Archived Wrong information from HR

[SmilesWI]

I will also say that I confirmed in the handbook the two policies that were in there. The stacking of discounts is mentioned in the handbook I believe (I don't have it in front of me) but there's not a detailed explanation. As I mentioned previously I know this from how various coupons are applied. You can also demonstrate this on Target.com by putting in two percentage off discounts (like a TM discount and a red card)

 

[SoCalMama]

You win.
If you are already this riled up, you are going to hate Target. You seem very bright. Your leaders are not all going to be as smart as you are. Some might be, but not all for certain. Don't challenge them. They'll cut you lose quickly. You'll hate Guest Services. Don't agree to that. They never uphold the policies consistently there. It made me nuts.

 

[BoxCutter]

If you are that bothered by discrepancies between what is written down and what you are told to do, I can't wait until you are introduced to "best practices."

Based on your posts here, I don't think you as a TM and Target are going to be a good fit.

Good luck with your leadership and fellow TMs.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

It is suggested to ask hr about your concerns. The book says this & I want to make certain that I understand how things work at spot.

 

[SrTLall]

I bet you're one of those people who drive at or below the speed limit so you're not breaking the law.

 

[YodaBeast]

I'm not young. I'm not going to state my age but I have a long professional work history. This is a second job for me on top of a full time job and graduate school. My career is very much policy driven. Written policies matter in many fields. In my professional life other agencies adhering to policies can make or break my clients health, social, emotional and financial well being. Knowing policies in many fields is your job. HR especially. If I give out wrong information in my job there are serious consequences for my clients and if I did it repeatedly then I would be fired. Policies are written for a reason and the words that are choosen are very carefully chosen. (or at least should be). Again i didn't raise any of these issues at work and didn't plan to. But yes it bothers me that I was given incorrect information. I had browsed these boards before my interview so that's actually where most of my information came from.

Make sure you check the handbook before you mount your old lady lol

 

[commiecorvus]

The job I have now is largely about making sure we follow the federal and state standards, practices, rules, and regulations for setting up plans to help people with disabilities get back into the work force and spending the money to do it.
When I say that we have a stack of spiral notebooks four feet high that govern how to do our job I'm actually underestimating because they are revising some of the rules and we haven't seen how big the new book is going to be (it's always bigger).

Are there times when we misunderstand what a sentence in a practice means?
Of course, no one is perfect.
But we always double check on everything because you can't afford to be wrong more than once (auditing is a very real pain in the ass).
If you don't know you don't guess and we make sure there is time for everyone to get trained on the information.
In fact we have updates every week so everyone is on the same page.

Is picking apart the HR persons presentation a touch pedantic?
Maybe, but for those of us who live and die by getting things right, I can understand why it would grate.

 

[SmilesWI]

The job I have now is largely about making sure we follow the federal and state standards, practices, rules, and regulations for spending setting up plans to help people with disabilities get back into the work force and spending the money to do it.
When I say that we have a stack of spiral notebooks four feet high that govern how to do our job I'm actually underestimating because they are revising some of the rules and we haven't seen how big the new book is going to be (it's always bigger).

Are there times when we misunderstand what a sentence in a practice means?
Of course, no one is perfect.
But we always double check on everything because you can't afford to be wrong more than once (auditing is a very real pain in the ass).
If you don't know you don't guess and we make sure there is time for everyone to get trained on the information.
In fact we have updates every week so everyone is on the same page.

Is picking apart the HR persons presentation a touch pedantic?
Maybe, but for those of us who live and die by getting things right, I can understand why it would grate.

Thank you. I think we work in similar fields with regards to the importance of rules/policies. At the end of the day I expect people to do their best which entails knowing the relevant policies for your job. In Hr that’s going to be a wide variety of topics but you set the tone for those policies within the organization.

 

[Tessa120]

In my previous job, there were several federal and state laws that had to be followed to the nth degree. Our legal documents that I was a part in generating had to be reviewed to ensure that laws covering their structure and contents were followed, and that the signing of those documents were legally binding, and all auxiliary information and documents were received and properly documented. I am also a notary public and must ensure that I follow all laws regarding the witnessing and signing of documents.

