SD asked me why I updated my resume on Indeed?!

[JAShands]

I know in my district that we routinely check Indeed and Linked In to scout for talent. If you’re on there chances are we have known for a while. It isn’t to see who is looking to leave, that’s a correlation, we’re looking to see who we can acquire.

I’m sure coming across an updated resume was accidental. But it did give an opening to have a conversation. While this isn’t a bad thing it would be easy to go about it the wrong way. We have no idea if the conversation was more of an inquiry or an accusation, only the SD knows what was going on in their own mind.

 

[jackandcat]

Yes but as we all know, retail is not rocket science, and we are all replaceable. Stores may hit bumps if someone quits unexpectedly but they will get over the bumps and carry on just fine.....

In just about every industry, "we are all replaceable". Target as a company has taken on huge amount of corporate debt to finance store modernization and other initiatives. There's enormous pressure on each store to keep revenue up and avoid losses which could have been avoided. More than we've seen in my lifetime, job opportunities and job-jumping has grown rapidly. Companies like Target do not ever want to publicly admit this, but on a case-by-case level they will "do what it takes" to keep a high-performing employee from jumping ship.

The unknown here is whether OP's SD is willing to stick their neck out to get more dollars to keep the OP from departing. After this ambushing by the SD, it's almost a certainty the OP will be very highly motivated to obtain a better job at a better company at better pay and benefits. Folks, this ain't the Great Recession anymore. Target knows this. It's the grade school expression, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." The loss of productivity when there's too much turnover ultimately impacts the "guest experience", which is vital for Target to retain a sustainable and growing business.

 

[happygoth]

Retail as an industry has an extremely high turnover rate. I saw so many managers, store level and district, come and go at my old company, and a decent amount in the short time I've been with Target. I'd say someone would have to be extraordinary to warrant the SD or HRBP going to bat to keep them.

 

[CrimsonLiz]

For this type of behavior, creepy is an understatement. More like an example of Big Brother at its worst. I agree that Spot leadership handled this poorly, and stupidly, really. What type of useful response did the SD expect to get by asking the OP why she updated her resume online that he couldn’t have gotten by asking about her future career plans? It’s not like either question will elicit anything other than a vague response or complete denial, and not mentioning the resume would have dialed down the suspicion and shock while eliciting the same (lack of) information as simply asking the question. Mentioning that Spot monitors resumes on Indeed gives the game away, not many people are going to spill their guts to their boss after hearing that, but will be more guarded, suspicious, and careful about revealing information in the future. Maybe if Spot treated their team better they wouldn’t have to be so paranoid about losing them. What’s next, looking in people’s windows and sifting through their garbage?

I think you nailed how I feel quite well, Black Sheep.

I wonder, what about the question made you so upset that you cried? Were they accusatory in their tone? It sounds to me like they don't want to lose you. I would definitely be shocked at first that they checked on my LinkedIn, but the point of LinkedIn is to make your resume and experience public.

Even if your SD is a tool, it sounds like your HRBP wants to keep you around.

Not gonna lie, I cried because I felt like I was somehow in trouble because of this. I have been wanting to promote to ETL for a couple of years, and felt (in that moment of uploading my resume) that I had had enough. When my SD asked me about it, I felt that now Target "knew" my intentions and I blew my chance of development and promoting. Note: Before the redesign of job titles, I was a Sr.TL. Being at a Small Format store, I am now a Small Format TL.

I generally love what I do, but my ex-DSD and my SD made some pretty rough calls for leadership in my store by sending out leaders to help open another store and leaving myself and two other TLs to fend for ourselves for 2 weeks. My SD was also on vacation for that period of time, so we were royally screwed. They also came down hard with Target Circle percentages (and the list goes on, and on and on). I didn't like the harshness, or the attitudes they had about any of it and a "you figure it out" kind of attitude instead of a supportive role. I voiced my opinions on these matters with my SD and he couldn't care less. I contacted my HRBP after I spoke with the HRTL. I was upset. I vented to my husband at home and uploaded a resume to Indeed.😩😩😩😩

 

[CrimsonLiz]

The big question here: has your SD actually offered you a pay raise or some other special incentive (i.e. cash bonus) as a pre-emptive deterrent to your potential exit?

I'm pretty sure the answer is "no". This is precisely why Target is losing capable staff like yourself, in a thriving job market with the lowest unemployment rate in five decades. Do ya think anyone at Corporate has the noggins to figure this out?

I wish. I mean, we're getting our performance bonuses in April, and we made the highest bracket, so that's cool.

But an actual incentive for me to stay with the company and continue to contribute to those metrics? Hell no. 😔

 

[CrimsonLiz]

JFC, your SD was checking out people's profiles on job sites? Who the fuck has time for that? If your SD does then it sounds like the store could cope with losing a leader or two and give him something to do.

