Off Target

 

 

 

"When you work for a corporation like Target, you can only hope the people running the joint know what they are doing..."

By now most of us have heard about the huge layoff at Target headquarters. Not just a handful - this layoff was 1,700. And that was on top of the 500 or so who had already been let go over the Target Canada fiasco. These were not part time cashier jobs nor people on the loading dock. Many of the 1,700 were professional jobs which were good paying with benefits (such as they are today).

In the 1980's I worked at the Control Data Corporation. It was a very turbulent time to work there. In 1980 when I walked in the door, the company was doing well (I thought). It turns out the company had become bloated and out of sync with what the customers wanted. Then came the layoffs. Not a big chunk at once like Target did - at Control Data it was drip, drip, drip that went on for more than a year. Even though I was lucky to survive these layoffs, I saw many, many good people get walked out the door.

I have talked about this many times over the years. Being an "at will" employee has its hazards. You are TOTALLY dependent on the people running the company you work for. If they make risky moves which don't pay off, the penalty for those mistake often affects those who had nothing to do with making them. It affects the employees. I remember hearing shortly after graduating from business school that a company only owes you two weeks and in turn, that is what you owe the company. In other words, divorce can come quickly from either side.

Starting over in the best of times is not easy. Any benefits you could negotiate get reset to zero. You need to learn the crafts, skills and philosophy of the new organization. And you need to learn to fit in. It can be stressful and often times is not easy. All because the folks running your former company zigged with they should have zagged. Or, they took a huge risk that did pay off. Or, they were just incompetent.

Some of the 1,700 who were laid off at Target will land on their feet. Others will not. Some will stay in the area, some with not. It was a sad day yesterday for many employees and their families. As for the folks running Target, don't worry about them. They will be fine. They will continue to get gargantuan salaries, perks and bonus rewards. And should the downside happen, where the Board of Directors decide to let any of them go - there are huge golden parachutes waiting for them.

If you know anyone who was let go from Target, be kind. Remind them this was not their fault. Even though they might have heard it before, many will still take it personally. And they should not. They were just passengers on a plane being flown by pilots who made a mistake.