Thread regarding Target Corp. layoffs

It su-ks to hear how bad it is right now. I was part of the layoff in October after 23 years there. I “think” I miss it a lot, but what I miss are the days gone by. All the great leadership I had for most of those years are long gone. I’ve always heard there is life after Target. Never understood how that could be true because it WAS such a great place. But now experiencing that life after Target, I gotta say it’s pretty refreshing. I’m enjoying my new company a lot.

I have had many great years working for Target but I think that Target is well past being able to return to what it was during its "glory" years. The culture has shifted in a negative way, well-respected leaders have moved on and there is more work than people. Target culture was always a bit of a double-edged sword. It could be difficult to infiltrate, especially if you weren't from the midwest, or weren't a Type A extrovert. That being said, the pride and positivity that people felt in working for Target consistently drove the team to go above and beyond to exceed requirements.

Yes, workload continues to be a problem but it is a symptom of a bigger problem. The biggest issue continues to be Target leadership. You have leaders within Target that (A) Don't understand the work that is associated with the roles on their team or (B) Do not know how to inspire/support their team to address workload or (C) Give the appearance of not caring.

Leaders have been hired from outside Target who did not have either the business skills or people skills to manage and inspire a team. For example, the VP of my area was an outside hire who previously managed a $25M business with 1-2 direct reports for a small, but aspirational retailer. Target put her in charge of a $6B+ business and she is ill-suited to lead people or strategy. She has been a failure and until recently, there was no accountability for bad team surveys or poor sales. The team was blamed and the ex-SVP allowed this to happen. There was finally HR intervention this year but guess what? She the VP is still here and sales are still declining!

My whole point in relating this story is that why should anyone work extra hard, beyond required hours and responsibilities, for a company where you aren't respected? I would have worked around the clock for a few of my past leaders who are no longer with Target because I respected them and they respected me. Hiring a "leader" who belittles her team in meetings, doesn't appreciate all the work being done and has driven team members to seek mental health treatment does not drive productivity or sales.

Take the exit ramp - there are plenty of other companies out there that will see your value. After 20+ years when I finally had enough, within 2 months into my new job I realized should have made the move long ago. Target is great at gaslighting, keeping that dangling carrot just out of reach..

There's zero opportunity for promotion or even lateral mobility, and as has been said raises and bonuses are beyond mediocre. There is no incentive to go above and beyond when the reward is more work and no recognition.

My team cut a few roles when we were just talking about needing one more person to backfill to stay afloat in a team meeting. Too busy to be scared.

@dj The reason they are asking "how are you feeling about your workload" is to see if you complain. Once you complain, you get put on the list of those to manage out or PIP. So be careful what you say. Also, those "anonymous" surveys they send out aren't so anonymous if you complain about your workload, or anything else.

"I’m just doing enough to keep my job and nothing more" - I followed that exact sentiment but no matter how much we say we aren't going to do more or go above and beyond, we always end up doing more because we have no choice. Keep your Linkedin network active because you never know when you may need it - also make sure to have a robust savings account to supplement your unemployment or severance once it runs out in the event you get let go. Don't ask me how I know. ; ) I just know that I used to listen to Suzy Orman back when she was the sh-t, and I always made sure to put aside a few bucks after every paycheck just in case of a downturn. Hang in there!!!

Every day it’s more more more but then my leader is asking about how I’m feeling about workload. At this point it’s a joke. They don’t care and unless you’re a senior leader there’s nothing anyone can do to reduce the feeling of burnout we’re experiencing.

I’m just doing enough to keep my job and nothing more. Target doesn’t provide enough incentives anymore to go “above and beyond.” It’s not going to be rewarded anyway.

100% agree. Senior director berating L5/L6 in a weekly update meeting instead of directing feedback to her directors. Expectations to respond at any hour (9:30 PM or later even).

What is going on with project management? Completely underwater.

100% accurate. Our team is so understaffed and overworked. Everyone signs on in the evening and some even on the weekends. We have expressed this many times and leaders tell us they don’t have the budget or headcount. I’m working my butt off so I can get a 2.5% raise and a cr-ppy bonus come next April. That doesn’t make sense.

Absolutely. The culture is in an unbelievably tough spot, with workload and expectations wildly misaligned with resources and compensation. I’m not sure what the unlock is, or ultimately what the root cause is. It’s clear that this administration is not prioritizing people. Burnout city everywhere I look.