do or who you do it with, who coaches you for the interview is infinitely more important. Merit is not the object at Target anymore, it is entirely how much BS you can shove.

In the last three years, I cannot come up with one improvement in processes that has come from headquarters. Every single aspect of the job is increasingly difficult with fewer rewards, they took away our "Perfect Package" rewards because we were getting too many!

Finally, they have announced that they are going to take select team members, not by any rational measurable expectations but those who they feel have something to offer the company, and give them extra training in the correct way to be interviewed.

They are putting favoritism into the freaking code book. Do they actually think that was a good idea? It's like telling your team members, "Hey we don't like you and there will never be an opportunity for you to move up the chain, but we are doubling your work load."

Morale at our store is becoming so low that their is actual talk of rebelling and I'm not the one instigating it! People are just tired of things getting worse and worse while nothing is being done, our ETL's are no longer going onto the floor which is furthering the stratification of our store.

I would love for corporate to actually talk to the team members alone, one on one. The last time those idiots came through, they didn't even say hello to team members there unless they were young and blond. They spent most of their time with two interviews, very young women. They literally ignored our AP guy. It was demeaning and embarrassing for all concerned.
 
As much as I disagree with it you do have to play politics and know how to BS to get ahead here. The less work you do and the more you butter up the people above you the easier it is for you. I wish I could go off about some of the new hires/promotions at my store.
 
I know people that have been told if STL promotions were based on results they would be promoted like the old Target however, now they are looking for a certain type of person. Whatever that means. Its sad to this company running itself into the ground.
 
I used to think my store fostered good development but we've lost good people simply because the only way they could move up was moving out (to another store). We now get more outside hires & I find myself wondering how many don't make it.
 
Talan, sorry to hear of your troubles. I wish you could transfer to my store and enjoy the great team we got going for us. It definitely sounds like your ETLs not connecting with the regular TMs is a major point of conflict in your store. We're a ETL training store with a lot of 15+ year TLs, promotions within our building to a TL or higher are ultra rare, but we have had an incredible amount of people work up and get transferred out to higher positions(store, district and region).
 
When I hear about stores that are so much better I wonder if it's a regional issue but my experience is very much like Talans.

The current ETL's seem to be made up of the head of the football team and the head cheerleader with a mix of members of the glee club.
We have one old timer on logistics who spends much of his time muttering to himself and staring at the ceiling. He seems to be much more comfortable with the flow team then he does with his other ETL's.

Most of the TL's are pretty much stuck were they are at unless they are willing to 'change their perspective'.
I was told that a TL was taken aside and coached because he was being too easy to get along with and was creating a non-brand climate even though the work was getting done and the dept was consistently green.

I have supervised dozens of people and managed small businesses. I have never found it necessary to treat people like they were interchangeable parts or less important then me.
 
Maybe you should look for another job.

Out of curiosity, why didn't you get the TL promotion?
 
Meh, this job is extremely stressful but oh-so entertaining.

Plus the health benefits keep me from buying the drugs that I need to survive from costing me $328 a month down to $10.
 
target promotions arent from hard work, its who can kiss the most ass. one TL just got promoted to SrTL, and for the last 2 months that TL has been helping our ETL plan her wedding on the clock
 
target promotions arent from hard work, its who can kiss the most ass. one TL just got promoted to SrTL, and for the last 2 months that TL has been helping our ETL plan her wedding on the clock

I try and put it alittle more nicely because sometimes its not just who can kiss the most ass (if they are bad enough the ETLs will notice even if they are brown nosers)...

I tell people its all about perception! Its how much work the leaders THINK you are doing... even if you are doing less work than your peers, if you can communicate what you are doing and work on having the relationships (being a teacher's pet) with the ETL staff, it is far easier on yourself!
 
I try and put it alittle more nicely because sometimes its not just who can kiss the most ass (if they are bad enough the ETLs will notice even if they are brown nosers)...

I tell people its all about perception! Its how much work the leaders THINK you are doing... even if you are doing less work than your peers, if you can communicate what you are doing and work on having the relationships (being a teacher's pet) with the ETL staff, it is far easier on yourself!

Pretty much this. I cut some corners, but I'm the only one that knows. However, everything gets done when I work, and I make sure everyone else knows this. If you're a good worker, then you will be noticed. If you do everything that's asked from you, then you will be noticed. If you communicate well with your ETLs and TLs, then you will be noticed. If you have a Fast, Fun, and Friendly attitude, then you will be noticed. It's about presenting yourself. Promotions aren't as hard to come by like everyone on this site makes them out to be.

Also, you might want to think twice before screaming "F CK!" in the parking lot directly after work. You might also want to think twice before harassing corporate during their visits. It might also not be a good idea to consistently call corporate and ask for Gregg. Nobody wants to work with someone that is difficult to deal with.
 
I'm a photoTM, but they refuse to let me be scheduled in photo. They'd rather have me as a cashier. When I came back from LoA, they gave me my review... as a Guest Service TM. As a photoTM, I was the most productive TM in terms of surveys. I constantly was hailed by guests as being awesome with my guest service and being fff.

As a cashier, I have the second best conversion percentage (~20%) in the store. Unfortunately, it's harder for cashiers to get surveys. I'm still green with my speed.

