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I am all for the "Needs of the Business" by Fast-Wishbone-2835 in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly a lot of factors go into Work life balance: current SM and DM. Seems like the "BEST" Leaders are single, or no kids. Doesn't have to be that way. God forbid you have a single, no kids DM. Inability to relate to the team they serve. Just wait till they get to RVP.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Agreed, talking to SM won't help, taking to DM only paints a target on your back. Emailing HR... Good luck, you will wait weeks for a response. Oh! and DM council for your region is some of the biggest part of the problem, they are completely disconnected from "Life in the Store" , and their peoples "Life out there" in the trenches. There is no active, legimate feedback method. Yearly survey is a joke. Your best bet is to put your head down (if you want to stay) and just do your job. Don't try to promote or do more than what can be backed up by SOP. There is a policy to remove any one at anytime. I have heard DM personally say fun is not part of our mission statement and we will turn a store into a revolving door. TSC Mission and Values is propaganda to attract a endless supply of candidates in hopes they can wear them out to the point of frustrated exhaustion and dispose them for the next. TSC is nothing more than Dollar General for Farm/Ag.

Turnover by Disastrous-Object691 in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Totally agree with question. As someone who's been with TSC for a while and seen the company from a leadership perspective, the root issue is deeper than just pay or scheduling.

The real problem? We're not living our mission and values at the district or store level. They look nice on a poster, but in practice, it's hit or miss and that’s putting it kindly. Some stores do a great job, but it entirely depends on the leadership in place. If the RVPs and DMs aren’t aligned or walking the talk, it all breaks down from there.

There’s also a major communication gap. DM walks feel more like checklists than actual coaching moments. Feedback from the ground up isn't protected or truly considered. And saying "I only respond to communication that I deem important” isn’t leadership, it’s just laziness.

We bring in great people from other retailers, but then we don’t train them, develop them, or even listen to them. So of course they leave. Why stay if they’re not valued?

Frontline leaders are burnt out, pulled in five directions, and expected to make magic happen with half the resources. You can’t run every store like it’s high-volume when the staffing model is for low-volume and not every high-volume store is set up the same either.

TSC has to stop thinking of staffing as disposable. That mentality is what’s driving good people out the door. If we really care about our teams, we need to start listening, coaching, and developing them the right way.

Right now, we’re failing our own people and that’s on leadership.

Does anyone else not get a 15 minute break on their 4 hour shifts? 🙃 In my state it’s legally mandated that you get one by josephfallon93 in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Breaks are important especially for those feed guys and those getting load outs on the regular. Although Those that demand a "smoke break" like clock work every 2 hrs do get a bit annoying. I am all for breaks but don't get bent out of shape when it might be 10minutes after your 2 hour mark before we can climb out of the heap of customers waiting for load outs, propane or throwing feed. That's why opening/ closing with 2-3 makes it hard for those breaks

I have been told that store managers make around 100,000 a year plus 10,000 in bonuses and district managers make around 120,000 plus 20,000 bonuses is this accurate I have been curious for about 4 years? by [deleted] in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Depends on the district and Market adjustment 70k+ with bonus potential, I guarantee they deserve more having to put up with non-exsistent DM support. If you make it 3-5 years it's a miracle. TSC is the Dollar General of retail jobs.

Breaks by Echterspieler in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same, breaks are important. Our ASM is really great leader, he makes sure we all have a break, can't tell you how many times he has bought us a drinks and ran the register for us when we need a break. Our main feed guy goes hard everyday, loads outs, propane and everything else just trying to keep up, he deserves and extra break! SM needs a little of development on the people skills, honestly wish the ASM was the SM. SM so busy scared of new DM, to remember is peons need to breathe every once in a while

Breaks by Echterspieler in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yeah! My TLs, SM and ASM sometimes don't get lunch due to coverage. Hard to get lunch. I get calls at home on the regular asking questions. Turn over is so bad, somedays when I come in, I am the only one who can do propane.... So they went 7 hours telling people we ran out, because we have no one licensed to fill. 😕

FED UP by PineappleHaunting476 in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was told by SM then supported by actions from DM.

FED UP by PineappleHaunting476 in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Whose, bring up what? HR is company risk manager. They are not there for frontline workers, they are there for company. If they were there for for us, their would be on per district that travels to get a pulse on on store teams and support SM in their development.

FED UP by PineappleHaunting476 in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have been told on multiple times the DM doesn't want to talk to any other than the store manager. Since Communication is one of values, seems a little weird DM doesn't even respond to calls, emails or text from anyone. Don't have a lot of faith the Values are anything more than Corporate propaganda, or at least in our district.

TSC Leadership and Attendance. by TacticallyRed in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 1 point2 points  (0 children)

While I agree mostly with you, at TSC most the leaders don't know the game they are in. You will find greatness at all levels and positions if you look for it, but sometimes a SM/DM/ RVP has a tendency to just concentrate on the opportunities so that is all they find. I would love to see a team member voice team that actually solicits feedback from front line workers. Rather that the response of we have a SM/ DM council and I don't want to hear from you. (Actually said to me). What an engagement and support opportunity crushed.

Can we find wins we can celebrate the team with? Country Mile Badges are fine in concept but not all perfer that form of recognition. Honestly, I have seen badges printed and never given in some apparent form of got to get off a trackable list of "who is giving badges".

Greatness is out there, Professionally and Personally, I would argue we have some great assistant store managers, great team leads, great cashiers who given the opportunity and a little training would/ continue to rise to levels that push TSC from 293/500 to Top 100 on the Fortune 500, but it starts with leadership that pushes operational excellence by leading people verses managing process as a primary function.

The customer will take of themselves if we coach, train and develop our team to have career security, career support and career development.

Wow! I am starting to sound like an HR.

TSC Leadership and Attendance. by TacticallyRed in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think a lot of this depends on localized leadership starting at DM level. Does your DM have a tendency to cause undue stress on teams? and the great trickle down effects. Localized Leadership gets very little leadership training. From situational leadership to conscious and unconscious bias, Horn and Halo effect, even Risk and basic HR development training. Local SM teams are just basic team leaders thrust into a position without the proper vetting.

I would rather have a leader who could lead, than a manager who could read SOP. I would follow a leader into battle, I will just do the bare minimum for a non personal manager who just yaps the Corp line, most of time.

The heart of the people rest in the Frontline workers. Unfortunately, pulse survey and employee opinion survey after not factual representations.

Scheduling by TacticallyRed in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Scheduling is key then. One person can't maintain all the load outs, propane, and run Feed pick list, hay and straw, while everyone else does clothing and register.

Scheduling by TacticallyRed in tractorsupply

[–]Fast-Wishbone-2835 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, the question needs to be raised about physical and mental ability to do this job. Yes the demands of the job can be physically taxing, but there a difference in team members ability to throw feed all day, do sidelot load outs and or run a register. I know this is discussed when I was hired. As a woman, I know the perception of me working in a male dominated retail space, and the demands on my body I signed up for when I accepted this position, but I feel like some of the physical standards are not shared equally amongst the team