I was hoping some of you could fill me in on the Management Training Program...
About how much does someone in the program make? How much does a Co-Manager make?
Once you complete the program are you placed into a role of Co-Manager or must you apply to open positions? Will you be a Co-Manager in the same store as you were during the management training program?
Do they put you where ever they need you once you become a co-manager? Are you in one store or a different store every day?
Talk to me about hours for both the management training program and for co-managers? Are you working 5, 6, 7 days a week? Are you on call?
In recent job ads for co-manager and the management training program it says a requirement is "must be able to travel independently..." How much traveling do you do in the management training program and as a Co-Manager? Is this local travel? Overnight travel?
If I want to relocate to another division when I become a Co-Manager, will this be easy to do?
Job ads for store managers require 3-4 years as an "assistant manager..." Is it realistic for someone to enter the management training program then become a store manager 3-4 years after they are a Co-Manager?
Lots of questions, I know, but you gotta know what you're getting yourself into..
Salary or wage will depend a lot on the area where you work. Yes you do have to change stores when they want you to. I have managers who have an hour commute. You might have to work different stores in the same week. You should work one store for the most part. They wont hire you if they don't have a spot for you. They will work you whenever, its not an on call job, but when they call you better pick up. Becoming a store manager quickly will be almost impossible, most of them have been with the company thirty years and aren't going anywhere. Get in line. They tend to play the young ones off on each other, so it can be dog eat dog. I wouldn't plan on doing it for more than a few years.
They tend to play the young ones off on each other, so it can be dog eat dog.
Can you explain that a little please. I notice the difference in managers when I do job interviews and was curious if that has anything to do with it.
Yes, they are on call sort of.
In case of an overnight emergency, My store manager gets called first. Then a co manager. I also have access to District managers if necessary. I won't call anyone unless the building is on fire or someone dies.
I have only had to wake the store manager at 2 am once.
We have had a co manager come in after hours until 4 am to put dry ice in freezers when the power went out for a prolonged period of time.
Salary or wage will depend a lot on the area where you work. Yes you do have to change stores when they want you to. I have managers who have an hour commute. You might have to work different stores in the same week. You should work one store for the most part. They wont hire you if they don't have a spot for you. They will work you whenever, its not an on call job, but when they call you better pick up. Becoming a store manager quickly will be almost impossible, most of them have been with the company thirty years and aren't going anywhere. Get in line. They tend to play the young ones off on each other, so it can be dog eat dog. I wouldn't plan on doing it for more than a few years.
What do you mean you mean you wouldn't do it for more than a few years? Being a co-manager? Can you expand on this? I'd also to hear you expand on how they play younger managers off of each other? Also what is definifition if younger?
Is it realistic to enter the management trainee program, become a co-manager, then a store manager within 3-5 years?
I was hoping some of you could fill me in on the Management Training Program...
They have you drive to a major city in your district, where they eat your soul and dance on a pentagram.
I figured I'd get some crap for listing this here (honestly I didn't get a fraction of the crap I thought I would), but you people are funny. I say you people because no matter where it is certain non management or those couldn't hack it in the management training program make make management out to be pure evil. In reality Kroger has a solid management training program, is a leader in the industry, and push over companies where people like you are allowed to do whatever they want have went bankrupt and closed or bought out by companies like Kroger. So, what is so evil about Kroger management?
If you hate it that much work on finishing high school, college or grade school and worry about what you want to do. If not, work on getting your business degree, enter the management tainting program, move through the ranks and make the Kroger world a better world for those who think management is evil.
Salary or wage will depend a lot on the area where you work. Yes you do have to change stores when they want you to. I have managers who have an hour commute. You might have to work different stores in the same week. You should work one store for the most part. They wont hire you if they don't have a spot for you. They will work you whenever, its not an on call job, but when they call you better pick up. Becoming a store manager quickly will be almost impossible, most of them have been with the company thirty years and aren't going anywhere. Get in line. They tend to play the young ones off on each other, so it can be dog eat dog. I wouldn't plan on doing it for more than a few years.
What do you mean you mean you wouldn't do it for more than a few years? Being a co-manager? Can you expand on this? I'd also to hear you expand on how they play younger managers off of each other? Also what is definifition if younger?
