Thread regarding Target Corp. layoffs

147797, I wasn't saying that they wouldn't discard loyal TMs who built the company, they've done it repeatedly and some of the losses of people with great TGT knowledge over the last two and a half years has literally doomed certain aspects of the company, but I am saying they wouldn't snoop through old BTS data to select who they lay off. Managers know (or had better know) who on their team doesn't buy their weak BS, they shouldn't need to go into a resource that was sent to a second party to compile and hand back - Target isn't Vladimir Putin. I'm not arguing that horrible things haven't happened to good people but it would be beyond the pale to think they would have sunk to the level of sniffing through the ashes of old BTS comments to pad the layoff lists.

147534 - "Honestly, I can't believe that people think Target is capable of such nefarious behaviour"..........Really, you can't? After seeing how Target treated it's older staff (thinking of the Property Development construction people that spent their lives literally building the Target that is in place today), throwing them away like yesterday's trash, I have no problem believing it.

What we have here are various experiences with the BTS and no one is wrong. I was in one division and saw real change as a result of how my manager reacted to our small team's feedback - it was morale boosting. Over the years in that same division I saw the BTS used as a tool for some piranhas to gang up on a manager - it was ugly but effective and now ALL involved are gone. Then I moved to a different pyramid and learned that you only give positive feedback OR ELSE. I can relate to most of the responses even if they contradict each other. But one thing we all seem to agree on is this - HR is not your friend, don't go to them for help ever.

It would be quite easy for the BTS to be set up to insure anonymity or at least ease peoples minds that it is truly anonymous. Just have slips of paper that give you a one time access code to get into the BTS. Everyone could draw a random slip from a bowl. Then enter your opinion on one of the 'hotel' computers. Not sure Target mgt would want to see the results though. Could be brutal.

Here's a tip for all you youngsters; never, ever give anything less than excellants on the BTS. The survey is designed to weed out the disgruntled. Bad "leaders" are protected by HR. HR is not here to help you.

Let's get real about the anonymity of BTS and LUF. The anonymity of your comments rests solely on the size of your team and the response rate of the team. If you're in a large group where everyone replies, plenty of air cover for whoever is being honest in their comments. If not evryone replies, the lone one or two commenter stands out like a thumb. Most likely, their comments are pretty much aligned with their daily bitchfests. Any manager who can't (or doesn't) connect the two data points is a moron. The same is true, and much easier to be outed, in smaller teams. Again, not rocket science.

I've been on teams where BTS results were in the toilet and we had special meetings with HR (manager not present), where I had made plenty of write and oral comments to give brutally honest insight on why the scores were so low. I'm still here and the three layers of leadership associated with that team are no longer at Target. 🙌🏾

Moral of the story - know when to speak out and when keeping your trap shut. Also don't underestimate the ability to speak truth to power and, when the BTS and LUF support it along with other data points, change can happen. Not at first. But eventually.

FWIW ... I saw some of the most arrogant, clueless, ego-toads leaving yesterday. So happy that it helped me cope with the trauma of seeing awesome people being cut.

I have to disagree with the comment, 'Why Not' about using BTS information while selecting candidates for a RIF. The 'why not' is that the BTS is presented as an anonymous vehicle for communicating to TGT/Pyramid/Area/Dept leadership. People here insist it isn't really anonymous, and considering some of the visceral, ugly posts we've seen here it's reasonable that the outside vendor who compiles results may see things that warrant reporting to the men in white coats. But after that extreme opinion is taken out of the mix the audit trail back to individuals should be and must be wiped clean. Honestly, I can't believe that people think Target is capable of such nefarious behaviour that the lawyers/bain would be pondering BTS comments while compiling the WARN lists. "Hey Barry, get a load of this one; I gots two engineers with this skill set - one says the water at TNC tastes like a septic tank and the other didn;t say anything... w'dya say we put water-boy on the list?" This might happen in a B-grade movie but not real life.

147377 - I agree with everything you say. Who knows what the criteria really was......but if I were "Target" (heavens forbid), I would use the comments section in the BTS. Why not? It's a gift to them that can easily indicate the people that are not totally on board. Most definitely many layers of lawyers and legal were involved. God, I hope for Target's sake that a "random lottery process" wasn't involved - not the smartest course of action for determining talent and future success. Not sure how many of this site's post you are attributing to me (I'm flattered, but I know most of my co workers and fellow posters feel the same), but a little agitation is usually a good thing in any en devour. Humor too, if warranted. Much better than hopelessness and anger, although I must admit, those seeds have been sown very effectively (hopefully not by intent).......check out the all time low moral of your co-workers. Worst I've seen in 15 years.

