Target puts the 'cult' in culture

Someone more clever than myself put it this way: "Target puts the 'cult' in culture." I worked at Target HQ for five years. It is too often an organized personality contest. Want to get ahead? Forget about actually being good at your job. Focus instead of networking pleasantly, singing the company song, and shaping your personality into the Target mold. Too often advancement wasn't based on performance, but on how "Target" or "Brand Right" you were judged to be. I must stress that I am not making this up, but I was once reprimanded because, "Our VP sees you in the hallway and you're never smiling."

You absolutely cannot challenge the status quo there, even if you can make a good case as to why it will help the company. Target advertises (or did when I was there) that they valued "challenging up", i.e. challenging those above you in the pyramid when you thought that was necessary. Shame on me for believing - and acting - on this. It let to further reprimand.

The myopia and arrogance of the company can be astounding. I once ran the NPV for a potential investment and was asked by my supervisor, "Did you use Target's method of calculating NPV?" I was confused by the question and asked if she meant, did I use Target's discount rate? No, she thought Target had a separate way to perform this standard financial calculation. When I politely explained that it doesn't really vary from company to company, she rolled her eyes at me and got very annoyed. Again, not making this up.

Once I decided to leave and began my job search, I did less - much less - actual work and asking questions, and started doing more of the Target-y things (signing up for Fast, Fun, and Friendly events, organizing group outings, sitting at the front in group presentations, and - yes - smiling in hallways). By the time I put in my notice I was winning awards for being a model employee, though most days I really couldn't tell you what I did.

I hope they can change the culture there and get the company back on track. They don't have enough money to get me to set foot in the place again, but it will be terrible for the local economy if they continue to slide. I don't envy the new CEO.

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It's 2023 and it hasn't changed much. The original post is just as relevant now as it was in 2018.

The year is now 2018. I have worked only a few months at Target. It is a cult. Everything this OP said back then STILL HOLDS TRUE TODAY. I am getting a new manager (I REFUSE TO USE THEIR CULT WORDS WHEN NOT AT WORK) and was told to "challenge" him if I felt it appropriate. Talk about confusing. I immediately wondered what was wrong with the new manager if I, as only having been employed by Target for three weeks, was told to challenge my incoming manager. Now I understand that this has been going on for years and is all lip service. It's such a shame because I truly love the work I'm doing, however, I can't stand the way Target treats employees like criminals and they roll out the red carpet for horrible customers.

My husband was told he wasn't brand enough. It really bothered him but he did decide he would stop caring about doing his job right and have fun until he found another one. He stopped working basically and spent his days goofing off and having fun. His GM told him a month later he was really stepping up his game and he saw a bright future for him. My husband didn't take that as a compliment and he stepped up his search for another job where hard work was valued. It was really like Office Space for him the less he did the more accolades he received.lol

Exactly!! On my review I was told I need to socialize more! And I'm not exactly introverted. When I spent more time roaming around talking, I was told I was becoming a great leader. Really?

Spot on. The day I stopped caring about the job/work, I became a 'model' team member.

I applied to Target for years and more than qualified for every position and each time, I was turned down. When I was finally doing contract work, I applied again. It took my team lead to tell HR, "Interview him!" Reluctantly, they did and I finally got the job. OP is dead on with the assessment. I look at some of mycoworkers and think they are dead weight. We'll survive this and most likely be a better company in the long run. Not just a company that looks pretty.

I agree with OP, which is why I think the mantra of diversity & inclusiveness is just so much hypocritical malarkey.

Agreed, the senior group buyers I work with for are an odd lot. One woman in particular smiles and makes nice internally but is horrible to the husband she is cheating on (sad he's a nice guy, who comes to a bunch of Target events including one last week and who has no idea) and leaves her young kids for Target activities and events. Other buyers the same to a slightly lesser degree. Basically they all are nice to each other but in really life are sort of entitled jerks that have had far to much cool ade. I'm lower and they treat me and my spouse with pushy arrogance. Until this i don't think they thought anything would hurt them. Too bad the crap managers responsible for the entitled environment are taking so many good employees with them.

Business is not complicated. The people that are in it are. I never understood how department heads and managers are more concerned about themselves and get accolades for fiction based performance. The bottom line is Target buys inventory, stores it and sells it to make a profit. Everyone that is not directly involved with that process is expense and takes away from profit. So go and build your little kingdom and make work. Retail is cut throat, the margins are slim. Waste is easily identifiable.

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Target puts the 'cult' in culture

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