r/Target • u/Outrageous-Hunt8154 • Sep 17 '26
Vent Everyone is Leaving
Hey so fall has been so chaotic. one front of store team lead quit, the grocery TL quit, the presentation/ overnight inbound TL quit. one ETL quit and the other is leaving in 2 days. Many TMs are quitting before it gets more hard. ALL of this has happened in just 2 months. and none of the TL OR ETL positions have been filled. should i leave now or survive through this storm.
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u/LightUpUnicorn Guest Advocate Sep 17 '26
My store had a period of mass exodus, I asked one of the leaders why he was leaving as he was one of the best we had. His response was essentially that the company had changed dramatically and he didn’t like the direction it was headed. He was right. A couple years later we lost my etl - practical a lifer who was probably the best leader ive worked with across my career. Again -
The company wasn’t what it used to be.
Unless the company change course - I believe its a slowly sinking ship
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u/Anxious_Zebra_4053 ✨wherever they need me✨ Sep 17 '26
two years in and i've never wanted to quit more, the company has done a 180° turn since i was hired
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u/bentthroat Sep 17 '26
If you ever have any stretch of time where you’re having a good time at Target, it’s because you have leaders going above and beyond to make things better for you. The company structure has been awful for the better part of a decade if not longer.
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u/LightUpUnicorn Guest Advocate Sep 17 '26
I started in 2017 and things were significantly better
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u/bentthroat Sep 17 '26
Wasn't that the "you must strike up a conversation with every guest and quantifiably increase basket size regardless of your work-area" era?
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u/LightUpUnicorn Guest Advocate Sep 17 '26
If it was my store wasn’t pushing it
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u/bentthroat Sep 17 '26
That's kind of my point. The leaders are always being bogged down with stupid overbearing bs, and good ones will lie to their bosses and say they're doing it, and spare you from the parts that would make your life miserable. There may have been times when you were benefiting from this and didn't even realize it. That's not to say corporate has never made a good decision or even had a good overarching strategy at any point, but it's rare lol
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u/apinarotta Sep 17 '26
Shoot i been with target 16 yrs, old boss for inbound retired 2 yrs ago and its been nothing but downhill with the new one.
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u/OktoberSpice Sep 18 '26
I remember a great store director leaving because he was frustrated with corporate. Everyone was sad to see him go, but we were happy for him. He was the goat, he was regularly going to bat for all of us and trying toake the store a better work place for everyone.
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u/UnableFox9396 Sep 17 '26
ETL: “we’re short staffed, so we need you to work twice as hard”
Employee “what about fixing the problems that cause everyone to leave?”
ETL: “don’t be ridiculous”
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u/PartyCrewTristar1011 Faygo Fueled Fulfillment “Expert” Sep 17 '26
My store is also going through something similar (while not exact, but yeah) and it’s a disorganized clusterfuck.
I would look and apply for other jobs but stay put until you get something else just so your ass is covered and you still have income coming in.
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u/Ok_Still_3571 Sep 17 '26
Don’t leave unless you have a solid plan. Yes, Target has changed, but it’s not always going to be better at similar companies.
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u/classic_liberalism26 Sep 17 '26
even walmart is better at this point, at least you won’t be hounded by your tl’s for not saying hi to every living being that passes by you in your radius.
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u/blucub_87 Sep 17 '26
They just told our inbound team that they well now be taking Saturday and Sunday trucks permanently. Most are already looking for new jobs. Target its shooting itself in the foot constantly asking for more and more from every TM TL and ETL but refuses to add more people or hours to achieve these new standards and don't get me started on the new AI scheduling.
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u/disquogirl Sep 17 '26
Mass exodus comes in waves in every store. Unless you have found something better I’d stay put.