Is it realistic to enter the management trainee program, become a co-manager, then a store manager within 3-5 years?
I would not count on being a store manager in a few years. There is not enough turnover at the higher positions to get that spot that quickly. Could it happen? Sure. Would I count on it. No. You would need stars to align.
I would say a younger manager would be someone under the age of about 25. I've had comanagers who were 18, I've had some that were in their 40s. One guy who wad 40 was bad. Ever comanager who has been in their late teens and early 20s was bad. Some were different bad, either they were cool to employees and didn't care what happened, or slave drivers freaking out about everything. I'd say after 25 years old and having worked somewhere besides kroger gives people maturity. They know the job is important, but not like the fate of the world depends on them.
Play off on each other? You'll be working the closing shift a lot. Your closes will be judged against the other managers. If your close isn't as good as the others, you'll get stuck covering vacation for someone on freight crew and the next week covering the 5am-2pm shift. You'll get sent to a store in a rough neighborhood or to a store thats far from your home. Don't complain, be a team player.
The reality is that many people got stuck in kroger for one reason or another. You'll find out quick that you'll need associates to accomplish the companies goals. Drop that attitude (in your last post) with some folks who are only making minimum wage and they may decide to do quit and do something else right then. Or simply call in sick the day(s) that you work. And if they do show up, they'll do a half assed job.
There are plenty of manager training programs out their with economy picking up, I'd look elsewhere. Kroger treats their employees poorly and does not pay them for it. Kroger goal is to provide a nicer shopping experience than walmart, charge customers more, and pay employees walmart wages. Does that sound realistic to someone with a Biz degree?
Former co-manager here (Central Div), answers below...
About how much does someone in the program make? How much does a Co-Manager make?
-I don't know about now, but when I started in 2004, you were paid less in the training portion, then you went to salary once you were out. I started at $32,000, ended at $42,000 in 2011. **** bonuses, you won't ever see them. I never made above 40% of bonus in 8 years. The bonus goals are that out of whack. It wasn't until I went to another company that bonuses were fair and balanced (In my two years there, I never made BELOW 75% bonus, and often hit 95%).
Once you complete the program are you placed into a role of Co-Manager or must you apply to open positions? Will you be a Co-Manager in the same store as you were during the management training program?
-Once you complete the program, the District manager assigns you to a store. The chances of you being in your training store are about the same as me becoming Pope (difficulty: I'm not Catholic). Your performance in the program determines where you end up. Suck? End up in a sucky store. Rock star? Either a rock star store, or a middle of the road store with the mandate to "turn it into a rock star".
Do they put you where ever they need you once you become a co-manager? Are you in one store or a different store every day?
-You are put where needed, and they "try" to put you close to home. My shortest commute was less than 15 minutes, and longest was 40 minutes each way. The longest commute was better for the decompression time at the end of the day. You are assigned to one store, but expect to be moved on occasion for coverage for vacations, helping at other stores, etc. I had plenty of times where I'd show up to my own store to be told I needed to go to another store for a week to get them ready for grand opening, visits etc. You can also be moved to a new assigned store at up to a moments notice. Never happened to me, but I've heard of co's being moved to a new store with 12 hours notice or less. You are also assigned there until moved, and that time can vary. I've been in stores as short as 5 months, and as long as 2 years.
Talk to me about hours for both the management training program and for co-managers? Are you working 5, 6, 7 days a week? Are you on call?
-For the training program, you are scheduled 5 days a week, and you are not on call. But if you want to kiss ass and move up, work more and be there more. The more you sell your soul to the company, the better you look. As for once you are a co manager, the hours I was working was 5 days a week, 10 hour days, and was supposed to have at least one weekend off a month. I averaged about 55-60 hours a week though, sometimes more. They expect you to sell your life to them. It's live to work, not work to live at Kroger. In my experience, the stores always called the co-managers first for issues BEFORE calling the store manager. If you for some reason didn't answer your phone for an emergency, expect your store manager to visit the wrath of god on your ass. The one time that happened to me, the only out that I had was that the road I lived on was flooded out in the same storm that closed the store overnight and left it without power, and the county sheriff had told people to stay off the roads. Still took a lot of heat for that.
In recent job ads for co-manager and the management training program it says a requirement is "must be able to travel independently..." How much traveling do you do in the management training program and as a Co-Manager? Is this local travel? Overnight travel?
