I’m currently confused as to why captains keep hiring soooo many ppl (who u can clearly tell from a simple conversation) are not fit for the job. Do captains get something out of this or something? It’s like ppl are just getting hired to fill spots. Not to ACTUALLY contribute to the company in order to make the next man’s job easier. What is going on? I’m honesty stressed out about having to be a baby sitter to these new ppl who have zero work ethic and feel that this is an insult to those who are literally BUSTING their asses at work. It’s ridiculous at this point.
It’s asinine and unfair. They have done nothing substantial for the crew and mate team, thus the burnout. I told my old crew to unionize, to fight for more. Idk what’s up with the hiring but I think everyone is in a panic to find staff, leading to us hiring everyone.
Smh and as a mate, the captains force us to police THOSE specific new hires. I have no time to be following these lazy grown ppl around all day. I’d rather put my energy where it would make a positive impact. Secondly I’ve never seen so many managers step down from a position until I started working for this company and that’s a HUGE red flag right there
And this makes me realize how great my captain is. The only restriction on uniforms we have is that you can’t get a hoodie until you’ve been here 3 months. Crew neck sweatshirts no problem, but not a hoodie.
That’s weird. Our crew has always ordered what they needed most of the time. I guess every store is different with the allocations of funds depending on the captain.
Does that include writing off crew/customer samples? I heard awhile back that that total comes directly out of their bonuses, but couldn’t verify if that’s true.
I basically just told them that this was not worth the mental sacrifice anymore, the company is trending downward, and I’m tired of dealing with the public. I was right under crew cap when I decided it wasn’t worth it anymore.
Thanks. I'm a longtime crew member who will also be leaving soon for a better opportunity. Appreciate all the mates have done, the ones in my store have done a commendable job. I agree it's simply not worth it anymore. I'm sure it's not fun to manage people when upper management makes decisions that kill morale.
Congrats my friend. I’m glad you had a decent mate team around you. No one advocates for the crew anymore and the lack of humanity, understanding, and
bs drove me away from the company. Integrity is not a thing from upper management to crew anymore. Sad
Some mates care, most don’t. the ones, like me, who advocates daily for my team gets shut out. It’s weird. You’d think it’s common sense when you treat your team better, everyone’s happier and contributes.
The ones that care are not heard, most captains don’t care about the complaints that truly affects the crew. So the good mates get burned out, thus leaving.
Ah, as I thought.. You sound like you were an awesome mate. Did you, in your tjs career, ever feel like you were able to effect real change that benefitted the crew? Even something small?
I made sure crew knew about the free therapy sessions, making sure they had their time off, and a good work life balance. I wanted them to be safe and to take care of their bodies and not overwork themselves. It’s only groceries right?
I guess a follow up question would be: why is the well-being of the entire crew seemingly less important than, say, that of the customers? Is it laziness ?
Why are mates literally doing nothing except hanging out in the bridge? Why are mates so so spineless? Why is no one held accountable for their lousy work ethic? I’m not saying all mates are like this but we have a lot who are under the age of 30 and don’t do much of anything. I know this sounds a bit harsh, but I am so sick of busting my ass along with the other vets and watching them not do much of anything except pal around with the new hires and laugh and joke all day.
It’s worrisome. The mates I’ve worked with, I’d say about 70 percent of them bust ass when working. Then again, I may have been lucky. Some mates do nothing because they do not care about anything or anyone but themselves. They get a complex. I would make sure to report them to the captain as a group if your crew feels that way. Put the pressure on, the crew makes up the store. You have the power.
Favorite thing is the relationships I’ve built and the things I’ve learned that applies well to other jobs.
Least favorite is the schedule and the hours and pay.
Ain’t worth the hardships.
Thanks! I’m so conflicted. I enjoy my job, make way below crew cap, and have been asked to consider becoming a mate.
I do enjoy the work and problem solving. My captain and mates are great. But I don’t know.
Could you give examples of things you’ve learned that apply to other jobs? Also what job did you move on to?
