Ever since the layoffs, it’s been crystal clear: Target doesn’t have the desire to do another formal RIF, so they’re trying to make the rest of us rage-quit instead.
The new SVPs openly don’t trust any of the remaining VPs because they’re “holdovers from the Brian Cornell personality-cult era.” That distrust trickles down hard — directors and Sr. directors are getting micromanaged into the ground, skipped in meetings, or flat-out told their opinion doesn’t matter because they’re “old Target.”
And now the latest insanity in Target Tech: they are MANDATING that story pointing be “consistent” across the entire org — one point = one ideal engineering day. Doesn’t matter if you’re on a legacy spaghetti codebase or greenfield green-grass stuff, doesn’t matter if half your sprint is fighting Prod fires or on-call — 1 point = 8 hours or you’re “underperforming.” They’re literally we-ponizing story points to create impossible velocity goals so they can PIP people who can’t hit the made-up numbers.
Hours are creeping up, recognition is gone, morale is in the toilet, and every standup feels like a performance review. Classic constructive discharge playbook.
9 replies (most recent on top)
@17x in a normal world that would be true but the EEOC is now run by mo--ns just like DHS and DoD. So don’t count on them. MN absolutely would step in though.
@ea In addition to EEOC violation it's also going to be a violation for the state's department of human rights!!
@kq unionize? yeah, absolutely not. Everyone was laughing at the mo--ns who were posting flyers around TNC apparently thinking we should join the painters union or whatever nonsense? Tech work is probably the highest pay for lowest amount of actual effort on the planet. We're not working in coal mines ffs
100% agree OP either leadership in tech has lost its mind or they are intentionally trying to get people to quit.
@OP Do they realize 'old target' created a situation from 2015 to 2020 the stock increased 5X?
So let me get this straight. They want to use tech to once again reinvigorate a dying brand. And this current set of leadership is a disaster making everyone’s life miserable to experiment with attrition.
Maybe it’s time to unionize Target Tech. Then it’s “Sorry - you don’t get to create unlivable situations for your latest experiment.
Target never got rid of the pre-Mac era underperformers. And now they’re trying to do just enough to reign it all in. Wow - good luck. Guessing the real winners were the ones who got laid off. The new CEO is cooked already
I also don't like story pointing but my team has NOT gotten guidance like this around "1pt = 8h"
@OP and @bj, you’re spot on—this inconsistency is downright problematic and demands attention. The story-pointing mandate being enforced selectively in some teams, but not uniformly across the org, points to unfair policy application that could seriously bolster constructive discharge claims. Web sources indicate SVP Siobhan McFeeney is driving this in her sectors, applying metrics that unfairly target “holdover” employees while others face laxer standards. Target, here’s your wake-up call: these tactics, whether intentional or not, are fostering intolerable conditions and opening the door to significant legal exposure. Employees are meticulously documenting these discrepancies, and if forced resignations pile up, anticipate lawsuits using the inconsistencies as clear evidence of bad intent. Time to start the engines—if Target thought the DEI lawsuits were bad last year, the new CEO’s tenure will be done before it starts. Reputational damage, talent loss, and massive costs are on the horizon, with the EEOC likely to get involved. Step up and rectify this now to avoid a full-blown crisis.
"they are MANDATING that story pointing be “consistent” across the entire org"
@OP I'm an L7 in Target Tech. This isn't an org wide thing. Blame your more immediate leaders if you're having to do this nonsense. I agree it's a bad sign and really stupid that someone above you thinks it's a good idea. It shows that they shouldn't be in their role.