Archived Target won't cross-train me after my 90 days

[Mandas500]

I recently hit my 90 days at Target, so I went and talked to the H.R lady I was apparently supposed to talk in order to get into cross-training. I've been super excited about hitting my 90 days the whole time I've been working for this company, because as a cashier, it's tough to get hours. Lately I've only been getting 11 hours per week.

So anyway, I go to ask this lady about cross-training and she tells me that I'm "too new" to cross-train. I informed her that I hit my 90 already, and she said that I'm "still realitivly new and there are plenty of other people who want to cross-train." I asked if there was nowhere in the store short-handed that they could use help in, including Starbucks. My sister got hired at Starbucks about a week ago, and she's been telling me how short staffed are, so I was hoping I'd get H.R lady on board with that. It was quite the opposite though. She said "I don't really like the idea of you working there with your sister being there, that would be a comflict of interest."

I really don't understand how that would be a conflict of interest. My sister isn't any type of supervisor and I wasn't hoping to be either. Is this an actual store policy? I don't think it is since they had her do a day of training for cashier, which is what position I am. Do you think it's possible she just has hard feelings towards me? I've showed up late to work three times since my 90 days, which I know is irresponsible, but everytime it's happened I've made sure I apologized to any leaders I see, and I always offer to stay late and do extra work. I've felt pretty awful about those instances, and I've been trying my best to show up in timely manner and do better. I don't know if she knows about me showing up late, but I'm wondering if it may have to do with why she doesn't want me to cross-train. I try my best to be a good worker. I constantly do extra chores on the side that weren't assigned to me when things get slow, and I'm usually the first one to welcome the guest to my lane when things get slow and the cashier's stand up front talking. I always ask the leads if they need me to do baskets, hangers, or anything else before I have to leave, and I've picked up several shifts when the store was super busy or someone called out.

If this isn't a store policy, is there someone I could speak to to have this overruled? I'm planning on moving out of my parents house next year, and having 11 hours per week is not going to be enough despite the high pay of $12 an hour. This whole situation is so frustrating to me, so any advice or information would be much appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

[Yetive]

Speak with the person in charge of Starbucks

 

[Planosss]

Here is how you self cross train. Look at swap board/kronos. Pick up a shift, show up for the shift, CROSS TRAIN!!!
I had a cashier pick up a Starbucks shift..... didn’t know coffee from cola.

 

[NKG]

I know that your siblings and you don't feel like it's a conflict of interest but I've never seen relatives work in the same work center. I don't see it as a bad thing to learn Starbucks if you want to pick up your sister's shifts. However- I'd abandon that idea. Talk to your GSTL about learning Guest Service. That way its crossing training in your own workcenter. HR won't really need to have a say in that.

 

[GoodyNN]

Here is how you self cross train. Look at swap board/kronos. Pick up a shift, show up for the shift, CROSS TRAIN!!!
I had a cashier pick up a Starbucks shift..... didn’t know coffee from cola.

ASANTS. My store won't approve a swap shift pick-up for someone who isn't already trained in the area.

 

[CleanMyBackRoOm]

1) Don't just try to pick up a shift from another area and think you're going to get trained in that area. It's probably going to get denied and the shift won't be swapped. Not many stores will just allow people to just decide they want to work in another area.

2) I'm not sure if I have seen siblings work in work centers together or not but you're right she's not a supervisor so it wouldn't technically be a conflict of interest. On the note about her being trained as a cashier. EVERYONE in the store should be getting cross trained as a cashier no matter what work center they're in unless you're in AP. Personally as a TL I wouldn't put siblings in the same work center bc that could at some point cause a problem. You're siblings I could see 2 things happening very easily that could cause problems. Whether it's ganging up on the team or getting angry with one another and causing a difficult working enviroment.

3) Just because you hit 90 days doesn't mean you're entitled to be cross trained. Stores just don't get hours alotted to them every week to have TM's cross trained. We have to get the time for it. I'm not saying it should take an entire day to train someone on the salesfloor but it is something that leadership has to allot time for. Right now rounding out Q4 and beginning Q1 is not the greatest time for flex hours so no one will be given extra time company wide to expand. Right now it's all about wrapping up profits for Q4. Give it another month or so, bust your butt at the front... maybe ask your GSA or GSTL if there's anything they can teach you when you have down time. They can teach you how to use the MyDevice and that alone will allow you to be able to do reashop.

There's plenty of things for you to learn at the front end that could expand your hours depending on the volume of your store.

 

[Times Up]

Learn other aspects of the front end besides cashier. My store has problems from time to time scheduling breaks because there is no one trained for Guest Service, OPU or SCO other than the GSTL/GSA.

Even volunteer to go outside to round up a few carts.

Honestly, you wouldn't have been kept on past 90 days at my store having been late 3x. My STL is big on attendance and punctuality. So, try to make yourself very valuable to the front end.

 

[CrimsonRaven712]

This is actually one of the worst times of year to try and get cross trained. Hours are down for everyone and they will want to put people in places where they already know the job instead of wasting time teaching someone new. ASANTS but at mine people who were regularly getting 40hrs are only getting 20 right now. So even if they were willing to cross train you right now chances are that your hours will not go up much until late February at the earliest and they might not go up that much

 

[Anelmi]

Everyone (including those who are cross-trained) are getting low hours right now. Demanding to be crosstrained when you've just now become permanent is kinda ballsy. Learn your current work center, maybe ask to be trained at GS or any other extra front end areas (SCO), don't be late and ask again a few months down the road.

 

[LUR99]

There just aren't any hours right now to cross train people. Talk to the GSTL about learning the service desk when it is really slow up front for some cross training.