I took a shift-swap for a hardlines TM (keep in mind I was originally a seasonal HLTM before being promoted to photo) but I came in tonight and somebody crossed me out.

I'm being scheduled for (2) four hour shifts every week.

So ready to quit.
 
I'm a photoTM, but they refuse to let me be scheduled in photo. They'd rather have me as a cashier. When I came back from LoA, they gave me my review... as a Guest Service TM. As a photoTM, I was the most productive TM in terms of surveys. I constantly was hailed by guests as being awesome with my guest service and being fff.

As a cashier, I have the second best conversion percentage (~20%) in the store. Unfortunately, it's harder for cashiers to get surveys. I'm still green with my speed.

I took a shift-swap for a hardlines TM (keep in mind I was originally a seasonal HLTM before being promoted to photo) but I came in tonight and somebody crossed me out.

I'm being scheduled for (2) four hour shifts every week.

So ready to quit.

That's messed up.
 
I'm being scheduled for (2) four hour shifts every week.

So ready to quit.

Just watch for other shift swaps. Being trained in other areas leaves you more options to pick up more hours. Sometimes you may over hear other TMs complain about being scheduled when they are not available & you can offer to work their shift for them. Keep your head up, it will get better.
 
Talan's rant is sad but true. My Target career can be easily divided into two parts. My first couple of years were great with ETL leadership that respected us and most importantly, reflected a wealth of managing experience from all different backgrounds. Five years later, and I can't even recognize my ETL team anymore. One by one, after the economic crash, they've all left the store, unable to cede to Spot's demands. One by one, they've all been replaced by a fresh faced, 20 somethings that talk behind their underlings' backs like they've never left high school.

My problem is not that Target tends to prefer fresh college grads for their ETL positions. As someone in a similar age bracket, I appreciate the chances that Target is granting my generation in a down economy like this.

My issue is the clique that has formed because of the hiring trend at my store. The ETLs can no longer check and balance each other because none of them have more than 2-3 years of retail experience. They've formed their own club.

Maybe it's out of fear. I would HATE to be an ETL now, because I know that regardless of how much my starting salary is, its amount alone is more than the 15-20 year veterans at the store, some of them team leads, some of them normal TMs who can't move up.

I have probably deviated from the point, but I only wanted to reply because I feel Talan's and others' pain. I can't bear it at my store any longer because of this. Perhaps this is all in Target's grand scheme. Drive the vets crazy and replace them with cheaper workers. But it's not sustainable.
 
I have probably deviated from the point, but I only wanted to reply because I feel Talan's and others' pain. I can't bear it at my store any longer because of this. Perhaps this is all in Target's grand scheme. Drive the vets crazy and replace them with cheaper workers. But it's not sustainable.

I hear ya but how can they pay workers less. I mean there is always minimum wage as the bare minimum but they really can't pay less then the already are.
 
It's really a double-edged sword: on the one hand, you have folks who have spent yrs learning how to do their jobs well or have learned a lot of different areas. On the other, we're being told that any monkey can do our job & we shouldn't expect a living wage for it.
Leadership demands so much but pays so little.
Having their cake & eating it, too.
 
It's really a double-edged sword: on the one hand, you have folks who have spent yrs learning how to do their jobs well or have learned a lot of different areas. On the other, we're being told that any monkey can do our job & we shouldn't expect a living wage for it.
Leadership demands so much but pays so little.
Having their cake & eating it, too.

Someone needs to take that cake and shove it in their faces. Maybe that'd get results.
 
As I mentioned before, I was asked take on TL duties multiple times when there was a TL transition. Yet I was never considered or interviewed for the positions. What is the point of training a TM to do a TL's job, only to hire someone from the outside then it takes more time to train them, and they only stay with the store for 6 months.

Then on other times where I tried to step up to show my leadership skills I was told I was stepping outside my roles as a TM, and I could get in trouble for it.

STL and ETL-Log mandate the backroom is closed to all non-certified TMs. Yet other ETLs and TLs will show you how to pull items.

Family members working together.

TLs dating TMs from the same area.

Lack of real training. They only train you on what they want you to know, and ask you to do more.
 
As I mentioned before, I was asked take on TL duties multiple times when there was a TL transition. Yet I was never considered or interviewed for the positions. What is the point of training a TM to do a TL's job, only to hire someone from the outside then it takes more time to train them, and they only stay with the store for 6 months.

Then on other times where I tried to step up to show my leadership skills I was told I was stepping outside my roles as a TM, and I could get in trouble for it.

Agh, this! It's like dealing with a bipolar ex. You want me to do this, but you don't? What do you @&)$ing want from me?
 
It all comes down to one simple fact of life...

Target does not care about us, or its customers. It pretends to care about us enough to keep us working for a really low wage, doing a decent job. It pretends to care about customers enough to keep them coming back.
 
My favorite is when my ETL comes up to me and says, "Oh good, you are here! I can use you for projects."

I generally look him in the eye for maybe two seconds and then say, "No, you think you can use me for projects."

Every time somebody dumps extra work on me because I'm electronics, I go through a list in my mind of whether or not I can do it. My priorities are usually very different from their's. It's not that I don't want to do the projects, it's just that I cannot do their project, watch the boat and do my housekeeping. Once I am done with my housekeeping then I am so happy to help them.
 
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