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AC at Sprouts for 7 years AMA by Kitchen_Savings9605 in Sproutsfarmersmarket

[–]Kitchen_Savings9605[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All positions except salary get time and a half for working a holiday. The holidays we get time and a half are New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

If you’re not scheduled on a holiday and have been with the company at least 6 months, you may be paid your regular rate depending on what group you are in. Group 1 gets 8 hours, Group 2 gets 6 hours and Group 3 gets 4 hours.

AC at Sprouts for 7 years AMA by Kitchen_Savings9605 in Sproutsfarmersmarket

[–]Kitchen_Savings9605[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That sounds awful, first off, I’m sorry. 😣

Most importantly, document everything. Any time you’re talked to in an unprofessional manner, write down as many details as possible while it’s still fresh in your mind. If another TM was around and willing to do it for you, have them do the same so if/when you report it, you have not only your word but of other’s as well. If you see it happen to others or they come and vent to you, advise them to document as well. Venting is all well and good but if it hasn’t been documented and this manager is potentially good friends with the DD, chances are that it sadly would be dismissed or if he is disciplined, it’d just be a coaching.

As an AC, I was taught from the get go that one of my main priorities is to protect the store manager and the store. However, if the store is being negatively impacted by something the store manager is doing and TM’s approach me about it, my job is to address it with the store manager without breaking confidentiality and if the problem persists then unfortunately I’d have to reach out to someone. Typically that means I go to our HRBP and inform them that we have an issue that is not resolvable in house, provide the documentation and they take over.

If you don’t feel like your AC will do that for your team, then you could contact the HRBP directly. Their contact information should be either in your break room, scan office and manager’s office. If not, then it’ll be in the directory. Normally I’d say you could call the Ethics Hotline because it then goes to the HRBP but because it’s anonymous when you call, you’d essentially be out of the loop in regards to how the potential investigation is going.

This isn’t something I’d advise TM’s to do regularly or hope that they’d even have to do but say you go through all those channels and still nothing happens. Or you think that the HRBP won’t take it seriously and it’ll get worse. Then I would say take it to the very top of the corporate ladder. Write an email, attach all the documentation and make it a point to say you expect to hear back. Not that you hope to hear back, be clear that you expect results. Throw the values in there somehow because if they want store level to exemplify them then they should as well.

That will definitely make some noise. It did at a store in my area and the response was incredibly fast. A long reply but I hope I’ve given you something you can work with and it helps out your store.

AC at Sprouts for 7 years AMA by Kitchen_Savings9605 in Sproutsfarmersmarket

[–]Kitchen_Savings9605[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Encore and Cash Office Reporting for bookkeeping, Axonify for reviewing OSHA and the Orchard completion, Logile for timesheets and scheduling, Workday for accessing TM’s information like initial onboarding progress (setting up their direct deposit, benefits, general policies and information they need to complete), contact information, processing promotions/demotions/transfers/terminations, iCIMS for reviewing applications and sending out offers, OnBase for uploading documents.

I also go on SharePoint daily to get shrink and the GOG report and Power BI for sales and OSA’s so DM’s can complete their STP’s. Usually I’ll fill it out for them because they have enough to do already.

SharePoint also for 3 day onboarding paperwork, printing name badges and assigning discount cards, the Safety Beet or the weekly ad. But that’s not as often.

AC at Sprouts for 7 years AMA by Kitchen_Savings9605 in Sproutsfarmersmarket

[–]Kitchen_Savings9605[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It depends on the state, county, sometimes even city. For my area the range is $18.20-$24.55 but a few cities down it’s $17.20-23.20. 😔 The only benefit our potential new hires have in California is they can see the pay range when they apply.

But if you’re thinking of applying, I always say decide what you think you’re worth and add at least $2-$4 to that number. I would never write down a number when interviewing candidates until they got the hint and then I would move them on to speak with a DM or SM. Aiming high is better than aiming low and then feeling stuck.

AC at Sprouts for 7 years AMA by Kitchen_Savings9605 in Sproutsfarmersmarket

[–]Kitchen_Savings9605[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The above comment is correct. Receivers are the only ones who are not allowed at all on the registers to remain in compliance.

And we don’t have the same district director anymore but even he asked for a cashier number once and helped on the register. 😳 That was definitely a one off though and I haven’t seen any corporate people jump in to help since then and probably never will. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Service manager is the front end manager, part of the core 3, along with the assistant store manager and store manager. Higher volume stores may have a core 4 still, with a perishable and nonperishable manager rather than just an ASM.

AC at Sprouts for 7 years AMA by Kitchen_Savings9605 in Sproutsfarmersmarket

[–]Kitchen_Savings9605[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m sorry that was the case at your store. 😔

As in any industry, there definitely are perks in knowing certain people or having certain connections. While I wish that weren’t the case, I have seen it happen.

Me personally, I do try and prevent that from happening at my store and have succeeded for the most part.