Do you think hr is their to help you lol never go to hr on boss issues. Learned that 25 years ago. Always be careful what you say to anyone at target you may end up reporting to that person

147344: Come on really? If you've worked at target for any length of time it would be very safe for YOU to say that whatever the criteria that was used for layoffs it was vetted through TGT's Employee Relation's attorneys, Outside counsel and the Third Parties legal team. Target doesn't do anything people related without getting half a dozen opinions first. The Bogus BTS did not factor into the Layoff Criteria. I'm sure some crazy matrix of many factors were used (we've all heard this) or a random lottery process. If someone was all of a sudden “real” and let their boss have it in BTS, well that was just foolish. All of your posts though read the same, you fancy yourself quite the agitator no?

Not sure if I buy into the fringy idea that the BTS played into who was chosen to be let go (although I have two former co-workers who might beg to differ) but I am in the camp of not giving negative feedback anymore, at least not under my current manager who is a 40-something-year-old middle schooler, both egotistically and in her communication skills or lack thereof. If there are issues you think are solvable, deal with them directly. Do not go to HR for anything, ever. If the situation is hopeless either leave your position or wait for your useless manager to be promoted. Mine is taking too long to get promoted so I'm looking outside TGT.

147305 - not sure how you came up with: "I have no idea on earth exactly what the layoff criteria is/was but its very safe to say it has nothing to do with BTS" ..........do you have no idea on earth or not. How can you be so sure. Doesn't sound like a "safe" assumption to me at all. At the March lay offs we were told our supervisors/managers/leaders had nothing to do with the layoffs - that it was all determined by an outside consultant. Aside from the inherent stupidity of placing retention decisions in the hands of a group that knows nothing of the individuals, if we take management at their word, one would assume that the consultant had SOME criteria other than a dart board. The only logical conclusions were that they were told to get rid of the older/experienced, hence more expensive people - and do it in such a way (can some of the kids for balance) to cover Target legally. Second, get rid of the people who haven't drank enough kool-aid. The only way to determine that would be for the consultant to review the BTS (probably of anyone who added additional comments at the end, which invariably would probably be negative). By giving the job to the outside consultants Target could legally still claim that Target didn't break the anonymity claim. So yes, until someone is honest about what the criteria was, the BTS is for happy happy happy, everything is just peachy comments.

HR at any company is there to protect the company from legal issues and not workers like use. So never complain to HR about your problems keep them to yourself and move on if you don't like the company. If you have problems with your boss deal with them directly. HR is never going to help.

HR=human resources, non-management are not considered to be humans, thus HR doesn't work for them

147262: "Seriously" why, yes seriously.... You actually make my point. Target has completely covered themselves (legally) on this by not being individual-specific with the layoff criteria let alone using a survey result to retaliate against an individual. I have no idea on earth exactly what the layoff criteria is/was but its very safe to say it has nothing to do with BTS.

147262 - LOL. Seriously? "Way too many reasons legally why it absolutely wouldn't have impact on the layoff process"?

Then pray tell, what WAS the criteria for the layoffs?.....especially the ones back in March. No one will say. It was pretty obvious that MANY MANY of our best people were laid off due to their age (also not legal), with the cover of balancing their numbers by laying off a bunch of the young newbies. So again, please explain what the criteria was. I have no problem believing HR used the BTS to weed out those not sufficiently dedicated to the cult culture. Not everyone who questions what is right in front of our faces is a troll.

I call BS on this whole thread.... Someone who was "Latest Laid Off" wouldn't create a pseudonym for themselves. Only one of the Douche trolls that lurks on this site and starts trash would use a pseudonym. BTS is BS, but had nothing to do with the layoff decision. Way too many reasons legally why it absolutely wouldn't have impact on the layoff process.

Wait........you mean to tell me that I can't trust what leadership says?.......that HR really doesn't care about the employees?

Who would have thunk?

My question has always been, what trauma in their childhood would make someone wish to be part of a corporate HR......Golly, when I grow up, I want to be a shill for the man and screw over my fellow employees. FUN!!

My peers and I gave an honest BTS and LUF before and we all were reprimanded from our boss and department leaders for being honest. The following year two people were honest again on the "anonymous survey" and the rest of us gave an average responses. The two people were reprimanded again and pushed out of Target. These are NOT anonymous, be careful how you answer these surveys!

HR at Target is one of those weird secret police areas of organizations. Think the SS. They work FOR TARGET, not for the employee. They don't represent employee's interests. HR at Target represents Target's "leadership" to the general population. If they see you are not assimilating properly, they will scr** you. Think for example about an HR guy who has had so much trouble with employees that his email address has numbers all over (e.g. part of his email address reads in "williams3").

Wtf. R u kidding me? What happen? Sorry to hear you got laid off.