Archived TL/ETL Interview: Hired, But Still Waiting for Full Offer

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Looking for some insight from current TM/TLs, I'll try to keep this as brief as possible!

I'm an External candidate with referral from ETL. 7 Years of experience in retail and 4 years out of college. The word "bubbly" has been used to describe me more than once.

I applied for a SrTL position at their store and while after 4 interviews I was considered an outstanding candidate/great fit/etc, the STL of this store was uneasy having my friend manage me.

My application is transferred to another store in the area for an open HRTL position. I call to follow up and let him know I'm enthusiastic to be considered and come on board at Target. I get an interview the next day and win him over as well.

He calls back to say he would like me to meet the DTL. Meet with him and am told I'm interviewing for "Team Lead Bench" as the HRTL job has been offered to an internal candidate. DTL loves me, I'm told I'm Hired, they're going to find somewhere to fit me in and possibly put me on an ETL path, but they need to take some steps to prepare a formal offer. ETL who refers me also receives an email saying how excited everyone is for me to come on board.

I call on Thursday to just follow up and check on my status, to which the ETL-HR says he is "buttoning things up" with his STL and I would hear back by the end of the day. Nothing so far.

Just wondering from experience what a slow offer process signals for my fate with Spot. Looking forward to hearing from everyone as I'm super excited to get on board!
 
On your level I couldn't say.
On a TM level it would be more than likely a case of not having somebody to process them, do the orientation, train them, etc.
 
I would not worry to much. I am an HRTM and have seen this more than once. It sounds like everyone likes you and wants you in a TL spot. Sometimes... most times actually, people forget to communicate and usually by the time that a position opens there is already someone they have in mind. That doesn't mean that you are being passed over. If they didn't think you could do it the first store would not have passed your application on. I am positive you will hear something soon. Good luck!!
 
I hope this has been worked out by now, but if not, just a heads up that it can take a bit. There are quite a few ducks that need to be in a row in order to get a TL hired. There are even more for an ETL (even more interviews, etc). A lot of the waiting is due to the schedules of the people making decisions. If the HR, STL, or DTL are on vacation, out of store, in meeting, etc., it just adds more time.

Best of luck with whatever position you end up with!
 
I will tell you right now - don't do it. Let me say that again - tell them hell no.

You have years of retail experience and a degree, and they are offering you a TM position when you applied for ETL? You don't know this since you are an external hire, but that is a slap in the face. The job they offered you typically can go to a high school drop out with zero retail experience. TM is the very bottom of the barrel. Literally. That's as low as it goes. Being "on bench" for TL doesn't mean a damn thing in reality.

If you applied to be an ETL, and they are offering you a TM spot with the promise of being "on bench" for TL in the future.... dude, they have zero intention of ever letting you be an ETL.... I would be amazed if they even plan on making you a TL.

What's the difference you ask?

ETL:
Minimum starting pay $50,000 - full time job
Full benefits package
Upper management job
Upward mobility
Lots of vacation time

TM:
Min starting pay around $8/hour, part time, lucky to pull 20 hours a week in a lot of stores
No benefits unless you are one of the few getting 32+ hours (don't count on it)
As far away from management as you can get.... absolute lowest position in Target
Very little chance of promotion
Zero (or very little) vacation time

You need to call them up, tell them you will accept an ETL job (or SRTL at the absolute minimum) or you are walking. If they say no, then walk. With your experience and degree you can do way way way better just about any place else.
 
Your qualifications:
4-year degree
7 years retail experience

TL qualifications:
High school diploma

ETL qualifications:
4 year degree
Leadership experience

You're over-qualified. I would decline the offer and insist to be interviewed for an ETL position. They like you, they want you, so the ball is in your court. If you start as a TL, the MINIMUM amount of time it would take to become an ETL would be 3 years. 1.5 years in role as a Team Lead, another 1.5 as a Sr. Team Lead. Again, this is the complete minimum and it could take far longer.
 
Oddly, I agree with SOT on this one. DO NOT accept anything less than SR TL......honestly, I would push for the ETL and if they don't want to mess with you, it is their loss. The key here is the 18 months in position before promotion. Going from TL to SR TL you "have" to to be in the TL role for 18 months. Going from SR TL to ETL is another 18 months. Its a brutal process. IMHO, it is better to come in as an ETL and fail at that position than it is to get strung out for 3+ years for an opportunity to land an ETL job.
 
I think the guidance you're receiving in this thread is spot on. Sr.TL or higher!
 
Oddly, I agree with SOT on this one. DO NOT accept anything less than SR TL......honestly, I would push for the ETL and if they don't want to mess with you, it is their loss. The key here is the 18 months in position before promotion. Going from TL to SR TL you "have" to to be in the TL role for 18 months. Going from SR TL to ETL is another 18 months. Its a brutal process. IMHO, it is better to come in as an ETL and fail at that position than it is to get strung out for 3+ years for an opportunity to land an ETL job.

I don't often agree with SOT, but I do on this one. Don't take the TM position with the promise of being a TL later. It will take a while, if it ever happens. Especially going from TM to TL to SrTL to ETL. If they won't take you as an ETL now, take your experience somewhere else instead of being underpaid for years.
 
Depending on the market ETLs start at 42000$ a year up to 47000 at most. You put in about 50 hrs a week and in the fourth quarter even more.
 
UPDATE as of May 22

Hi, there!

I wanted to thank everyone for your advice on this and give an update on my status.