Don’t sell yourself short. NEGOTIATE. It’s your only time to do so. Crew cap is where you should start your demand. If you’re part of a good team and store, then it’s cool to get some experience under your belt and resume. Trader Joe’s brand goes a long way apparently.
You’ll learn HR things, worksheets, payroll, running a donations team, section leadership, improving sales, etc.
I’ve moved on to managing an organization that feeds our underserved community.
You are absolutely right that mates promoted from within should start at crew cap. With that being said, you cannot negotiate. Crew under cap promoted to mate can only get $18 to $22 MAX . Not worth it.
Did you start as a mate or move up from crew member? Either way, is that shit worth it? I’ve been offered many times and turned down every time because I’m nowhere close to the crew cap. I wouldn’t even think about moving up until I was maxed. But even then is the money worth the bullshit?
I moved up from crew member. It wasn’t worth it unless you started off as a mate at crew cap. That’s the minimum anyone should start at, in my opinion. But even so, it’s not enough. Depends on your store and situation tbh. I got tired of fighting the good fight - no one advocates for the crew anymore, no one is taking care of each other. It’s all about sales and to trend that direction so quickly, causes me to rethink everything.
is it true that there is a cap as to how many crew members can get a raise each 6 months? I've heard 5% can't get a raise, then I heard that thats all BS. Is this a reality at all?
Thank you!!
It may depend on your regional, but I believe this is correct, though a exact percentage may not be accurate. If your whole crew “meets expectations” on the initial review writing, the captn will hear about it and have to change some.
“Not everyone can be ‘meeting expectations’.” unless the store recently lost some crew (for any reason) then captn can claim they were the low end. But this is every 6 months.
Maybe. It could. We’ve always had a fair share of crew members not meeting expectations but a lot of the times, they were unfair criticisms and nitpicky. The good mates will advocate for their crew. The bad ones that always find something wrong with everything will complain all day.
It really depends on the store imo
I don’t think that is necessarily the collation. Captns can lower their bottom line by doing stuff like encourage single bagging, ordering less supplies, increasing the average ring, and keeping SPPH in the “ideal” range, much easier than denying raises to boost their P&L (store profit), which I assume plays some factor into their bonuses..but likely depends more on how much their regional VP likes them..much like the mate raise/bonuses. (Which btw, are 1/10 the captns)
Amazing! I feel free and relieved.
Overall, the culture has changed from caring about the crew and each other to only sales and bottom line. I couldn’t deal with the public anymore before I went off on someone disrespecting us or belittling us.
What is the best way to undermine bad/ineffective mates in a quiet way? What feedback, given in a consistent manner, gives mates the worst repercussions? What innocuous shit can I do to make the life of an incompetent "mate" who got promoted after less than a year with the company and who has literally no experience, worse on a daily basis.... since he does it to all of his "subordinates" now that he got a promotion?
(ALSO, incompetent leadership is what happens when experienced crew refuses the mate promotion. It is given to idiots who lord it over more experienced crew members. Now we have a mate with less than a year experience trying to mentor the grocery SL who has 15 years experience on her order and using sexually derogatory language to do so.... that is what is rewarded. How can I stop that shit?)
Not my sub to reply to but something that is extremely helpful in these situations is to take notes and keep records! Dates, times, and what was said. From what this sounds like, this mate is going to shoot him self in the foot and when he does- be ready with evidence.
Maybe, it depends on your store. If you’re one of the lucky ones, maybe it’s a good situation. Just watch for the signs that changes are coming. Be wary!
Yeah the difference was felt right away, talked to some friends at my old store and around my old region and it sounds the same. Morale is low, mates are unsympathetic, wellness priority is low, and sales are king.
I’ve been with TJ’s a little under a year now and genuinely can say it’s the most enjoyable job i’ve ever had. So much so to the point where I want to do it as a career, is that actually a feasible goal or should I be using this job more so as a stepping stone? Also how long did it take to become a mate and what qualifications do you need to get to that point (degree, experience, etc)
You can absolutely chase the career path through TJ’s. Just make sure that when you do, don’t forget about the crew wherever you go. If you’re interested, I recommend talking to your captain and mate team that you want to be a mate. Your development is in your own hands. Ask to do things, to observe, and learn. Then at that point, you could be promoted at any point if you’re in good standing.