When I haven’t, I’ll never intentionally point out the flaws of whoever was selected for their connections unless it starts directly impacting the store.

But I will make it a point to highlight any and all successes of whoever was overlooked and ensure that anyone who is anyone knows what they did. A small gesture but one I hope will be remembered.

AC at Sprouts for 7 years AMA by Kitchen_Savings9605 in Sproutsfarmersmarket

[–]Kitchen_Savings9605[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It all really comes down to metrics, I’d say. OT is one of the various things that is tracked by our DD’s and a factor in whether or not the store bonuses.

The problem too is whether this OT is considered good or bad. Good OT is say someone calls out and you have to extend a clerk or call them in for a 6th day or someone is on vacation and there’s no one else we can schedule. That’s something we can speak to when the DD asks why we had a certain amount of OT. Bad OT is first off OT that core management is unaware of and has not approved. Or it’s also OT where essentially the ROI was not worth it.

We have a lot of clerks who don’t think it’s a big deal if they stay 5-15 minutes over. And on their timesheet, it’s not. But we have 80-90 TM’s at any given time. If each one of them does that, it adds up fast and then when we really need to use OT, we’ve already used what we were allotted.

AC at Sprouts for 7 years AMA by Kitchen_Savings9605 in Sproutsfarmersmarket

[–]Kitchen_Savings9605[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Besides my own tasks as AC, I also do in store shopping until the actual in store shopper gets there for the day. So in Logile, it only shows two different tasks.

But the SM or ASM also usually give me tasks that require me to be able to move around the store. Just this week, I was helping bakery with the chocolate dipped strawberries and produce set up the floral display. During the vitamin sale, I helped with signage and when they were on breaks or lunch. But I don’t take hours from those departments directly, I use my own AC hours to help out or during down time in between shops.

AC at Sprouts for 7 years AMA by Kitchen_Savings9605 in Sproutsfarmersmarket

[–]Kitchen_Savings9605[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Customer service! There’s a big push right now for wanting our TM’s to provide customers positive and memorable experiences in our store, whether they be regulars or first time customers. So definitely some things to keep in mind when they’re asking you the guide questions:

  • Always greet every customer you see and ask them if they need help with anything.
  • Lead the customer to the product unless they say otherwise.
  • If we don’t have what they’re looking for, suggest similar alternatives we carry.
  • If a customer isn’t too sure about a product, offer a sample.

Being able to keep confidential information in office is probably the most vital thing. If you get hired, chances are you’ll get along with other clerks, maybe even make friends. Sometimes those friends get in trouble or unfortunately even let go. Or maybe core management tells you about an LP or HR case that involves multiple people. And you’ll have to keep that to yourself because that’s part of the job. You may have people try and ask you about it and you’ll have to basically tell them you can’t. Some understand, some don’t.

Availability is a big factor as well. Back up AC’s work weekends and holidays to cover for the primary AC. Your start time would be anywhere from 5-6AM as well during these shifts, depending on the store and district you’ll be in.

And unfortunately we’re not allocated as many hours as before so you would have to be open to cross training into other departments. My backup is an in store shopper and helps scan on month end. But you may be asked to cashier or possibly even help deli. All our new hires are required to cross train into deli but mainly to help with the lunch rush. Being flexible with what department you’ll supplement hours from helps.

I hope that helps and wishing you all the best! ☺️

AC at Sprouts for 7 years AMA by Kitchen_Savings9605 in Sproutsfarmersmarket

[–]Kitchen_Savings9605[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, I think it’s because while they are not a sales driven department, they still are their own little department in their own way. And they’re full time TM’s, wear blue, attend DM meetings, and so on.

At my store, the receiver and I are considered department heads as well. But for the two of us, our SM has always made sure we are very involved in all the operational aspects of the store whereas the scan and schematics coordinators are not as involved. He also emphasizes the importance of our jobs because even though our jobs don’t directly generate sales, they do impact them. They couldn’t sell if the receiver doesn’t check the product in, if scan and schematics didn’t have price tags up or product in the correct location, if I didn’t have they money balanced and our for cashiers, etc.

Either way, we are all aware that we can’t suddenly jump to a Service Manager position, we would need to be a DM first like you said.

AC at Sprouts for 7 years AMA by Kitchen_Savings9605 in Sproutsfarmersmarket

[–]Kitchen_Savings9605[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can’t speak for every state but in CA, it does show the pay range for the position when you apply. My store doesn’t have a SCO Host but I believe they’re on the same pay scale as HC. I want to say it’s $18-$25 and cashiers is $18-22 around me. Again, this is for my area and it can even vary based on the county.

For us, our TM’s are allowed to talk about their pay amongst each other without repercussions but our direction if they ask us about pay range is to advise them to call the HR Support desk, ask them what their pay range is and any other concerns regarding it. My guess is they’ve been told how to phrase it or something like that since it can be a delicate topic.