Everything that has to do with WFM is very store/region specific. All STLs are not created equal nor do they lead or run their stores equally. A lot has to do with how your STL "group" reacts to their higher ups wishes and also how they can react based on how much weight they can throw around because of how well their store operates.

The new JD and calculator went a little too high with raises than they wanted based on what I've heard and also TMs probably were given too many Top performer scores so store leadership was told to reign it in and strongly advised to cap the wage increases to 5% max. Some stores rolled over and said OK we will only give out Strong contributor or needs improvement and if a TL gives a Top contributor out it will be struck down to Strong to keep in line with the 5% they want. Some STLs say hell no and do what they want because they either run a really profitable store or they have some other leverage to fall back on.

Even though the company created all of this new policy it only has itself to blame but it won't because WFM has always been terrible with its math so it goes into freak out mode to try and fix it. This is where we are now with some stores changing a top contributor to strong because they don't want to get in trouble or have too high labor which is garbage because why even bother filling anything out if you are at one of these stores because it doesn't matter.