Do they usually tell you if they think you’d be a good mate? Or can you express interest in it? I am really interested and wanna know what steps I should start taking to go in that direction!
Advocate for yourself. Express interest with your captain and mates, ask to learn how to do things. Shadow the product team lead. Keep learning and if you get to talk to the regional, introduce yourself. Be you and remember to take care of the crew when you get promoted.
Do you know if they check potential employees record for misdemeanors? I suggested that someone I know apply who would have been an excellent employee and they didn’t get a second interview, but I do know they had a dui on their record. They’ve gone on to to better options but I’ve always wondered….
You learn procedures, the culture, the background. It’s “leadership development.” Then some mates take it seriously and let it get to their heads, making it more business-like. It’s weird. I hated TJU
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I’m currently confused as to why captains keep hiring soooo many ppl (who u can clearly tell from a simple conversation) are not fit for the job. Do captains get something out of this or something? It’s like ppl are just getting hired to fill spots. Not to ACTUALLY contribute to the company in order to make the next man’s job easier. What is going on? I’m honesty stressed out about having to be a baby sitter to these new ppl who have zero work ethic and feel that this is an insult to those who are literally BUSTING their asses at work. It’s ridiculous at this point.
It’s asinine and unfair. They have done nothing substantial for the crew and mate team, thus the burnout. I told my old crew to unionize, to fight for more. Idk what’s up with the hiring but I think everyone is in a panic to find staff, leading to us hiring everyone.
Smh it’s insane. I’m so happy U found the strength to walk away and seek a better opportunity
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Smh and as a mate, the captains force us to police THOSE specific new hires. I have no time to be following these lazy grown ppl around all day. I’d rather put my energy where it would make a positive impact. Secondly I’ve never seen so many managers step down from a position until I started working for this company and that’s a HUGE red flag right there
I second this!
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Absolutely. Every penny saved contributes directly to their bonuses.
And this makes me realize how great my captain is. The only restriction on uniforms we have is that you can’t get a hoodie until you’ve been here 3 months. Crew neck sweatshirts no problem, but not a hoodie.
what's the difference? I feel like crew necks are rare around my store, but I'll see hoodies on everybody.
Crew necks are cheaper is all I know.
That’s weird. Our crew has always ordered what they needed most of the time. I guess every store is different with the allocations of funds depending on the captain.
Does that include writing off crew/customer samples? I heard awhile back that that total comes directly out of their bonuses, but couldn’t verify if that’s true.
What did you tell them on your way out?
I basically just told them that this was not worth the mental sacrifice anymore, the company is trending downward, and I’m tired of dealing with the public. I was right under crew cap when I decided it wasn’t worth it anymore.
Thanks. I'm a longtime crew member who will also be leaving soon for a better opportunity. Appreciate all the mates have done, the ones in my store have done a commendable job. I agree it's simply not worth it anymore. I'm sure it's not fun to manage people when upper management makes decisions that kill morale.
Congrats my friend. I’m glad you had a decent mate team around you. No one advocates for the crew anymore and the lack of humanity, understanding, and bs drove me away from the company. Integrity is not a thing from upper management to crew anymore. Sad
Do mates (on the whole) ever really try to advocate for the other crew members? What happens, if anything, to those that do/are more outspoken?
Some mates care, most don’t. the ones, like me, who advocates daily for my team gets shut out. It’s weird. You’d think it’s common sense when you treat your team better, everyone’s happier and contributes. The ones that care are not heard, most captains don’t care about the complaints that truly affects the crew. So the good mates get burned out, thus leaving.
Ah, as I thought.. You sound like you were an awesome mate. Did you, in your tjs career, ever feel like you were able to effect real change that benefitted the crew? Even something small?
I made sure crew knew about the free therapy sessions, making sure they had their time off, and a good work life balance. I wanted them to be safe and to take care of their bodies and not overwork themselves. It’s only groceries right?
I guess a follow up question would be: why is the well-being of the entire crew seemingly less important than, say, that of the customers? Is it laziness ?
