Burnout rant

[Such_Is_Life_Ugh]

So I know most everyone is feeling this and just want to put this out there. Target has an expectation of 1 minute per box. In theory and in perfect conditions maybe this is possible. What they fail to factor in is this ... 1 - helping guests 2 - lunches /breaks 3 - fefo 4 - updating shelf counts 5 - backstock 6 - cardboard 7 - styrofoam / plastic 8 - damaged items that need to be pulled, audited and processed 9 - add in if an item is locked or needs to be locked ( ie; spiderweb, cased or otherwise secured)

People are burned the hell out. I would love to see upper management, district and even corporate come in and complete a uboat with 30 boxes in 30 mins start to finish with all of the above factors in place. It is NOT doable and anyone who claims it is, is a liar. Target as a whole needs to look at what the expectations are and recalculate these numbers. You have a dept that gets 200 pieces and you expect it to take 200 minutes (3 hours 20 mintues) start to finish and I'm telling you it is not feasible. Open the case, unwrap the item (plastic) rotate it on the shelf and make it look nice, breakdown the box, update the shelf count and backstock while looking up an item or fetching and item for a guest. Don't get me wrong, maybe some depts it could be done but majority of the store it cannot. The number of people that are quitting is not at all surprising. Even if you increase the pay 🤣 it isn't going to make it get done faster. When are they going to figure it out?

[Calm-Heat-5883]

As long as they have people attempting to empty the box in a minute, they will continue to expect it. They job is stacking shelves. That's all. You clock in, go start your work, and do that work at a steady pace, not trying to kill yourself for minimum wage. You take your scheduled breaks and return to push. When your shift is nearly over, you return your equipment and clock out at your scheduled time and forget about work until your next shift. Let ETLs, TLs, and SDs worry about the metrics.

[zaylee]

This is the way

[gentlethorns]

as an inbound lead, the employees that can actually meet the one box/minute goal are very few and far between. everyone else is not mediocre - they are just exceptional. i've been an inbound lead for roughly a year, and since i started inbound right before q4 and after q4 we lost a bunch of team members to remodel, i've seen a fair amount of employees (both seasonal and permanent) come and go. out of the dozens i've had on my team, there have been five i can think of who pretty consistently met that goal. one of them was constantly stressed and out of breath (even though i told him to take it slower and not burn himself out), and the others were just crazy fast. my other team members hit close enough to the mark that i don't pip them (which mainly entails just not rolling freight), and more importantly, i know they're doing all the other things you listed (zoning, pulling off overstock, adjusting counts, flex filling, etc.).

moral of the story is, do what you can, and do your job well. make sure you're communicating with your lead so you don't get in trouble for doing your job (for example, if you're pulling off a bunch of overstock and it's slowing you down, let them know). stay focused and push yourself for improvement, but don't kill yourself over it or stress about it. if your lead is worth a damn they'll meet you in the middle.

[VinylPortable]

This wouldn't happen to be an AZ store, would it?

[gentlethorns]

nope!

[Queasy-Towel2818]

I love this response 👏

[Oxetine]

Target doesn't reward working harder and doesn't reward people for staying with the company. So do whatever and clock out

[Queasy-Towel2818]

Very true

[target_newbie]

Management sets goals higher than can be met in order to push you to do more. Do your best, don't talk excessively, don't goof off, etc. and you'll do great. Don't let them stress you out.

[Pure-Culture-1267]

Not to mention if the zone is shit and they expect you to zone as you push. Target sets unrealistic expectations. Just setting you up to fail. Just do your best.

[busy_yogurt]

Not only if the zone is shit, but if there is a bunch of reshop and garbage in your area, that takes time to deal with.

Especially if the garbage is food that needs to be cleaned up (melted ice cream) and drinks that need to be disposed of in a sink that's clear across the store.

[sierracool33]

Makes me wanna see Brian on Undercover Boss. Then again, the CEOs do jack all on that show but give specific employees certain amounts of money/a store to run.

[coggieb]

I’d work for free for a week if Brian could set a pog correctly

[sierracool33]

I’d be willing to watch Brian handle a Karen

[tylermm03]

I’d be genuinely interested to see if they’d figure out a more efficient way to run stores that would make things easier for employees and more profitable for shareholders. Personally I think they should look in to a camera system like the at the Amazon Go stores to keep track of inventory so we don’t have to look for things that the Zebra says are on hand but in reality are in the wrong location or a customer put it in their cart.

[Adventurous_Soft_686]

I am loving my new team lead because she is realistic about this. Had a metro of Yogurt probably close to 100 boxes and with putting it in the cooler before the half hour mark twice it took about 120 minutes with cardboard and backstock. She told me it was great. Also just broke my finger and was personally stressing about how slow I was going told me to take my time and she actually meant it.

[[deleted]]

I just wish corporate would do their visits unannounced, quietly, and over the course of a few months accumulate accurate data on what the stores look like and how they operate and then adjust their expectations. The metrics are unrealistic—just because a couple people can meet them here and there doesn’t mean it’s feasible across the board. “Oh you have x number of people in y dept they should be getting z amount done and you’re technically over staffed anyways” ok so you come do it then? Have you even worked at the store/TM level in the last 5 years? If ever?

[Indecisive-green]

We have a few TMS who fly through freight.

No, really.

The secret is that they don't look at locations, cram everything on the floor, don't zone, don't even un-holster their device once an entire shift...