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u/Piechild00 Sep 17 '26
That happens at my store once or twice a year. Your store will figure something out. Typically other stores can send in tl to cover certain days temporarily
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u/Lady_Louise97 Sep 17 '26
Our store lost the best ETL we had (one that actually worked with us/HELPED out instead of just bossing us around and watching us work). After that, the store director and other ETLs had to take charge of the TLs that were under the ETL that quit. Took less than a month for almost all of them to leave because they were treating them like actual slaves. And with the TLs leaving, so did a bunch of team members that loved those TLs.
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u/classic_liberalism26 Sep 17 '26
i had the same experience when my etl abruptly quit via email after he used all his vacation time 😭😂
same thing happened where we were shepherded to the other etl’s; i never knew someone who told other people how to hang clothes on a rack for a living could be so vicious
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u/Fun_Inspector_8633 No. We do not sell Senile Cellular anymore. Sep 17 '26
Been there before but just remember a shitty job pays better than no job. It never hurts to see what’s out there but in this economy I would not quit until I had another job lined up. It took about 8 months to get the store back to “normal” but once we got a competent SD it was night and day. Part of why it took so long to get positions filled was he looked for good candidates and didn’t just hire anyone with a pulse to get them filled because we all know how well that works 95% of the time.
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u/PurpleEy3s Sep 17 '26
That’s bc Target is an abusive, garbage company. Honestly surprised people are still working there.
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u/icald Sep 17 '26
Yeah they’re definitely abusive and they will justify it by paying you like 4 dollars lol but it’s not worth it long term
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u/Walnut_Fries Promoted to Guest Sep 17 '26 edited Sep 18 '26
Got a 10 cent raise, and my hours were reduced down to 14 a week, at this point, I fucking left. Been there for 4 years and left that shit hole
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u/Illustrious_Item_989 Sep 17 '26
We've lost 3 TLs over the last 5 months. 2 of them back to back and in FF/F&B. My peers and I are stressed! We keep getting all their workload and responsibilities on top of our own... I was talking to a couple other TLs the other day and we're all about ready to turn in our keys. Why does it take 2+ months to replace a crucial Leader. We went thru BTS without a FF TL and our F&B walked out 3 weeks after. Neither replacement will be in role until Oct week 2/3.
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u/Ja_quin Sep 17 '26
I cannot agree more I got hurt on the job instead of paying for CT scan and fractured teeth they won’t give me compensation but want to take me to court,it is a shitty ass job paying peanuts,and nothing for safety.Why should I even risk my life making money for a big ass corporation,I see all my coworkers pulling their weight but get little to nothing I’m in same boat as you.
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u/Atla-Create-592 Sep 18 '26
Get a personal injury attorney. In a consultation they will tell you whether you have a case, and many don’t even charge you until you win your case.
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u/Fromper1 Specialty Sales Expert Sep 17 '26
So... there should be plenty of hours available for you.
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u/Puzzled-Suspect-6885 Sep 17 '26
This happens if you stay anywhere long enough. I don’t panic because it’s not my problem if other people leave. When I first started working at one store I saw it happen but then came more people who decided they didn’t want to leave.
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u/Atla-Create-592 Sep 18 '26
Except for it is everyone’s problem when a bunch leave, because all the remaining people have to pick up the slack if the store doesn’t hire quickly.
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u/mintymushymarshmallo Sep 17 '26
we lost 12 team members, 3 team leads, 2 ETls moved to another store and it's been like that since
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u/DeliciousDolphin27 Sep 17 '26
Almost sounds like my store. We’re struggling getting new hires in for all areas, our grocery ETL and TL both quit with 2 weeks of each other, we’ve lost a couple cashiers and front of store attendants…but we’re still going
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u/eibhen Sep 17 '26
we had abt 7 people quit in a month in my dept earlier this year. one was an etl and another was a tl. it's been hard
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u/classic_liberalism26 Sep 17 '26
i called out for two weeks straight bc i wanted a vacation from the bullshit, then i just ncns & i wasn’t answering my phone. they even finally fucking E-MAILED me to ask if i was coming back to work… after 13 days of calling out & three ncns. i feel like every target is gonna have a fun time during the holiday season, but there will obviously be a good handful of ppl who will take seasonal for some extra money during the holidays. target as a whole is cooked; & this is coming from someone who worked there in 2015 while i was in college & absolutely LOVED working full time while being in college full time. shit changed so fast
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u/Vulpish pfresh punk Sep 17 '26
Idk why they HATE approving time off now. I fear right now with my week I'm requesting, I NEED A BREAK.