Sooooo, since March I've been bounced to a third store. I was very clear with the STL of the second store I was on file at that since I have a degree, I am interested in moving into an ETL role considering the experience I have in retail and other fields.

He referred me to another store looking for a Presentation Team Leader, which was attractive to me because of the early store hours.

I called that store to follow up on a whim, and they referred me to an ETL-HR. After speaking with him over the phone, he acknowledged that since I had a degree and was enthusiastic about coming to Spot, he would confab with his higher ups and work to get clearance for me to "backfill his position" - essentially, create an ETL in training position at the store - and I would hear back in about a week!

This is one case where persistence is worth it and patience is a virtue. "Things are lining up for Old Liz Lemon...."

TL;DR: Still no offer, but a glimmer of hope to move into a position at Target that I am not over-qualified for after the occasional phone followup.
 
I don't want to rain on your parade but there is 0% chance you get hired as an ETL at this point. You may get a regular TL spot but that would be the best case scenario for you, and with your experience and education, you absolutely should not take it. They'll tell you you can be developed to an ETL role, but as an experienced external who is several years removed from college, it will take you 3-5 years minimum and even then the likelihood of it happening at all is less than microscopic-- considering you already interviewed for ETL and were turned down. They don't change their mind on these decisions.

My advice would be to look into another company. Target looks for a very specific skill set and could care less about how much experience you have...prior experience is not valued for new to the company ETLs. Unless you want to do a job that is 90% manual labor for $11/hr. starting pay with 2-4% increases each year and no chance of upward mobility, you're better off taking you degree somewhere else, because that is exactly what you'll get if you are offered and accept a PTL role.

And no, I am not saying this as a bitter TM (like 99% of posters on this board), I am an ETL myself and know the process firsthand. Don't bother, you can make more elsewhere.
 
Oh, and there is no way a store ETL can "create an ETL in training position" for a backfill...there is no pay grade for that and you would be paid from store payroll, aka they're blowing smoke and you'd be hired as a TM. What they are telling you is just categorically untrue.
 
Oh, and there is no way a store ETL can "create an ETL in training position" for a backfill...there is no pay grade for that and you would be paid from store payroll, aka they're blowing smoke and you'd be hired as a TM. What they are telling you is just categorically untrue.

Hi- Newbie here,
I interviewed some candidates for pharmacy tech positions at my current employer (not at Spot yet). I had a couple of execs in the pile of "qualified" per my company's standard, but I declined to interview them. There's no way they would be happy at a job getting paid close to minimum wage, working 20 hrs a week after coming from $50k+ per yr salary jobs. Why would "spot" drag him along if they didn't intend on hiring him for the ETL position he is qualified for. What do they stand to gain? Like I said, I am not at spot, so know I am naive....
 
They would drag them along with hopes that they will eventually take the lesser offer of TL. They do it a lot, and promise "development" to ETL with no actual intention of ever following through. The new TL then gets complacent in their role and Spot gets an overqualified TL to do work for half of what they should be paying them for their overall contributions.
 
I don't want to rain on your parade but there is 0% chance you get hired as an ETL at this point.

I get this is the Internet and thank you for your insight and everything but was the attitude really necessary? Why would Spot intentionally screw an external candidate who they know would tell the highly valued ETL who referred me (who they hired also several years out of college)?

I've been very firm yet cooperative with everyone who I've been in touch with regarding this whole thing, just saying I have heard great things about the company, how the corporate culture lines up with my values, how Targets leadership development is what I'm looking for in my very young career and my leadership skills as a volunteer and my current retail role would benefit any store tremendously.

I realize most people who post on this board are here because they need an outlet to complain in. However I don't find it entirely fair to say a "0% chance" when there is a decent chance you aren't one of the ETLs/STLs/DTLs I have been in touch with.
 
I don't want to rain on your parade but there is 0% chance you get hired as an ETL at this point.

I get this is the Internet and thank you for your insight and everything but was the attitude really necessary? Why would Spot intentionally screw an external candidate who they know would tell the highly valued ETL who referred me (who they hired also several years out of college)?

I've been very firm yet cooperative with everyone who I've been in touch with regarding this whole thing, just saying I have heard great things about the company, how the corporate culture lines up with my values, how Targets leadership development is what I'm looking for in my very young career and my leadership skills as a volunteer and my current retail role would benefit any store tremendously.

I realize most people who post on this board are here because they need an outlet to complain in. However I don't find it entirely fair to say a "0% chance" when there is a decent chance you aren't one of the ETLs/STLs/DTLs I have been in touch with.

I'm not giving you an attitude. I'm just telling you the deal and trying to help you out. I explained to another user exactly why they would "screw" an external candidate...to slowly prod you into a lesser role. If they wanted you as an ETL, you would already be an ETL. It's been months, so if you were going to be hired as an ETL it would have happened long ago. They don't play games with with ETL-level talent. I'm sure you're a perfectly nice person with a good skill set but if target wanted you for an exec role you'd be in it already.
 
I didn't come in applying to be an ETL. I was referred for a Senior TL job which i had applied to with the intention of having a steadier income before finding a job in my field. I made it all the way through only to be told no because they didn't want my friend managing me. Totally reasonable.

At some point i discovered that I was, in fact, overqualified for a TL job and should just start aiming for ETL. A lot of this is just me learning to stand up for myself and take better control over the course of my career.

So I began hinting and prodding them saying well I'm interested in learning more a out becoming an ETL since I'm just learning now this would better align with my skillset. After being bounced over a couple people and having one HR contact leave the company, I finally have someone who is taking that request seriously.

So. I don't know.
 
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