I asked a co-manager once if she liked her job. She told me she's 23 and has virtually no social life because of this job. Now she left that position to work for the district.
I asked another co-manager, who I thought was in his late 40s or mid 50s, how old he was. Told me he was 34 and had been with Kroger since he was 18. I mean his hair has receded all the way. No way did I believe he was 34. But yep, he is. Told me, "now you know what this job does to ya."
The Co-Manager position has become more and more intensive and never ending. Depending on the shift, you could be working between 5am-10pm, with differing shifts each day. While these shifts have always been this way, the workload has dramatically increased. Basically each day you have a work listing dictating what you should be accomplishing each hour, if your unable to accomplish these tasks expect to work later. Each Co-Manager has an assigned task in the store and is expected to make their numeric. A few years ago, they realigned the stores and basically eliminated a Co-Manager position from each larger store. Currently, depending on vacations and the Management Schedule your lucky it 2 members of Management are in the store at one time.
Mr.Frontenac, how many original members of Store Management are left from the stores grand opening? Just the Store Manager? Urban stores are know as being a meat grinder for Department Heads/Store Management. Most Urban Stores are go...go.....go from 10am-10pm, while other stores are go..go from 11am-8pm, a few less hours and one less go really does make a difference. In ELMS..its all the same.... :(
Well, I only started working at this store about 2 months after it opened. The store manager is still here. The two co-managers who were there when I was hired are still here. One co-manager who came on board sometime during the late summer has been recently replaced. The female co-manager who also recently left has been replaced with another female.
It's only a good idea to become a co-manager if you plan on using the position as a "stepping stone" to the store manager position, a position at the district or division level such as coordinator or district/division manager and so on. The pay isn't that good and the hours suck when you're a co-manager, and on top of that, you're always "on call" and can be called in on your vacation, and you'll regularly be stressed out.
The union, while not great, at least provides you SOME protection. You have NONE as co-manager unless you're buddy-buddy with the store manager/someone higher up in the company.
It's only a good idea to become a co-manager if you plan on using the position as a "stepping stone" to the store manager position, a position at the district or division level such as coordinator or district/division manager and so on. The pay isn't that good and the hours suck when you're a co-manager, and on top of that, you're always "on call" and can be called in on your vacation, and you'll regularly be stressed out.
The union, while not great, at least provides you SOME protection. You have NONE as co-manager unless you're buddy-buddy with the store manager/someone higher up in the company.
Exactly. Co-Managers or ASM's are stepping stone positions. The pay isn't terrible, but the hours suck and the work-life balance does as well. However, this continues up the ladder as well but the difference is you're compensated at a much better rate for that sacrifice.
It depends entirely on the individual and what they value in a career and lifestyle, there's no generalized right or wrong answer. Not everyone has the various skillsets necessary to a good manager. What you shouldn't do, however, is go into it wanting to be a co-manager forever. If you're already vested as a union employee, you'll be able to draw two separate pensions if you opt for the management route though. That's a decent perk.
