Archived What is HR like?

[AAR King]

What is it like to work as a HR team member? Space how is it different in relation to a sales floor TM or cashier?

The HR team always seems way less stressed than the other people in the store. Is this typical?

I'm trying to switch to there or AP.

Thank you in advance!

 

[redeye58]

Less stress?
The HRTM at my former store would laugh out loud.
At the very least you have to be able to multitask in the craziest of conditions like trying to finish the schedule edits so next weeks schedule can be posted - while TMs ask you for the 200th time WHEN the schedule will come out; then when it's finally up they'll be back mewling about how they can't work those shifts because they couldn't be bothered to put in for a time-off request.
Meanwhile orientation has just finished & there's a line of new team members who want to learn how to set up an acct on eHR & WHEN did they say the discount cards will be here? & Oh! when's my first paycheck? BTW, I'm gonna be on vay-cay next week - this was in the works when I interviewed & the interviewer knew about it.
Four TMs & TLs are waiting to talk to you about adding vay-cay to their paychecks so they can plump their hours.
Your ETL-HR sticks her head out the door & asks if you sent off XX forms to corp &, oh! She accidentally approved vay-cay for three TMs from the same dept during the SAME week. Can you get with them & rescind two of them?
The phone is ringing non-stop & you're trying to stop TMs/TLs from grabbing equipment without signing it out.
Then your STL tells you that corp visitors are on their way & can you clean up the break room real quick?

 

[commiecorvus]

Less stress?
The HRTM at my former store would laugh out loud.
At the very least you have to be able to multitask in the craziest of conditions like trying to finish the schedule edits so next weeks schedule can be posted - while TMs ask you for the 200th time WHEN the schedule will come out; then when it's finally up they'll be back mewling about how they can't work those shifts because they couldn't be bothered to put in for a time-off request.
Meanwhile orientation has just finished & there's a line of new team members who want to learn how to set up an acct on eHR & WHEN did they say the discount cards will be here? & Oh! when's my first paycheck? BTW, I'm gonna be on vay-cay next week - this was in the works when I interviewed & the interviewer knew about it.
Four TMs & TLs are waiting to talk to you about adding vay-cay to their paychecks so they can plump their hours.
Your ETL-HR sticks her head out the door & asks if you sent off XX forms to corp &, oh! She accidentally approved vay-cay for three TMs from the same dept during the SAME week. Can you get with them & rescind two of them?
The phone is ringing non-stop & you're trying to stop TMs/TLs from grabbing equipment without signing it out.
Then your STL tells you that corp visitors are on their way & can you clean up the break room real quick?

And at my store you had to be able to do it in two languages.

 

[redeye58]

Yep, ours was bilingual too.

 

[Coqui]

HRTMs do not have it easy. They deal with a different type of hell.

 

[TallAPGuy]

I wouldn't want to be an HRTM. Too much intra-team member drama at my store.
And if you're looking for less stress, I suggest neither AP or HR.

 

[boobooduck]

Also, recall that a lot of things HR does, no one in the store knows about except for ETL-HR and STL and the HR team. An example would be the emergency assistance fund or if someone such as a TL has an issue with an ETL.

 

[asidius]

Instead of hearing guests complain, you get to hear TM's complain. Which is the lesser of the 2 evils?

 

[Firefox]

Instead of hearing guests complain, you get to hear TM's complain. Which is the lesser of the 2 evils?

but then you also get to hear guests complain when you field the never ending stream of phone calls.

 

[mrknownothing]

but then you also get to hear guests complain when you field the never ending stream of phone calls.

Only if your HR is the operator. In many stores, the operator is at the fitting room or service desk.

 

[Retail Girl]

Only if your HR is the operator. In many stores, the operator is at the fitting room or service desk.

True. But HR gets to field the billions of questions from people who think they should be hired the day after they fill out an application...you know, because Target interviews and hires everyone who thinks they deserve a job.

 

[mrknownothing]

True. But HR gets to field the billions of questions from people who think they should be hired the day after they fill out an application...you know, because Target interviews and hires everyone who thinks they deserve a job.

Fair enough.

 

[Apapaia]

True. But HR gets to field the billions of questions from people who think they should be hired the day after they fill out an application...you know, because Target interviews and hires everyone who thinks they deserve a job.

"Yes hello, I would like to check the status of my application"
"May I have your name?"
"I applied for cashier"
"Okay good to know, may I now have your name?"
"Are you hiring for other positions?"
"Yes Ma'am we are, may I have your name?"
"I have experience in backroom"
"That's great I'll see that when I'll review the application, may I have your name?"
"Yes I submitted an application and I wanted to check the status..."
"Ma'am! I NEED your name!!"
"Oh, in Jane Doe"
"I see your application and I also see that you submitted it literally 30 minutes ago, it'll take a a few days to get back to you"

Real conversation I had on Thursday

 

[LUR99]

"Yes hello, I would like to check the status of my application"
"May I have your name?"
"I applied for cashier"
"Okay good to know, may I now have your name?"
"Are you hiring for other positions?"
"Yes Ma'am we are, may I have your name?"
"I have experience in backroom"
"That's great I'll see that when I'll review the application, may I have your name?"
"Yes I submitted an application and I wanted to check the status..."
"Ma'am! I NEED your name!!"
"Oh, in Jane Doe"
"I see your application and I also see that you submitted it literally 30 minutes ago, it'll take a a few days to get back to you"

Real conversation I had on Thursday

Our HR had a similar conversation in person last week. I also witnessed an applicant getting really angry with HR because they failed their drug test.