-Basically, they want you to be able to go to another store at a moments notice for any reason, be it at direction of upper management or for the needs of the store, i.e. borrowing product or supplies. They don't want to hear that you have to wait for a ride or catch a bus. There is a bit of leeway here, say if your car is in the shop for a day or so. But you better be able to provide proof.
If I want to relocate to another division when I become a Co-Manager, will this be easy to do?
-Never did it myself, but it's easier for management to do than for union employees. Things transfer over much easier as there aren't any union contracts to **** things up.
Job ads for store managers require 3-4 years as an "assistant manager..." Is it realistic for someone to enter the management training program then become a store manager 3-4 years after they are a Co-Manager?
-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHA! Oh wait, you're serious? Unless you are a rock star, kiss a lot of ass, or have info to blackmail, you won't make it that quickly. I was a co for 8 years, and if I had stayed at the company, I would have either stayed a co forever or ended up getting fired (more likely getting fired, as I do not kiss ass). Out of my class of co's, only 2 are still with the company that I know of (out of 10), and both are still co's, and that's 10 years on.
-- Edited by management_drone on Thursday 2nd of October 2014 07:47:30 PM
__________________
My views don't reflect those of anyone, not even me. I may not have even made this statement. It's all lies, all of it!
Is the dropout rate high for those in this program. One of the co-managers at the store i work at left for another job. From what you describe and what i have seen even from managers where i work there is a point where one "realizes" this is something one cannot make a career out of.
Is the dropout rate high for those in this program. One of the co-managers at the store i work at left for another job. From what you describe and what i have seen even from managers where i work there is a point where one "realizes" this is something one cannot make a career out of.
I started with 9 people, and we lost one the first day, no sh!t (f*cking filters). Had an "appointment" over lunch and never came back, so we think she had another offer. Of the remaining 8, we lost 4 within the first year. I think it was 3 fired, one quit. One more lasted about 2 years, then there were the three of us left. I know that one is still with the company for the sure, not so much on the other. I lasted 8 years before I bailed. I've seen the average drop rate change over time, just depends on the hiring managers at the time. Some are better at picking em than others.
-- Edited by management_drone on Friday 3rd of October 2014 06:12:09 AM
__________________
My views don't reflect those of anyone, not even me. I may not have even made this statement. It's all lies, all of it!
Salary or wage will depend a lot on the area where you work. Yes you do have to change stores when they want you to. I have managers who have an hour commute. You might have to work different stores in the same week. You should work one store for the most part. They wont hire you if they don't have a spot for you. They will work you whenever, its not an on call job, but when they call you better pick up. Becoming a store manager quickly will be almost impossible, most of them have been with the company thirty years and aren't going anywhere. Get in line. They tend to play the young ones off on each other, so it can be dog eat dog. I wouldn't plan on doing it for more than a few years.
What do you mean you mean you wouldn't do it for more than a few years? Being a co-manager? Can you expand on this? I'd also to hear you expand on how they play younger managers off of each other? Also what is definifition if younger?
Is it realistic to enter the management trainee program, become a co-manager, then a store manager within 3-5 years?
I would not count on being a store manager in a few years. There is not enough turnover at the higher positions to get that spot that quickly. Could it happen? Sure. Would I count on it. No. You would need stars to align.
I would say a younger manager would be someone under the age of about 25. I've had comanagers who were 18, I've had some that were in their 40s. One guy who wad 40 was bad. Ever comanager who has been in their late teens and early 20s was bad. Some were different bad, either they were cool to employees and didn't care what happened, or slave drivers freaking out about everything. I'd say after 25 years old and having worked somewhere besides kroger gives people maturity. They know the job is important, but not like the fate of the world depends on them.
Play off on each other? You'll be working the closing shift a lot. Your closes will be judged against the other managers. If your close isn't as good as the others, you'll get stuck covering vacation for someone on freight crew and the next week covering the 5am-2pm shift. You'll get sent to a store in a rough neighborhood or to a store thats far from your home. Don't complain, be a team player.
The reality is that many people got stuck in kroger for one reason or another. You'll find out quick that you'll need associates to accomplish the companies goals. Drop that attitude (in your last post) with some folks who are only making minimum wage and they may decide to do quit and do something else right then. Or simply call in sick the day(s) that you work. And if they do show up, they'll do a half assed job.