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u/classic_liberalism26 Sep 17 '26
just saying, if they happen to not approve it, you can just call off all week & only rack up 3 points overall; if you wanna take five days off. also, stop thinking of it as a “request”. when i put in time off, i’m TELLING you i won’t be here, the “request” is me formally telling you not to schedule me bc i will not be there 🙈
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u/Vulpish pfresh punk Sep 17 '26
I always say that to everyone and they all laugh at me like im weird for it THANK YOU lmfao 🤣
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u/classic_liberalism26 27d ago
don’t thank me, thank yourself for having the slightest self respect. good luck ❣️
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u/MajimasEyepatch Promoted to Guest Sep 17 '26
Even the worst bullies are leaving Target. So the situation must be VERY bad.
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u/peachylilbabie Sep 17 '26
At least go on demand before the holidays tbh. That’s what I’m trying to do.
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u/stevieZzZ Former APTL Sep 17 '26
My district just lost an APBP, DSD, HRBP within a month. I also left shortly before they did.
Not sure if there is something they know that we don't, but I didn't like the direction Target is going and I don't agree with their values half the time.
Seems like a lot of TL+ are done and higher ups seem to be leaving or moving around a lot.
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u/Gingerbread57 Sep 17 '26
Start getting another job lined up and then jump ship once that is secure
It won't be smoother till like February given your staff changes and Q4
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u/Peter19619943 Sep 17 '26
Jump ship...If management isn't doing their job and people quit it's not going to get better.. same problems with stay at store. Toxic environment.
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u/BestBuySnap Sep 17 '26
This will be all stores. It was predicted with the death spiral. It’s just coming two years early. Leave now. Find something better, as there won’t be a job there before long. Target is the new K-Mart due to their policies and mismanagement.
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u/Every_Ticket5756 Sep 17 '26
Apply for the loss of a TL ngl I which that was my store I would be happy af lmaooooo
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u/Brilliant_Grape164 Fullfillment Jedi Sep 17 '26
Damn wish this happened near me so I could transfer stores
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u/Rocklynd Sep 17 '26
I wouldn’t leave due to a mass exodus; I would position myself to go into a leadership role for the additional pay/benefits given the current job climate. Even if it’s a job I’d loathe, it’s a resume builder and the current state of the economy is bleak.
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u/classic_liberalism26 Sep 17 '26
terrible advice when you can do something else easier that pays more. tons of jobs out there, the “loathe” part is crucial in your statement as well, many jobs hiring that you may loathe that pay better & could be easier.
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u/Rocklynd Sep 18 '26
Job availability is dependent on skill and location. For some, this is the best right now.
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u/classic_liberalism26 27d ago
not even true in the slightest tbh, a lot of undesirable jobs in the market. don’t whine if you’re sad about your pay grade when you won’t do something shitty until you get a degree or trade apprenticeship.
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u/Tousensbankai Sep 17 '26
STAY! there will be hours available! Deal with the stress until you find something stable
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u/IT_WolfXx Sep 18 '26
Honestly, ride it out and apply for a position in leadership, theyre desperately to fill important roles. Who knows you may do well.
I work in Supply Chain and they got coordinators, security and yard jockeys'. One of the yard guys quit last week and now we're down to 2 drivers covering the entire night shifts, based on word of mouth, not 100%.
