So my local kroger store was hiring and I thought I had a chance at a decent career opportunity. I thought I was being under paid at my current job and Kroger looked like it would be a great place to advance and build career skills. Well I interviewed and got the job since they were having a mass hiring event and store expansion, they seemed almost desperate for people. I completed the video training portion with no problems and went in for my actual hands on training. I was there for maybe 5 minuets, then I turned around and walked the f.u.c.k. Everyone was so rude and I instantly felt like a hot potato since everyone was passing me around like we don't know how to train her and shes not my problem. This combined with minimum wage, part time with no benefits and being expected to kiss customers a.s.s.e.s no thanks. Also the break room looked awesome but they are horrible about getting people breaks on time if you even get a break at all! I am so mad at kroger I wont even shop there, at least not for a while. I am so disappointed and I think they need to be straight with people telling them pay sucks, union isnt worth it,and opportunities for advancement aren't there (ok it could happen but its like winning the lottery for the average person). Needless to say I will be back doing my old job with a smile.
Yes they are all like you saw. It's very hard for new hires to adapt to the way kroger works. It's also very overwhelming at the start unless someone helps you.
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Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
Whats the store number? Yep. There was a remodel tons of hiring and now tons of people quitting. I overheard the managers talking about how they need people so bad. Now I know why.
Thanks for your reply! I felt really bad about quitting so quickly but the level of disorganization was phenomenal! It makes me feel somewhat better that most if not all Krogers are like that so I guess I'm not missing out on much at all.
No, not all Kroger stores are like that. The people around and above you make all the difference. If the store is staffed with generally friendly people (like where I'm at), it can actually be an enjoyable experience coming in every day. If the store is run by an approachable and considerate management team (again, like where I'm at), then moving around departments, picking up hours and advancing is certainly possible. If you are on good terms with your department head and management and have good work ethic, you can rise above the relatively poor pay and make decent money. This all takes time though and yes, in the meantime, the pay is terrible (Kroger is among the lowest paying retail jobs) and corporate will make your life miserable at times due to the at times pointless Key Retailing policies and sometimes customers will leave you with the urge to punch a wall, but one can be successful at Kroger with the right attitude and if management and those below management are supportive.
You just have to be lucky enough to land a job at the right store. I'm not saying the one I'm at is free of problems and headaches, but it's a lot better than what I typically see described here.
And it also helps to have a thick skin and some balance in your life, so you don't go absolutely crazy. But if you have a work ethic, and get into the right store with the right people who are willing to help you, then it can be good. Don't be like some new hires and ask for a raise 2 weeks into the job. One thing is...you've got to work your way up, be patient, and grind away. Do your job to the best of your ability. Listen, and ask questions. Take mental notes. Heck, sometimes I even take written notes! But, work with your manager. Sure, he may be annoyed at first at having to train you. But I'm starting to have a little empathy for my managers since I know all the crap they have to deal with, and I'm seeing all the trickle-down effects. But, you're going to find that wherever you work. There will always be someone who doesn't like what you do. But you know what the hope is? If you're at a job long enough that the manager doesn't consider you totally annoying, but maybe only slightly bothersome, then count that as a success. Maybe, if you keep working hard, eventually you'll start to wear down the management a bit. Maybe they might even like you, and on occasion, give you a compliment for your efforts. Take each one you get (because they don't come very often), and use them to better yourself, and be a master at your job. Take all criticism as constructive. Taking it any other way will only drain you, and it's much better to use all your energies to stay positive. Don't let any one steal your happiness. Like I said earlier, learn to balance your home life and your work life, so you don't get burned out too quickly. And if you do all of this, and things still don't work out, then if you decide to leave (weigh all your options first), you can leave knowing that you did your best, and maybe a job at Kroger just wasn't meant to be. Let all of your experiences, good and bad, teach you something, and remember to never have any regrets. Only YOU can know if a job is right for you, and if it isn't, maybe it's time to move on.
when i was hired my store was awesome. i loved going to work. coworkers were friendly and helpful, my dept head was motivated and motivating, the unit manager was textbook management, very good at connecting the dots for employees and top of stuff. i knew i could count on him.
now, the store's unit manager is out of depth and lacks followthrough, one co-manager is a petty, demotivating bully, my most recent dept head has lacked commitment and focus causing many unnecessarily self-inflicted wounds.
people are leaving at a steady pace, long time employees have lost interest and motivation. it's a disaster. people with 10 or more years in the same store are talking about finding another store. I am a committed person; I had set out to grow within the company. That's no longer desirable.
if God is feeling merciful, He will relieve us of one (or more) problematic store managers shortly.
we have had new employees at our store that have told me that after working a coupe days they felt like they had been there for months. they fit right in and every one made them feel like they were part of the family. the ones who refuse to follow rules and refuse to do their share of the work are the ones who do not enjoy the job. ive been at dillons for 20 years.
It's amazing that anyone gets hired at all at a company as disorganized and dysfunctional as Kroger. No one...no one wants to do a goddamn thing like follow up on applications or even answer the phone..even when they're desperate for people. All anyone does is complain, blame others, and pass any work off to the lowest rung on the ladder. That's why hiring people is such a process, because it's the one thing they can't force courtesy clerks to do.
So my local kroger store was hiring and I thought I had a chance at a decent career opportunity. I thought I was being under paid at my current job and Kroger looked like it would be a great place to advance and build career skills. Well I interviewed and got the job since they were having a mass hiring event and store expansion, they seemed almost desperate for people. I completed the video training portion with no problems and went in for my actual hands on training. I was there for maybe 5 minuets, then I turned around and walked the f.u.c.k. Everyone was so rude and I instantly felt like a hot potato since everyone was passing me around like we don't know how to train her and shes not my problem. This combined with minimum wage, part time with no benefits and being expected to kiss customers a.s.s.e.s no thanks. Also the break room looked awesome but they are horrible about getting people breaks on time if you even get a break at all! I am so mad at kroger I wont even shop there, at least not for a while. I am so disappointed and I think they need to be straight with people telling them pay sucks, union isnt worth it,and opportunities for advancement aren't there (ok it could happen but its like winning the lottery for the average person). Needless to say I will be back doing my old job with a smile.
Some are worse! (If you have a decent management team, a few of them are bearable, but even then, they'll make promises they don't keep and f*ck you over.)
Needless to say I will be back doing my old job with a smile.