 

[GoodyNN]

I do have a group of TMs from the same extended family at my store (don't know who's a sibling and who's a cousin) scattered through both hard-and softlines, but I don't think I've ever seen any two actually working in the same workcenter at the same time.

 

[HRZone]

This is actually one of the worst times of year to try and get cross trained. Hours are down for everyone and they will want to put people in places where they already know the job instead of wasting time teaching someone new. ASANTS but at mine people who were regularly getting 40hrs are only getting 20 right now. So even if they were willing to cross train you right now chances are that your hours will not go up much until late February at the earliest and they might not go up that much

Truth. Last year my store got extra hours from corporate to cross-train from Starbucks but we were a pilot store. Don't expect to get cross-trained right away, especially for Starbucks which is usually a favorite for cross-training. Your best bet like @Yetive said is to get to know the Starbucks TL. A lot of times a Starbucks TL will be asked who they want for their work center.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

My question is did you master your current position?

 

[Mandas500]

Good idea! Do you know if there's a certain age you have to be to do guest services? I'm 18, but everyone at my store who does guest services seems to be a couple years older than me.

 

[NKG]

Good idea! Do you know if there's a certain age you have to be to do guest services? I'm 18, but everyone at my store who does guest services seems to be a couple years older than me.

Nope! We have minors do it in my store. Just have to know our policies.

 

[essie]

We have family members working together - siblings, parents/kids - and I've never seen a problem. They're all mature enough to do their jobs and keep home and work separate. They actually work really well together. Maybe our store is the exception to the rule.

That said, stop being late. Just stop. If you've been there 90 days, you know how long it takes to get ready and you know how long it takes to get there. Apologies are worthless if guests have to wait because your store is short-handed because you're late.

 

[REDcardJJ]

get your GSA/GSTL to train you in other parts of the front end when it's slow, such as cart attendant, service desk, self checkout, or drive up (if you have it)

 

[NKG]

We have family members working together - siblings, parents/kids - and I've never seen a problem. They're all mature enough to do their jobs and keep home and work separate. They actually work really well together. Maybe our store is the exception to the rule.

In the same work center???

 

[essie]

In the same work center???

Some same, some different. A few are college kids only there part of the year. I assume if there was a problem it wouldn't be allowed, just like any non-related TMs who can't play well with others. If everyone does their job and works together with no conflict, why is it an issue?

 

[NKG]

Some same, some different. A few are college kids only there part of the year. I assume if there was a problem it wouldn't be allowed, just like any non-related TMs who can't play well with others. If everyone does their job and works together with no conflict, why is it an issue?

I'm gonna label this ASANTS because I've never seen 2 people realated in the same work center. In my district or city.

 

[Mandas500]

Here is how you self cross train. Look at swap board/kronos. Pick up a shift, show up for the shift, CROSS TRAIN!!!
I had a cashier pick up a Starbucks shift..... didn’t know coffee from cola.

I one time accidentally picked up a shift on sales floor through the Kronos app and it got rejected, so I don't think that'll work. Thank you though!

 

[Mandas500]

Speak with the person in charge of Starbucks

I'll try that, thanks!

 

[Mandas500]

I know that your siblings and you don't feel like it's a conflict of interest but I've never seen relatives work in the same work center. I don't see it as a bad thing to learn Starbucks if you want to pick up your sister's shifts. However- I'd abandon that idea. Talk to your GSTL about learning Guest Service. That way its crossing training in your own workcenter. HR won't really need to have a say in that.

I'm thinking I will look into that. Thanks!

 

[Mandas500]

1) Don't just try to pick up a shift from another area and think you're going to get trained in that area. It's probably going to get denied and the shift won't be swapped. Not many stores will just allow people to just decide they want to work in another area.

2) I'm not sure if I have seen siblings work in work centers together or not but you're right she's not a supervisor so it wouldn't technically be a conflict of interest. On the note about her being trained as a cashier. EVERYONE in the store should be getting cross trained as a cashier no matter what work center they're in unless you're in AP. Personally as a TL I wouldn't put siblings in the same work center bc that could at some point cause a problem. You're siblings I could see 2 things happening very easily that could cause problems. Whether it's ganging up on the team or getting angry with one another and causing a difficult working enviroment.

3) Just because you hit 90 days doesn't mean you're entitled to be cross trained. Stores just don't get hours alotted to them every week to have TM's cross trained. We have to get the time for it. I'm not saying it should take an entire day to train someone on the salesfloor but it is something that leadership has to allot time for. Right now rounding out Q4 and beginning Q1 is not the greatest time for flex hours so no one will be given extra time company wide to expand. Right now it's all about wrapping up profits for Q4. Give it another month or so, bust your butt at the front... maybe ask your GSA or GSTL if there's anything they can teach you when you have down time. They can teach you how to use the MyDevice and that alone will allow you to be able to do reashop.

There's plenty of things for you to learn at the front end that could expand your hours depending on the volume of your store.

The examples you came up with for how it could be a conflict were things I hadn't thought of, so thanks for the insight. I don't see those being an issue with my sister and I personally, but I could understand why someone might think that. I also know that I'm not entitled to be cross-training, but I was hoping to at least get an idea of when it may be possible or what I could do to prepare for it, which you gave great examples of what I could do to prepare and I appreciate that. Thanks!

 

[Mandas500]

Learn other aspects of the front end besides cashier. My store has problems from time to time scheduling breaks because there is no one trained for Guest Service, OPU or SCO other than the GSTL/GSA.

Even volunteer to go outside to round up a few carts.

Honestly, you wouldn't have been kept on past 90 days at my store having been late 3x. My STL is big on attendance and punctuality. So, try to make yourself very valuable to the front end.

I will ask if there's anything I can learn that I haven't yet. Thank you.