The OP said that while the SD was the one who talked to him, it was the HRBP that told the SD about the resume update. So it seems it's actually the HRBP that has too little to do.

You both offer good points - I should note that I am only speculating my SD was informed of the recent upload of my resume. I highly doubt it was him doing the digging. I am willing to bet it was our area Recruiting BP, who coincidentally used to be HR-ETL at my first store. So I also know her pretty well.

Either way, I don't think informing my SD and asking him to "take care" of this was the proper way to handle the situation.

 

[jackandcat]

You both offer good points - I should note that I am only speculating my SD was informed of the recent upload of my resume. I highly doubt it was him doing the digging. I am willing to bet it was our area Recruiting BP, who coincidentally used to be HR-ETL at my first store. So I also know her pretty well. Either way, I don't think informing my SD and asking him to "take care" of this was the proper way to handle the situation.

I don't walk in your shoes, I don't know the SD or area Recruiting BP. If you've been at Target awhile, and have had this kind of ambush, you might as well calmly start looking at other employers. With the thumping job market, retail competitors are definitely interested in candidates with Target experience. You may be reluctant to change employers, and every person's situation is different, but the "ambush" maneuver by your SD is an indication that you aren't really valued by your store. You possess abundant valuable skills and talents to have succeeded so far in your time at Target. No disrespect or armchair-quarterbacking pressure is intended, but from a self-respect, self-esteem and financial aspect changing employers right now might be your best choice.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Do This above.

 

[starfishncoffee]

Someone peeps my LinkedIn profile regularly behind the "Target Careers" curtain. Fine. Go ahead. If my SD asked me why I had one, I'd ask them why they thought I had one.

 

[buliSBI]

Resume sites are a form of social media for professionals. So its a open door. I have utilized Linkedin to investigate employees who just up and left.

But your SD asking you why you updated your resume. Thats unprofessional and a bit stalker-ish.

A great professional should be reviewing and updating their resume almost monthly. New training or duties.

 

[Tessa120]

I have utilized Linkedin to investigate employees who just up and left.

But your SD asking you why you updated your resume. Thats unprofessional and a bit stalker-ish.

I would think that "investigating" people who left is also unprofessional and stalkerish. They left, and they felt that it was in their best interest to walk away quickly. If their reason for a hasty exit was due to work, then are you not proving them right by digging into/investigating their activities and post-employment lives? If their reason for a hasty exit was something other than work, how is their personal life your business? What virtue can there possibly be in searching them out after you've ceased to have dibs on a part of their everyday?

 

[JAShands]

I would think that "investigating" people who left is also unprofessional and stalkerish. They left, and they felt that it was in their best interest to walk away quickly. If their reason for a hasty exit was due to work, then are you not proving them right by digging into/investigating their activities and post-employment lives? If their reason for a hasty exit was something other than work, how is their personal life your business? What virtue can there possibly be in searching them out after you've ceased to have dibs on a part of their everyday?

If someone who was very consistent with great attendance suddenly left with no warning I think some concern is appropriate. Did they have to move? Are they in a safe, stable home/relationship? If everything is okay and they left for Company B down the road and the the left was it for a promotion or a lateral change? By seeing why people leave we can see if there is anything we can do different to retain good talent. We only have so many resources, but could we find a way to utilize them better?

A sister store had a TM who wanted to transfer. Everything was approved at both stores so it was an easy transfer (just across town). Only the TM never showed up to the new store. Not answered any phone calls or texts. Nor any type of social media messages at all. They ghosted so completely that the police were asked to go check on the TM. (The Tm is fine, but the rest of the story is a whole other story lol.)

The main goal of any company’s staffing process is Attract, Develop, Retain talent. If any of those are struggling it’s sometimes helpful to see what another company who is winning is doing different.
***Please don’t tell me what Target can do better! If I could give all of you the schedules you wanted every week I would, but I can’t 😭

 

[Tessa120]

If people leave your great company without warning, then there is a reason they didn't want to share in an exit interview. They deserve their privacy and to be separated from a former employer completely, they don't deserve the company they felt became so bad they had to ghost to come and crawl up their backside with made up "we care" excuses. Because no workplace is actually stalking online to see if the person is a domestic violence victim, they just want to demand a reason that the employee had already demonstrated he/she didn't want to give.

Edit: And calling the police for a welfare check as a means to make the employee know you are watching and to force communication is a low blow and frankly scary you would go to that extreme for an exit interview.

 

[JAShands]

Edit: And calling the police for a welfare check as a means to make the employee know you are watching and to force communication is a low blow and frankly scary you would go to that extreme for an exit interview.

I fail to see how making sure someone with spotless attendance at one store, who specifically requested to transfer to a different store so they could get more hours (small format TM who wanted auto go to a PFresh) and then failed to show up for any shifts, did not call once to say they wouldn’t be there, after making the effort to go there any ~interview~ and tour the store, I’m just not sure how that could be anything other than caring about the well being of the TM. I pray to the divine that someone cares about me enough that if I ever fell off the planet with no notice they would send the police to check on me. Please remember this wasn’t for lack of giving an exit interview, it was failing to complete a transfer that the TM specifically asked for.

