Management is the key to employee satisfaction in any work environment.
When management doesn't enforce rules fairly and across the board there is resentment amongst the workers.
When management enforces rules, they themselves refuse to follow, there is resentment and disrespect amongst the workers.
When employees have complaints they often just want their opinions heard...when management ignores or Pooh - poohs their concerns there is resentment and dis-satisfaction with the job.
Any manager must be able to empathasize with their employees. They must treat them not as just hourly minions but as human beings with concerns.
My experience with Kroger is that most managers and co-managers think it is nothing but an inconvienence to deal with any underling worker. Most managers are afraid of the unions power and most managers just don't want to be bothered....about anything.
My experience with Kroger managers and co-managers is that they are long term employees who know their job is pretty much safe so they do the minimum to get by. The easiest way to get by is to do nothing to rock the boat, fix the problem, or even go beyond the mediocre.
When Kroger managers and co-managers are properly trained to deal with people and to have some "guts" to deal with both long term and short term employees problems...Kroger employment will see a great improvement.
Kroger managers need to learn that "fixing" problems should be their Number 1 priority.
In all my years in the food business, its not just the managers and co' or asst's. Its also the Zone Managers and those above him. I've never seen such god awful decisions made by any management who has NO concept of how to work the Front Lines. Kroger has some serious top end problems.
I've been a part of the cultural council for 2 years. Everytime I say something that seems uncomfortable but honest.. I'm pretty much ignored.
I've even been targeted at store level and written up 7 times for things like. (standing around on the front end from 6:32am to 6:37am. I was doing file maintenance, and I check produce prices per PLU. and the rollbar thing that has the PLUS are up front.
Kroger is becoming Walmart. Unions are following Kroger ideas not the employees.
My personal opinion? Start looking now, unless your in really good with the manager you have at the moment, your never going to go any higher. What you see now is what is going to be going on in 7 yrs.. only worse.
I'd like to think that things will get better, but they only care about the bottom line.