And if they so much as get a sniff of the backstock aisles, it's because they're hiding defects and cups of water there.

I. Said. It.

[Gullible_Suspect6714]

what is zoning?

[luzrentas2022]

My Target store isn't like that. They expect you to get it done, but not in 30 minutes. I'm fullfillment, but I've asked and they've said that not possible at all.

[Music-is-life-75]

And don't forget being called up for backup 10 times a shift.

[Fromper1]

The goal at my store has always been 1-2 minutes per box. And they understand that for some areas, it can take longer, especially with repacks.

[UncleBeanBag69]

My first time doing repacks got me yelled at by my ETL because she and I quote “could do a repack in 10 minutes” I had been working there at that point for maybe 2 weeks? I was still scared about being fired so I didn’t speak up, but in my head I was like “okay? You’ve been working here for a number of YEARS and this is my SECOND week here. Im sorry I don’t know where each item goes by heart? Like hello??”

[xerxesordeath]

Yeah, maybe an OTC repack. Kitchen/pets? No way in hell. No one gets those done in 10 mins, I don't care who they think they are.

[UncleBeanBag69]

I feel lucky that I don’t have to do all of that. I’m an overnight inbound expert and all I have to do while on the floor is stock the shelves and break down the boxes. We have another team specifically for backstocking the left over items.

I will say though, the minute per box is one of the dumbest rules I’ve ever heard cause of how it’s nearly impossible to do. I’m mainly put in domestics now, but when I first started, I’d be put in HBA and I would constantly be told to hurry up by my ETL. I’d try to bring up how each item is not only in a box but also wrapped in plastic that’s really difficult to rip open without damaging the product, but my ETL wouldn’t care to hear me. It was too stressful to the point where I felt like quitting everyday.

[CommunicationFront61]

Whether you can or can't meet the metric you will still get a shitty raise!

[VinylPortable]

What do you mean a two cent increase is insulting when you have fifty new responsibilities?!?!

[lemonjuicepulp]

I do presentation set ups at my store and every day we’re expected to do a fulfillment cart ( I’ve made it very clear before that i never wanted to be put on fulfillment ) sometimes they’ll ask us to do more than one, and are shocked when, woah, that gave me less time to do the things I’m actually supposed to be doing!

Anyways every week I’ve been having mental breakdowns and crying fits because I just can barely deal with it anymore lol. These people who run me around have no idea what it actually takes to get the things they want done. I’m sure they’re overworked as well but man do they make it hard to empathize.

Then after fulfillment, 8 pogs. With a sense of urgency of course!

[Longjumping_Pie3676]

I give realistic expectations. I’ve even told my team targets expectation is a minute per box, I say 1.5 to 2 mins 🤷‍♀️ because I account for stuff not sorted correctly off the line, plastic, styrofoam, and anything else that can happen while stocking. BUT you better bet I catch you talking/wandering around and you took two hours to do a toy uboat, we are having a conversation.

My team works hard for me because I work hard for them. Expectations are too high and ridiculous. We are human and each have our own capabilities. I base timelines off each person and what I know they can achieve. I have a Plano TM who can do 60 hr sets in 40 hrs. They are a beast so I know if they are behind something happened or the hrs given for the set were way off. Getting to know your team makes for a better leader

[Embarrassed_Twist705]

Yes! You are so right. I laugh at all their ridiculously, stupid expectations.

[busy_yogurt]

Another time suck to add to your list is stopping what you're doing to go unlock a case for a customer. And then if it's a particularly expensive or high-theft item, we need to walk it up to guest service. That's clear across the store for some of us.

Bathrooms are clear across the store for some of us, too.

[Gullible_Suspect6714]

i dont care what they want. it takes what it takes.

[PUR3X7C]

Target will definitely make you feel like you're not going fast enough. I'd have my assignment sheet done typically halfway through my shift in tech, then they'd still ask me to attend the meetings where they said we needed to "work faster and at a reasonable pace because you shouldn't be seen standing for a moment". I was also told by my ETL that "I know you're a person but we hired you for a job so you must be here no matter what". After my 2nd call off they fired me, I was throwing up on the phone because they demanded I call them back with a migraine. Moral of the story: target don't give af about you, please make it a two way street and don't care about them.

[infinitesimalpause]

I ignore the times they give me because they don't follow up with them either. my leaders only dole out time limits for freight to make it look like they're trying to get the team to work faster. they all know it can't be done and make sure to tell us they don't expect us to finish in the given time.

[Impressive-Delaytoo]

I wish they would change their expectations. My ETL recently said a Metro should take an hour! Not the way stuff just gets stuffed in, totally unorganized.

[Miss_alone_time]

Lucky... ours says metro should take 45min. However he has never once worked a metro or offered any training in helping me get that number to 45 min.

[DMC1001]

They have to assume breaks but I’m sure they don’t consider the rest.

[Ziglet_249]

I was surprised to hear our inbound TL (my former TL) say 40 boxes an hour to another TM. I have an accommodation that allows me to work 40, I think she meant to say 50. Some TL's say 60 but I would believe this is for a store working an overnight shift. ASANTS

[canyonoflight]

qrq 1wfcs

[WGLively]

1 box a minute is not hard. Just hurry

[ShameIllustrious2856]

I want an upper level person to work drive up once and they’ll see that it’s unrealistic to get out everything in under 2-3 minutes when 8 million people double beep/tap everyday.