December 7, 2014 - fuktarget
4.5 years a slave
So about six months ago I made my very first post to this site detailing the horrors of Target I’ve faced for the last four years. Four years of my life I will never get back, and I’ll be damned if I don’t regret it except for having met my girlfriend there. I’ve been free of Target for over a week now and I can’t begin to express how thankful I am to finally be done. Target wasn’t my first job; I knew how other companies outside of retail were generally. But Target was a slap in the face, a punch in the gut, and a kick in the balls. They will demand 110% productivity while paying you 40% of your value and not even think twice about it. Enjoy your 2.3% annual raises versus inflation (note that this number is with an excellent review). Simply put, the expectations there are ridiculous. I cannot understate that. THE EXPECTATIONS AT TARGET ARE RIDICULOUS.
I’m making significantly more money, in a far more laid-back environment, without crazy expectations, and certainly without some tyrant rampaging around the place making everyone’s life that much more miserable. That is when I remembered that this is how its supposed to be. I’m not supposed to have a dictator riding my ass, I’m not supposed to be miserable, and I’m supposed to be paid a liveable wage. I went to school while I worked at Target, and honestly that is the only excuse for staying there as an hourly employee. If you are working there and not actively trying to get out or better yourself; then you’re doing it wrong. Target will only continue to exist as it does if it keeps duping young, hard working, and responsible people in to filling its slave-ranks. So if you’re applying to Target, know what you are doing. Know that 98% of ETLs are worthless, know that 99% of STLs are comparable to Mussolini, and don’t take your coworkers lack-luster attitudes personally. After all, they are working at Target.
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Well said. However, Target at the corporate level is a big part of the problem. They let computers choose what each store gets and the STL's have no control over this. So, most of the work is created because of a faulty ordering system and the inability to change things at the Distribution level. Their computers indicate how things are suppose to go on a daily basis but this system doesn't factor in the previous day's workload, if there was enough people to even handle that workload, or the damn Planno Team backstock that clogs vehicles and shelving. We don't have the dictator aspect at our store but having an expectation of completing something within a certain time is idiotic. Then of course, this all comes back to the pay. They get what they pay for and anyone going into this place should keep that in mind. Yes it is a paycheck and you should always work hard to obtain that but, having a system that places you behind no matter what you do will only leave you asking one question, "why am I trying so hard?" I work hard no matter what because I like to challenge myself but all to often am left with the walking around the corner to see hell on wheels. Lucky for me, I have enough experience in this game to know that it doesn't matter because I will be back tomorrow to take another stab at finishing yesterday's work. This is the joy of having a system that doesn't care about shelf space or actually selling the stock on hand, rather care about the amount of product sold and how best to get and STL a bonus based on Distribution numbers.
The expectations are unrealistic because as you said, it doesn't matter what the shelf space is, the number if employees available, they say "it's a non negotiable" and somehow you are supposed to do it. To "make it rain" and "get'er done"
often means processes are not followed. An ETL used to say to me "it's all about perception" it's no wonder we find errors. Pisses me off that the STL gets bonuses for pushing people so hard. Not to mention the vacation time the STL has!!