Thanks for the info!
There are plenty of manager training programs out their with economy picking up, I'd look elsewhere. Kroger treats their employees poorly and does not pay them for it. Kroger goal is to provide a nicer shopping experience than walmart, charge customers more, and pay employees walmart wages. Does that sound realistic to someone with a Biz degree?
You're right there are many management trainee programs the economy isn't getting that much better that fast. There are management trainee programs with great salaries and/or with companies that are just, well, great but they are hard get into top students from top schools are getting these companies. This is still an economy where students from the best schools are and MBA's are competing with every fresh college graduate in a world where grocery store management (and the trainee programs) are the best offers in this economy. While there are other trainee programs thousands of people are competing for the same spot. The chance of even getting an interview or your resume into a humans hands are not great, you apply online and a robot picks the what it thinks are the top candidates and sends it to the hiring manager. You could be 100% the person they are looking for but get weeded out by the employment software. There have been studies on this, one company created a resume of who they thought would be there top candidate submitted the resume online and the online employment software didn't choose their top candidate, weeded him/her out along with probably other qualified individuals.
I'm just trying to be realistic and do my research on companies...
Former co-manager here (Central Div), answers below...
About how much does someone in the program make? How much does a Co-Manager make?
-I don't know about now, but when I started in 2004, you were paid less in the training portion, then you went to salary once you were out. I started at $32,000, ended at $42,000 in 2011. **** bonuses, you won't ever see them. I never made above 40% of bonus in 8 years. The bonus goals are that out of whack. It wasn't until I went to another company that bonuses were fair and balanced (In my two years there, I never made BELOW 75% bonus, and often hit 95%).
Once you complete the program are you placed into a role of Co-Manager or must you apply to open positions? Will you be a Co-Manager in the same store as you were during the management training program?
-Once you complete the program, the District manager assigns you to a store. The chances of you being in your training store are about the same as me becoming Pope (difficulty: I'm not Catholic). Your performance in the program determines where you end up. Suck? End up in a sucky store. Rock star? Either a rock star store, or a middle of the road store with the mandate to "turn it into a rock star".
Do they put you where ever they need you once you become a co-manager? Are you in one store or a different store every day?
-You are put where needed, and they "try" to put you close to home. My shortest commute was less than 15 minutes, and longest was 40 minutes each way. The longest commute was better for the decompression time at the end of the day. You are assigned to one store, but expect to be moved on occasion for coverage for vacations, helping at other stores, etc. I had plenty of times where I'd show up to my own store to be told I needed to go to another store for a week to get them ready for grand opening, visits etc. You can also be moved to a new assigned store at up to a moments notice. Never happened to me, but I've heard of co's being moved to a new store with 12 hours notice or less. You are also assigned there until moved, and that time can vary. I've been in stores as short as 5 months, and as long as 2 years.
Talk to me about hours for both the management training program and for co-managers? Are you working 5, 6, 7 days a week? Are you on call?
-For the training program, you are scheduled 5 days a week, and you are not on call. But if you want to kiss ass and move up, work more and be there more. The more you sell your soul to the company, the better you look. As for once you are a co manager, the hours I was working was 5 days a week, 10 hour days, and was supposed to have at least one weekend off a month. I averaged about 55-60 hours a week though, sometimes more. They expect you to sell your life to them. It's live to work, not work to live at Kroger. In my experience, the stores always called the co-managers first for issues BEFORE calling the store manager. If you for some reason didn't answer your phone for an emergency, expect your store manager to visit the wrath of god on your ass. The one time that happened to me, the only out that I had was that the road I lived on was flooded out in the same storm that closed the store overnight and left it without power, and the county sheriff had told people to stay off the roads. Still took a lot of heat for that.
In recent job ads for co-manager and the management training program it says a requirement is "must be able to travel independently..." How much traveling do you do in the management training program and as a Co-Manager? Is this local travel? Overnight travel?
-Basically, they want you to be able to go to another store at a moments notice for any reason, be it at direction of upper management or for the needs of the store, i.e. borrowing product or supplies. They don't want to hear that you have to wait for a ride or catch a bus. There is a bit of leeway here, say if your car is in the shop for a day or so. But you better be able to provide proof.
