Working at Target's distribution center is a fantastic job for young or short-term workers.
Pros
You don't need a college degree to earn a good paycheck, be eligible for a 401K match, and have access to decent health insurance. The work culture demands that employees show optimism and cooperation which makes it a more enjoyable experience. The warehouse is very serious about OSHA regulations and takes steps to promote workplace safety. There is good communication and every workday begins with a short meeting. Once a month there is a longer meeting where more in-depth information is shared like how the corporation is doing and what changes will be happening in the future. The HR department is very willing to help with any problems. The workplace is as clean as it can be for a warehouse. There is some flexibility allowed for college students and sometimes tuition reimbursement can apply to your classes, but this is minimal. Potential for annual raises and opportunity to give your opinion in an annual workplace survey. Little workplace parties and community events are offered every few months. 10% discount at Target stores and target.com as well as discounts at other companies. The bottom line is that it's a great job, but you should not plan on staying. Enjoy the benefits but have a back-up plan.
Cons
Within the warehouse, there is very little opportunity to develop your resume or to advance professionally. No worker of over 3 years in the warehouse escapes injury, and the longer a worker stays, the more serious the injury. Reviews are given often and it is almost impossible to get a perfect review which is frustrating for hard-working employees. Attendance records are almost always incorrect but it is impossible to correct those mistakes, which might lead to workers wrongfully getting in trouble for being absent. Each supervisor has their own idea of how the rules should be enforced and most employees find out about new rules after learning that a coworker had gotten into trouble. It seems to be a silent policy that supervisors must badger at least one worker at a given time, and those workers often feel like they are being harassed, but Target would call it coaching. The vast majority of jobs are manual labor and there is no air conditioning in the summer although there is some heat sources available in the winter. Non-manual labor jobs require an interview which asks applicants to give examples of work-related challenges which is impossible to provide because those challenges are never offered to warehouse workers. Workers are told what overtime day that they have instead of having the opportunity to choose. Major problems where corporate is involved will make workers want to quit out of frustration. Target has the worst outsourced HR sub-department on Earth which is HEWITT and this company handles Target employee's FMLA, leave of absence, ect. and they constantly make life frustrating for employees and never do their job correctly. Target has a policy of promoting safety but their practice is not in line with those teachings. If you get hurt, it will be considered your fault even if it's not and you will find that the company will try to fire you even if you are still injured. Training is done minimally and there isn't an opportunity to learn at a safe pace. There is a problem with teamwork and understanding how one workers actions affect the rest of the warehouse. There is such a big push on productivity numbers that it takes away the opportunity to produce quality work and no time is given to employees to perform any necessary nonproductive tasks. Many workers are foolish enough to put their safety on the line to impress a supervisor only to learn that supervisors are rotated regularly , and all that effort did them little good but did make their supervisor look like an amazing leader. The bottom line is that it's a great job because of the pay, benefits, and culture but you should not plan on staying and you should NEVER push yourself beyond what is safe for you even if it means that you will get fired for not being able to make production. Being fired is better than being hurt.