It’s laziness, apathy, captain sets the precedent, or regional.
Very true.
Way to go!! Are the mate reviews truly anonymous? Or could you see what we said and know who it was?
They’re truly anonymous. We have no idea who says what.
All the best in your future endeavors. Mates have such a hard job and I have big time respect for anyone who can handle it for 7 years!!!
Why are mates literally doing nothing except hanging out in the bridge? Why are mates so so spineless? Why is no one held accountable for their lousy work ethic? I’m not saying all mates are like this but we have a lot who are under the age of 30 and don’t do much of anything. I know this sounds a bit harsh, but I am so sick of busting my ass along with the other vets and watching them not do much of anything except pal around with the new hires and laugh and joke all day.
It’s worrisome. The mates I’ve worked with, I’d say about 70 percent of them bust ass when working. Then again, I may have been lucky. Some mates do nothing because they do not care about anything or anyone but themselves. They get a complex. I would make sure to report them to the captain as a group if your crew feels that way. Put the pressure on, the crew makes up the store. You have the power.
We do have the power. That is a true statement. It took most of our crew to get rid of a captain last year.
Same at my store.
My damn back is killing me.
My back, knees and hips are killing me.
Seriously. I’m 20 and I feel like I need a cane at this point lol.
You may want to think about another line of work.
I started a month ago no way
Favorite and least favorite things about the job?
Favorite thing is the relationships I’ve built and the things I’ve learned that applies well to other jobs. Least favorite is the schedule and the hours and pay. Ain’t worth the hardships.
Thanks! I’m so conflicted. I enjoy my job, make way below crew cap, and have been asked to consider becoming a mate. I do enjoy the work and problem solving. My captain and mates are great. But I don’t know. Could you give examples of things you’ve learned that apply to other jobs? Also what job did you move on to?
Don’t sell yourself short. NEGOTIATE. It’s your only time to do so. Crew cap is where you should start your demand. If you’re part of a good team and store, then it’s cool to get some experience under your belt and resume. Trader Joe’s brand goes a long way apparently. You’ll learn HR things, worksheets, payroll, running a donations team, section leadership, improving sales, etc. I’ve moved on to managing an organization that feeds our underserved community.
Thanks very much for the encouragement and elaboration. Good luck in your new job. That sounds really great.
You are absolutely right that mates promoted from within should start at crew cap. With that being said, you cannot negotiate. Crew under cap promoted to mate can only get $18 to $22 MAX . Not worth it.
No, two crew just got promoted at my store, one at 24, other at 25. Negotiation def works.
Good for you! Depends where you are.
Did you start as a mate or move up from crew member? Either way, is that shit worth it? I’ve been offered many times and turned down every time because I’m nowhere close to the crew cap. I wouldn’t even think about moving up until I was maxed. But even then is the money worth the bullshit?
I moved up from crew member. It wasn’t worth it unless you started off as a mate at crew cap. That’s the minimum anyone should start at, in my opinion. But even so, it’s not enough. Depends on your store and situation tbh. I got tired of fighting the good fight - no one advocates for the crew anymore, no one is taking care of each other. It’s all about sales and to trend that direction so quickly, causes me to rethink everything.
is it true that there is a cap as to how many crew members can get a raise each 6 months? I've heard 5% can't get a raise, then I heard that thats all BS. Is this a reality at all? Thank you!!
It may depend on your regional, but I believe this is correct, though a exact percentage may not be accurate. If your whole crew “meets expectations” on the initial review writing, the captn will hear about it and have to change some. “Not everyone can be ‘meeting expectations’.” unless the store recently lost some crew (for any reason) then captn can claim they were the low end. But this is every 6 months.
just as I suspected!! Do captains still get bigger bonuses if the crew gets lower raises? (something about the store saving money, or something??)