If I want to relocate to another division when I become a Co-Manager, will this be easy to do?
-Never did it myself, but it's easier for management to do than for union employees. Things transfer over much easier as there aren't any union contracts to **** things up.
Job ads for store managers require 3-4 years as an "assistant manager..." Is it realistic for someone to enter the management training program then become a store manager 3-4 years after they are a Co-Manager?
-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHA! Oh wait, you're serious? Unless you are a rock star, kiss a lot of ass, or have info to blackmail, you won't make it that quickly. I was a co for 8 years, and if I had stayed at the company, I would have either stayed a co forever or ended up getting fired (more likely getting fired, as I do not kiss ass). Out of my class of co's, only 2 are still with the company that I know of (out of 10), and both are still co's, and that's 10 years on.
-- Edited by management_drone on Thursday 2nd of October 2014 07:47:30 PM
Thank you so much for the info!
I think I'm a rockstar! ...but I'll guess we'll see... lol
Can I ask, did you leave for a higher position, a co/asst manager position, or something totally different?
nightperson wrote:
question for you management_drone...
Is the dropout rate high for those in this program. One of the co-managers at the store i work at left for another job. From what you describe and what i have seen even from managers where i work there is a point where one "realizes" this is something one cannot make a career out of.
This sounds like entry level management at just about every company I have researched.... Nobody is hiring for a cushy management job with just a degree! Like everywhere else you get your foot in the door work your ass off in an environment like this where your job is your life. Hopefully in 5-10 years you get promoted or get hired onto another company with a better position, or you crash and burn or quit. Everyone has to pay their dues, Kroger sounds like almost all of them!
I was hoping some of you could fill me in on the Management Training Program...
They have you drive to a major city in your district, where they eat your soul and dance on a pentagram.
I figured I'd get some crap for listing this here (honestly I didn't get a fraction of the crap I thought I would), but you people are funny. I say you people because no matter where it is certain non management or those couldn't hack it in the management training program make make management out to be pure evil....
Actually, I was making a sarcastic remark about how poorly the salaried management is treated, or at least how poorly they seem to be treated. Day and night, coming in with bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep, losing their families because all they do is work for Kroger -- all while being screamed at and threatened by the store manager. Not a very big salary to show for all that. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't both single and destitute.
I think I'm a rockstar! ...but I'll guess we'll see... lol
Can I ask, did you leave for a higher position, a co/asst manager position, or something totally different?
I left for a similar position in retail, just a different line of retail. Took a $5,000 pay cut, but it was worth it. In two years I had come off of blood pressure medicine, cuaght up with my family like I couldn't beleive and felt like a human again. I went from being afraid of being fired and nausea when I went to work to liking my job, the challenges, and also feeling like I had a chance to move up. Had I hung around another two years-ish, I would have had my own store. But life had it's way, my wife became an RN, and I quit. The same day the other co-manager I worked with got fired. Literally put in my notice 20 minutes before. Walked away without a job lined up, but a few things in the pipeline, and now I'm working from home. Life is awesome, I'm getting sh*t taken care of, and I feel like I have a life now.
Long story short, I learned things from my time at Kroger, and looking back on it I can see some things that are important to me. I wouldn't and won't do it again, but I would recommend it as a short term thing to someone to get some experience and move on. Don't make a career out of it, unless you want to destroy yourself physically and emotionally, and put up with crazies.
If you want an insight about what it's like to deal with upper management as a co-manager at Kroger, to know what it's really like, to know why your co's are such ass holes? Watch this, and it's pretty much verbatim. I will warn, this has got so much dirty language it'd make a sailor blush. The whole movie is great if you haven't ever seen it.
__________________
My views don't reflect those of anyone, not even me. I may not have even made this statement. It's all lies, all of it!
Long story short, I learned things from my time at Kroger, and looking back on it I can see some things that are important to me. I wouldn't and won't do it again, but I would recommend it as a short term thing to someone to get some experience and move on. Don't make a career out of it, unless you want to destroy yourself physically and emotionally, and put up with crazies.
Exactly seen a few in the store im at that have been there a long time and something is definitely off with their personality. The way the company is now one cannot make it a career.