So I am very much aware of the importance of the letter of the law. I still say chill out over discrepancies about pants color and "safe is better than sorry" discrepancies over paying for group items. It's not that big of a deal, and it's needless pain in the ass nitpicking to be so grrrr over such a minor little thing. No one is going to die or go to jail because of the verbal instructions concerning your appearance.

 

[SitSpotSit]

Totally OT, but I hope Target is reading this to see how so many TMs are highly educated and intelligent. I see it at my store where so many have degrees yet are working at Target for our own reasons.

Sort of on topic to say that it can get a bit odd when a fresh faced, 22yo recent college grad becomes an ETL and you can just sense their lack of experience. I think a lot of ETLs forget that just because someone works for minimum wage it doesn't mean they are too dumb for a "real" job.

On topic now...OP, I totally get you. It means something when leadership doesn't know their own policies. I've been at T for a couple of years and have learned they operate from the mindset of "here's the rules" and "we do what is best for our store" and they often contradict. So I go in, do my best working alongside the TMs I respect the hell out of and go home.

 

[Tyrant]

I got told my shirts were "too red" once.

Thanks rando ETL that didn't even last a year.

 

[Tardis77]

Could I wear red leather shirt and khaki colored leather pants?

 

[commiecorvus]

Could I wear red leather shirt and khaki colored leather pants?

Don't see why not.

 

[Yetive]

Yes, you could.

 

[Times Up]

I'm not young. I'm not going to state my age but I have a long professional work history. This is a second job for me on top of a full time job and graduate school. My career is very much policy driven. Written policies matter in many fields. In my professional life other agencies adhering to policies can make or break my clients health, social, emotional and financial well being. Knowing policies in many fields is your job. HR especially. If I give out wrong information in my job there are serious consequences for my clients and if I did it repeatedly then I would be fired. Policies are written for a reason and the words that are choosen are very carefully chosen. (or at least should be). Again i didn't raise any of these issues at work and didn't plan to. But yes it bothers me that I was given incorrect information. I had browsed these boards before my interview so that's actually where most of my information came from.

I 'get' you! In my career, my work is governed by both a contract and state law. For what I get paid at Target, I just do what I'm told...Spot doesn't pay me enough to use my analytical abilities, common sense yes, but analytical abilities, no. No point in stressing about the little things whether it's at Target, or life in general!

 

[HRLady]

Could I wear red leather shirt and khaki colored leather pants?

I don't know if that would be a good idea since it could get hot with you moving so much during work. Also, leather is harder to clean if it gets dirty. I personally wouldn't wear leather to work for these reasons.

If you do wear leather though, just make sure the cut and style of the shirt is professional (has sleeves, no ultra-daring neckline, not cropped, and no cut outs). Same with the pants (long length and no tears/holes).

If not for the reasons stated above, I personally am interested in trying out a tailored leather blazer to mix things up a bit.

 

[HRZone]

The other thing here is your hr team has little training on actual law or policies. HR at Target is more baby sitting then actual HR work. Most etl hrs don't have a SHRM or MHR. My hrbp doesn't have either.

 

[SmilesWI]

Totally OT, but I hope Target is reading this to see how so many TMs are highly educated and intelligent. I see it at my store where so many have degrees yet are working at Target for our own reasons.

Sort of on topic to say that it can get a bit odd when a fresh faced, 22yo recent college grad becomes an ETL and you can just sense their lack of experience. I think a lot of ETLs forget that just because someone works for minimum wage it doesn't mean they are too dumb for a "real" job.

On topic now...OP, I totally get you. It means something when leadership doesn't know their own policies. I've been at T for a couple of years and have learned they operate from the mindset of "here's the rules" and "we do what is best for our store" and they often contradict. So I go in, do my best working alongside the TMs I respect the hell out of and go home.

Thank you. Despite the insults I've received here I think I will enjoy my time Target. The TMs I've met are friendly and helpful albeit some are young and have some life lessons to learn. I have a huge respect for Target as a company that stands up for what they believe in. This is something that is important to me. While i personally don't see myself turning retail/corporate life into a full time career I think it's a job that will be satisfying enough and comes with reasonable pay and "benefits" (Most of my benefits are and will remain primarily through my FT job [or my husband's job.]). I'm a little surprised that this thread exploded the way it did. I was somewhat annoyed and found it a little funny. It's interesting to see the dialogue that occurred here. I'm grateful for those who "get where I'm coming from" and/or responded reasonably without insults/attacks.