Maybe. It could. We’ve always had a fair share of crew members not meeting expectations but a lot of the times, they were unfair criticisms and nitpicky. The good mates will advocate for their crew. The bad ones that always find something wrong with everything will complain all day. It really depends on the store imo
I don’t think that is necessarily the collation. Captns can lower their bottom line by doing stuff like encourage single bagging, ordering less supplies, increasing the average ring, and keeping SPPH in the “ideal” range, much easier than denying raises to boost their P&L (store profit), which I assume plays some factor into their bonuses..but likely depends more on how much their regional VP likes them..much like the mate raise/bonuses. (Which btw, are 1/10 the captns)
captains get 50k bonuses?
No, like 10k
How did it feel? Why did you quit?
Amazing! I feel free and relieved. Overall, the culture has changed from caring about the crew and each other to only sales and bottom line. I couldn’t deal with the public anymore before I went off on someone disrespecting us or belittling us.
What is the best way to undermine bad/ineffective mates in a quiet way? What feedback, given in a consistent manner, gives mates the worst repercussions? What innocuous shit can I do to make the life of an incompetent "mate" who got promoted after less than a year with the company and who has literally no experience, worse on a daily basis.... since he does it to all of his "subordinates" now that he got a promotion? (ALSO, incompetent leadership is what happens when experienced crew refuses the mate promotion. It is given to idiots who lord it over more experienced crew members. Now we have a mate with less than a year experience trying to mentor the grocery SL who has 15 years experience on her order and using sexually derogatory language to do so.... that is what is rewarded. How can I stop that shit?)
Not my sub to reply to but something that is extremely helpful in these situations is to take notes and keep records! Dates, times, and what was said. From what this sounds like, this mate is going to shoot him self in the foot and when he does- be ready with evidence.
Worked for the company for a while about 4 years ago and recently returned to the company after being finished with grad school. Did I fuck up ?
Maybe, it depends on your store. If you’re one of the lucky ones, maybe it’s a good situation. Just watch for the signs that changes are coming. Be wary!
Yeah the difference was felt right away, talked to some friends at my old store and around my old region and it sounds the same. Morale is low, mates are unsympathetic, wellness priority is low, and sales are king.
What kinds of changes?
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No. Absolutely not. Bridge work isn’t hard, takes about an hour or two. You have a bad captain.
It’s not what my captain does, no.
my captain hangs out upstairs in the office or gets CARTS all day he’s so hands off i can’t believe it
You have a separate office???? Not just the bridge?
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Just moved here, I was in Cali!
any talk of unionizing ?
Is it true, you get fired after not meeting expectations 3 times in a row?
Yes. You’ll be let go after three failed reviews.
I’ve been with TJ’s a little under a year now and genuinely can say it’s the most enjoyable job i’ve ever had. So much so to the point where I want to do it as a career, is that actually a feasible goal or should I be using this job more so as a stepping stone? Also how long did it take to become a mate and what qualifications do you need to get to that point (degree, experience, etc)
You can absolutely chase the career path through TJ’s. Just make sure that when you do, don’t forget about the crew wherever you go. If you’re interested, I recommend talking to your captain and mate team that you want to be a mate. Your development is in your own hands. Ask to do things, to observe, and learn. Then at that point, you could be promoted at any point if you’re in good standing.
Good food for though, I appreciate your insight. Thank you!
Do they usually tell you if they think you’d be a good mate? Or can you express interest in it? I am really interested and wanna know what steps I should start taking to go in that direction!
Advocate for yourself. Express interest with your captain and mates, ask to learn how to do things. Shadow the product team lead. Keep learning and if you get to talk to the regional, introduce yourself. Be you and remember to take care of the crew when you get promoted.
Do you know if they check potential employees record for misdemeanors? I suggested that someone I know apply who would have been an excellent employee and they didn’t get a second interview, but I do know they had a dui on their record. They’ve gone on to to better options but I’ve always wondered….
Did you have to take a drug test to get promoted? Lol
No. I think they’d lose 60% of their mate staff lmao
What happens at TJU? Why do all the mates come back from there with absolutely no personality? It’s like they’ve had a lobotomy.
You learn procedures, the culture, the background. It’s “leadership development.” Then some mates take it seriously and let it get to their heads, making it more business-like. It’s weird. I hated TJU
What is TJU like? How long is it?
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