 

[redeye58]

The last Christmas I worked, a new hire was standing around TMSC watching the HRTM field calls, sign out equipment, hand off reports to ETLs, etc; watching everything with a calculating look.
When it died down, she approached the HRTM & said "So you get to sit back here on the phone & the computer? Who's ass do I gotta kiss to get THAT kind job?"
She didn't even make it to 30 days.

 

[Apapaia]

The last Christmas I worked, a new hire was standing around TMSC watching the HRTM field calls, sign out equipment, hand off reports to ETLs, etc; watching everything with a calculating look.
When it died down, she approached the HRTM & said "So you get to sit back here on the phone & the computer? Who's ass do I gotta kiss to get THAT kind job?"
She didn't even make it to 30 days.

I get that a lot. Actually I get "hints" about how easy I have it. Once a flow tm told me "Must be nice being you..coming in at 9am...getting to sleep in..."
It is indeed nice when I start at 9a and the day before I worked 6am to 5pm and at 530pm I started a closing shift at my sencond job...gives me time to shower and stuff

 

[mrknownothing]

Our HR had a similar conversation in person last week. I also witnessed an applicant getting really angry with HR because they failed their drug test.

Yeah, because it's totally HR's fault that you're a dumbass who uses drugs when applying for a job.

 

[sabria]

This coming from my perspective as an ETL-HR granted I haven't spent much time in role yet - but HR is an interesting animal and can either be a job you love or a job you hate.
yes as an HR TM you do spend most of your time at the computer. Pretty much the only real "desk job" in the store. I wouldn't say mine is as an ETL-HR as I'd wager I spend about 50% of my time at my desk or TSC and 50% of my time on the floor. Maybe a bit more on the floor. my STL has made it clear he thinks I should be in my office at all times but that just doesn't happen for me.

However like mentioned the HRTM is fielding a very heavy amount of responsibilities. I do my best to try to ease the workload of my HR TM. However especially around this time with so many new TM's that go to the one person at TSC which is usually the HR TM or just because they know they're HR - the new TMs are going to them with questions/concerns constantly about even the most minor of things. I could keep going about all the duties of HR team members but I'd just be repeating more of what has already been said.

That said it can be a fun/interesting job if you have the knack for it. You can't just sit there and do your own tasks though - you'll constantly be being pulled in different directions by people. Multi-tasking is key.
It's definitely one of the more ideal jobs though for a non TL considering the experience you get can look great on a resume and help you move into many different positions outside Target.

 

[Apapaia]

This coming from my perspective as an ETL-HR granted I haven't spent much time in role yet - but HR is an interesting animal and can either be a job you love or a job you hate.
yes as an HR TM you do spend most of your time at the computer. Pretty much the only real "desk job" in the store. I wouldn't say mine is as an ETL-HR as I'd wager I spend about 50% of my time at my desk or TSC and 50% of my time on the floor. Maybe a bit more on the floor. my STL has made it clear he thinks I should be in my office at all times but that just doesn't happen for me.

However like mentioned the HRTM is fielding a very heavy amount of responsibilities. I do my best to try to ease the workload of my HR TM. However especially around this time with so many new TM's that go to the one person at TSC which is usually the HR TM or just because they know they're HR - the new TMs are going to them with questions/concerns constantly about even the most minor of things. I could keep going about all the duties of HR team members but I'd just be repeating more of what has already been said.

That said it can be a fun/interesting job if you have the knack for it. You can't just sit there and do your own tasks though - you'll constantly be being pulled in different directions by people. Multi-tasking is key.
It's definitely one of the more ideal jobs though for a non TL considering the experience you get can look great on a resume and help you move into many different positions outside Target.

Multi-tasking is definitely something that you MUST be able to do in that position. I am not physically running back and forth but mentally I feel like I am running a marathon.
There's deadlines and things to do that TMs or TLs don't see. Even just going to pee needs to be planned because in order to leave the desk I need to make sure that everything is locked so that there isn't a breech in confidentiality.
The absolute busiest days for me were during 4th quarter when I had to catch up with JAS, figure out who to call for the morning because of CO/NCNS, help new TMs with computer trainings, try to post a schedule and prople asking me about holiday pay/OT.
I swear there were some moments in which I thought I would just get up and go away.
Anyways I feel very lucky to have this position, it will look very good on the resume. I am just sad that the TL position is not available in our store

 

[boobooduck]

I can second Apapaia's comment that you must schedule when to use the restroom. I love it when TMs follow me to the restroom to ask questions like...why do I only have 15 hours....Answer-Cause you only have 3 days of availability. I called you to ask if you wanted to work and you stated no.

 

[Apapaia]

I can second Apapaia's comment that you must schedule when to use the restroom. I love it when TMs follow me to the restroom to ask questions like...why do I only have 15 hours....Answer-Cause you only have 3 days of availability. I called you to ask if you wanted to work and you stated no.

Gotta love that!
I couldn't believe my ears when a TM said she wanted to work around 35 hours a week "Sweetheart you might need to be available for more than 15 hours a week"