Target Reviews in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN Area

Pros

- Great team oriented environment
- Equality, treatment of minority team members is outstanding
- Lots of opportunities for networking across the company

Cons

- "Chosen Ones" get all recognition and promotions
- Top heavy - too much management
- CIO is not a technologist
- No trust of front line team members

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs to really look at the morale issue in IT. I think new leadership of the IT division, from outside the company, is needed to really fix the problems.

Pros

Target has an okay discount program, but can only be used with cash or the RED card which can be slightly annoying when you dont have either.

Cons

The customers were sometimes rude, sometimes bitchy and never really nice. Lots of people wanted things double bagged which is a pain in the butt.

Advice to Senior Management

Back up your cashiers when customers are being rude.

Pros

--The name on your resume
--Salary is in line with other mass retailers for the same position
--You'll get promoted (at least) every two years, regardless of how well you perform
--10% discount at stores

Cons

--Target claims to champion diversity, but they have "Leadership Expectations" that you are expected to work towards meeting. If everyone met them, the company would be run by robots, as everyone would be the same--which is exactly what it feels like when you're talking to upper management.
--If you do an incredible job you can be sure 1-2 people will notice; if you slip up you can be sure 8-10 people will be telling on you. It is an elementary school environment where people get ahead by making themselves look better than you, but they will chalk it up to "helping you develop".
--You best work toward "strategizing" and "innovating" to improve the business, but you best not stretch too far from every best practice that governs the company--don't forget to be "resilient and adaptable" and accept the best practices already in place.
--Have a sense of humor? Don't use it in a team setting--it doesn't constitute "communicating effectively".
--Managers will say they want you to fit in and be happy at Target, but the second you suggest you're unhappy you can bet you will be watched like a hawk.
--You can work 18 hour days and driving millions of dollars in sales/profitability improvements, but the person in the cube next to you will be promoted before you if they're running the right categories and networking with the right people.

Advice to Senior Management

--Don't rotate people every two years--it's bad for the company and its "partners".
--Telling on people should not be encouraged like it is--it's not helping anyone develop.
--Promote people based on performance.
--Encourage genuineness, not bubbly, passive-aggressive Minnesotans

Pros

Lots of energy, good growth story. Good pay, but negotiate hard going in because raises are tiny. Push for a signing bonus, they'll give it to you!

Cons

LOTS of hours, very political, more about who you know vs. what you know

Advice to Senior Management

Processes provide strength in achieving the company's goals, but be open to trying things differently once in a while...

Pros

Great location. Smart people. Nice office.

Cons

Everyone is overextended and doing 100 things at once.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't force management to take on interns. It results in a negative experience on both ends when management doesn't have the time or desire to help someone grow professionally.

Pros

Fantastic culture; highly talented team; constant innovation and future focus = great growth opportunities; ability to continually grow and develop self is essential to success.

Cons

Turnover in roles due to growth path means a constant learning curve with new partners -- positive turn but challenging to work through.

Pros

Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality, Human Rights Campaign, 2010
World’s Most Admired Companies, Fortune, 2009
Best Place to Launch a Career, BusinessWeek, 2009

Cons

Many work especially Information Technology related works have been outsourced to offshore (India), or will be outsourced in the future.

Pros

The atmosphere at Target is like no other that I have been around. While interning, there were "Fast FUn, and Friendly" activities that were a nice fun break to have during the middle of the day.

Cons

Target's intern program is based upon you and a group of three others work on a project. At times, it was a little tedious going to work everyday working on the same thing; however, like I said in the pros, Target does provide many opportunities for you to be involved in activites along with shadowing to break up the day.

Advice to Senior Management

As an intern, I do not have that much to say about management since I haven't spent too much time there. My experience was terrific and I loved working there!

Pros

great people to meet - made lots of friends that I will stay in contact with after leaving
good training
benefits/pay are above average
good opportunity for advancement in the stores

Cons

work/life balance can be tough based on area
as you get higher, promotions are based on who likes you not on performance

Advice to Senior Management

A lot has changed with Target over the years and senior management is not checking in with those lower to see how it feels. Take time to hear from the team.

Pros

-energetic and youthful culture
-career advancement opportunities
-leadership that is focused on development

Cons

-large focus on consensus creates need for numerous meetings and communication
-does not move poor performers out of the organization quickly
-risk averse and guarded

Advice to Senior Management

I would challenge leadership to adapt faster to non-traditional competative offerings in the marketplace