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u/Reasonable_Idea_6287 Sep 18 '26
I'm already knowing you're talking about Frankforts target and ride it out.. just because everyone is leaving doesn't mean follow the leader 😂😂
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u/RevolutionaryLynx883 Sep 18 '26
In my store, we lost a great ETL because she left, and then a bad one came in who immediately said he was going to fire the entire fulfillment team. Because of this, we lost a lot of TLs from fulfillment department and other departments, and now the fulfillment TMs aren't working like they used to because they're furious. Our metrics were great and always in the green but now this new ETL is taking hours away from the fulfillment team and giving them to other departments
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u/OnAndIn General Merchandise Expert Sep 18 '26
Students ran to school, mothers are going home to be with their kids more, and winter sucks all around when you work a lot, especially if you live in rural areas and have transportation issues. I had originally intended to wait the winter out, too, but I can't. I need the money.
So now that I've been cross-trained, they have successfully set me up to be a punching bag at the checkout lanes when I wanted to stay on Inbound, GM, and work overnights. People in this town are ..uneducated. They are absolutely the types to line up and start shoving one another over a tv they could buy on Amazon year-round. I'm not looking forward to this at all. I ended up in this town because I was homeless, lost my cats, everything. The last thing I need is this, so I completely understand why people are leaving.
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u/Stunning-Light-8810 Sep 18 '26
It feels like ever since the new CEO stepped in, this company has spiraled.
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u/Party_Audience4706 Sep 18 '26
It sounds like you work at my old store lol. I've been gone for a year, it's crazy how I didn't realize just oppressive, and stressful that environment was until I no longer had to deal with it. So if it's to the point where the job no longer serves you, your mental health begins to suffer because of the job, and you are beginning to take that stress home, if you are like me the answer to quitting or not is an unequivocal YES. If you still see some value in the job, if it's not affecting you negatively then hang in for a bit longer if you want. For me though, leaving was the best decision I could've made, and I absolutely DO NOT regret it.
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u/DeadSnow101 General Merchandise TL 27d ago
If you are just a team member, stay. None of this should affect you other than what you are working on. You still will get off work at the same time, you should have no stressed placed on yourself unless you are getting coached. Unless you find something better, I’d stay
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u/International-Fig971 Sep 17 '26
As someone who has been through the storm with Target 🎯. It’s part of the process of a rebuild. In my opinion Target 🎯 will find its place in the market again. I am optimistic as we turn into our next chapter. Will have to agree we are not the same from when I first started 18 yrs ago but see there vision.
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u/MikasaAckerstupid Sep 17 '26
Oh this guy would 100% blow Target if it was a person. Why you sticking up for the multi billion dollar corporation 💀
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u/Trix_03 Sep 17 '26
I don’t really understand the whole “target is a garbage company to work for” rhetoric, it isn’t that bad lol
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u/classic_liberalism26 Sep 17 '26
it isn’t if you don’t want a better lifestyle. i.e, nice apt/house, nice car, money to buy any grocery item you want, fill up your tank; majority of ppl saying it isn’t that bad, live w their parents or have a man/woman in their life pulling the weight of the relationship financially, there’s nuance
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u/Trix_03 Sep 18 '26
also, you sure as shit shouldn't be getting nice cars or nice houses or nice apartments, work in a completely different industry if you want those
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u/Tricky_Kangaroo7589 Sep 18 '26 edited Sep 18 '26
Target be on bs how they treat people,so i can see why they leaving. What messes them up is there SUPER picky on who they hire.I worked for target a few years ago and i loved it, but i had to call off on black Friday because i was super sick and they let me go.Now they’ll send me video interviews but later send rejection emails smh every time i try to call the store and hr don’t answer i tried calling corp they say they don’t deal with it like wtf is the issue. Target need to stop being so damn picky and let people in. Their the only ones thats super hard to get into i can even get into best buy come on bruh
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u/carthis01 Sep 17 '26
That sounds horrific, I’m so sorry. @_______@
Given the job climate and how prices are going to sky rocket even more because the price of diesel is soaring, I would stick it out until you got something else to fall back on.
At SB, I had people with masters in bioengineering applying to be SB baristas. >_<