 

[Tessa120]

Still, clearly the TM changed his mind about working for your store and something happened that caused the TM to think that leaving the job was best done not in person. So what was the real reason you didn't accept his choice and his decision and had the police track him down for you?

Creepy as fuck.

The time I ghosted from a job over a week before my planned departure after having cried all day at work, I'm glad I was moving so they couldn't send someone like the police to my physical location and I'm glad that 2 days before I had changed my phone number to have the area code of the place I was moving to and I hadn't bothered to give it to work. I'm sure they could have tracked me down if they had thrown some mad money into it, but no phone number and no forwarding address made it pretty hard for them to send the police for a so-called welfare check.

 

[Havok]

I would have just said that I always keep my profile updated, and then asked if there was a problem with that. If he said no, then I would have ended the conversation there, if he said yes, I would have told him that it is unfortunate for him to have a problem with what I do off the clock. Don't give your SD any kind of power over you. The only power he or she should have over you is work related, anything else, they can fuck right off.

 

[Tarshitsucks]

I would have just said that I always keep my profile updated, and then asked if there was a problem with that. If he said no, then I would have ended the conversation there, if he said yes, I would have told him that it is unfortunate for him to have a problem with what I do off the clock. Don't give your SD any kind of power over you. The only power he or she should have over you is work related, anything else, they can fuck right off.

That is an amazing response to that question. Bravo your right unless it's work related it isn't any of their business.

 

[happygoth]

I fail to see how making sure someone with spotless attendance at one store, who specifically requested to transfer to a different store so they could get more hours (small format TM who wanted auto go to a PFresh) and then failed to show up for any shifts, did not call once to say they wouldn’t be there, after making the effort to go there any ~interview~ and tour the store, I’m just not sure how that could be anything other than caring about the well being of the TM. I pray to the divine that someone cares about me enough that if I ever fell off the planet with no notice they would send the police to check on me. Please remember this wasn’t for lack of giving an exit interview, it was failing to complete a transfer that the TM specifically asked for.

I completely agree with you. I would hope that someone would care enough to try to find out if I'm ok in that type of situation. Some people, you just know they are being tools when they ghost, I've seen my share of those when I was a manager and it was eh, what are you gonna do? But an excellent employee who has no track record of flaking or being unreliable certainly warrants concern.

Businesses are not always the enemy and they are not always populated by assholes.

 

[happygoth]

Still, clearly the TM changed his mind about working for your store and something happened that caused the TM to think that leaving the job was best done not in person. So what was the real reason you didn't accept his choice and his decision and had the police track him down for you?

Creepy as fuck.

Obviously it wasn't clear at all. Wasn't it you who wondered how many people who had ghosted a job had actually died? And someone else gave a couple of examples from their own store of just that happening. So it's reasonable to be concerned and hope that an excellent employee who suddenly did something completely out of character is ok.

 

[theanimal]

I update my resume all the time, never once heard of anyone checking up on that kinda stuff, but had they they would have seen my resignation coming.

 

[Tessa120]

Obviously it wasn't clear at all. Wasn't it you who wondered how many people who had ghosted a job had actually died? And someone else gave a couple of examples from their own store of just that happening. So it's reasonable to be concerned and hope that an excellent employee who suddenly did something completely out of character is ok.

Yeah, I did say that. Still does not excuse using the police to track down the person because you don't like that employment ended on their terms and not yours. Work may not be filled with assholes, but work is work and not best friends. There's privacy lines that should not be crossed by a former job's management, and a biggie is digging into their personal life.

I really am glad that when I ghosted a job I had changed my phone number two days before and not given them the new number because I expected to be there less than two weeks more.

 

[happygoth]

I'll never understand why people don't just call and say "I quit". At least then others aren't left hanging.

 

[buliSBI]

I would think that "investigating" people who left is also unprofessional and stalkerish. They left, and they felt that it was in their best interest to walk away quickly. If their reason for a hasty exit was due to work, then are you not proving them right by digging into/investigating their activities and post-employment lives? If their reason for a hasty exit was something other than work, how is their personal life your business? What virtue can there possibly be in searching them out after you've ceased to have dibs on a part of their everyday?

It was in my job description and scoped by lawyers. Investigate individuals who had access to privelaged company information and data. Ensure those individuals were not conspiring with competitors or potential sale of company secrets.

 

[Tessa120]

I never questioned the legality. I did question the morality, the ethics, and the seeker's strange interest in digital voyeurism. Still creepy af. Since you think it's such a great thing, hope someone does it to you in turn, and you get called in and confronted about online activity just a couple days after doing it.

 

[buliSBI]

😵😵😵