Target is Preparing Store Teams for the Holidays with *Even More* Hours, Pay and Training

  • Sep 23, 2021
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Are those jingle bells we hear in the distance? We just love getting a head start on our holiday plans. And for our incredible teams — who make each moment sparkle for our guests — our goal is to make Target the most rewarding place to work during the busy season and all year long.

For example? This year, we’re giving our frontline store team members what we know they want: more pay, flexibility and reliable hours during the holidays. To start, we’ll offer our current store teams an additional 5 million hours, which adds up to more than $75 million in pay. And through a new mobile scheduling app, they can conveniently add or swap shifts that align with their schedules.   

“Our store teams continue to step up to serve our guests and communities when they’re counting on us most, time and time again,” says Mark Schindele, Target’s chief stores officer. “They are at the heart of our winning strategy, which is why Target continues to invest in providing training, consistent hours and schedules and support, to take care of them as they deliver for guests and power our business.”

These latest investments build on our year-round support for all team members through industry-leading starting wages, benefits, training and career growth opportunities. That includes our $15 minimum wage, the most comprehensive debt-free education assistance program in the retail industry, multiple recognition bonuses over the past 18 months, and numerous pandemic-related benefits that have now become permanent offerings.

More on how we’re making a difference with hours and schedules

Getting desired hours and consistent schedules is something that’s traditionally challenging in retail jobs. At Target, it’s a big way we’re focused on supporting the best team in retail while meeting our Target Forward goal to create a workplace experience where every team member can thrive.

Over the past year, store leaders have worked with our existing team members one-on-one to understand the hours they want and help them meet their goals through frequent check-ins. The objective? More stable schedules and reliable hours for our team  and even better service for our guests. The approach is already making an impact: Compared to this time last year, we’re within just a few hours of the average our teams say they want. And that’s just the beginning — we’ll keep listening and make adjustments to best support our team as the work continues.

Working flexibly to make the season bright

To help our guests make each holiday moment count, our store teams will be extra flexible to keep important areas staffed and bring each shopping experience to life.

For example, we’ll have even more team members supporting our safe, convenient and mega-popular Drive Up and Order Pickup services. (We’ve tripled our number of store fulfillment expert roles over the past two years.) And dedicated team members at our front doors will continue to clean and disinfect carts and baskets between use and focus on other health and safety measures.

To support our team in the busiest moments, we’ll hire 100,000 seasonal team members at our stores across the country. When the holidays are over, many of those team members will have the opportunity to stay onboard.

We’ll also add flexibility through our On Demand program, which offers team members the option to work more sporadically, picking up occasional shifts that fit their schedules. The program already has more than 20,000 team members and it’s growing fast.

“Our strategy is only possible because of Target’s incredible team,” says Melissa Kremer, Target’s chief human resources officer. “We’ve worked to provide our team members with more consistent schedules which means more consistent paychecks and a more consistent way to manage their life. Additionally, we’re offering more hours to team members who want them and continuing our important investment in training and development. When we invest in and care for our team, we know that guest service improves, turnover goes down and team members can more easily build rewarding careers at Target.”

Stay tuned for more throughout the season on how we’re making Target the most rewarding place to work for our teams across the company. Interested in a seasonal role at Target? Learn more and apply.

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Target Readies Team for Holiday with More Hours, Pay and Training

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