How many who complain on here since the layoffs have ever, in their entire WFM career, tried to move up? How long have you been with the company? Team trainer doesn't count. I see a lot of demand on here to keep the higher pay and a lot of whining about leadership. I see it in my own store as well, but it seems like there are people who have been here 15+ years who love to complain all while maxing out their hourly pay at the entry level threshold. If you're going to stay with a company for that long just to milk the cow and complain while doing so then I don't feel bad for you or take you seriously when you could have moved up but haven't even tried. Let's be honest now. I'm curious to know how deep supposed nepotism runs or if it's just laziness after a while on TMs behalf.
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Hey curious...please go back to your cubicle and finish up that donut and coffee before we have (another) meeting about the future of your position.
4eic, so right you are. The original question could have been asked of the global team, who have maybe moved around regions but that's all.
Being complacent goes all the way up. So, some people have been TMs for years, while others have TLs for years. Still others have been happily complaining in their coordinators position for ten years. Who says staying in one job is better than another?
Wholefoods never values education. You can have an MBA and work extremely hard but again it all comes down to whose assyou are kissing. This company has its priorities upside down. I have worked in two regions and it's all the same just done on a grand scale in some with impunity. There is absolutely no accountability with the top leadership and this ship is sinking with their eyes wide open. They would rather improve chicken welfare.
@GMAB9IK-1kou: thank you for stating such a deeply felt sentiment in such a concise manner. You speak the heart of many people, WFM and otherwise.
Hey, Mr. Curious to know, or douchebag as some others have dubbed you, I recall a time in the NA region when they were recruiting MBAs and placing them in leadership positions while dedicated, talented team members who had paid their dues so to speak were overlooked for promotion. Naturally this breeds resentment and rightfully so. As it turns out, the MBA may have been book smart, but she was floor stupid!!
Wow, Its just amazing Curious. You got to be one of those regional sh--hole or the puppets that we call TL's. The TL's who loves licking and sucking the holes of the asses you worship. Moving up??! We did all the sh-- work you guys wouldn't do. We work our sh-- off while you sat on your fat asses gossiping,camera spying and eating your McDonald's kiddie meals. Most of us move up just to be push right down again and again. just because we didn't play your hunger, mind games. This what I hear from my sh-- hole TL's, "We don't need you" " You are all replaceable" What a wonderful place to come to work for day after day. I am looking for my way out. All wasted years for nothing. WFM is the most ungrateful place to work. No one care about no one unless the sh-- is yours.
Many of us not only tried to move up, we were doing the WORK that the region was supposed to do. The original poster is a complete and utter douchebag. Incompetent buffoons who were in the right place at the right time never had to earn their positions and installed their friends and family in positions of authority. Yes, who you know is always important, and how you get along with people of course, in addition to knowledge and ability and a great work ethic. But this company has everything assbackwards. It's ALL about who was there when the company bought Harry's or the various other competitors, and the various do-nothing relatives and others they brought in, and has NOTHING to do with ability, skill or leadership. The entire interview process is a sham and a charade.
@ihg,the florida regional office loves to install their pets in power positions...they love the cronyism down here...
WFM has assured folks in Austin that no new layoffs will occur. Attrition is the official word they used. Key high level folks are scrambling to find new jobs within the company and outside of it. The many buyers that were laid off moved up this ladder at some point.
I myself have tried to reach atl status several times only to be kept in my place by fearful, hateful leadership. TLs have too much power in that process. Not to mention the gauntlet of due diligence where personality wins the game.
I don't hate WFM...just don't have a plan b, YET. Checking in on these discussions helps me stay a bit more informed about what is happening in other regions.
For example, when the layoffs occurred in sept, they started first in the South region on a friday. Over the weekend rumours surged...and then it happened on Monday in the Mighty SW. Rocky Mountain region did theirs on Tuesday.
I believe the contractors are hoping paranoia and fear will do most of the work for them as more and more seasoned tms leave.
Store conditions suck, your TL has likely been looking to get out, prices not dropping, stock is downgraded, - not enough shampoo could clean this mess up. TJs and others are dropping prices in an effort to sop making good food available only to a limited demographic.
Making good food available to everyone....that's something I don't hear at Whole Foods.
It's not the fact that TM's are not interested in moving up. It's the fact that they have let go Experienced, Competent, Skillful , Passionate, Hard Working TM's. And replacing them with PART-TIME TM's who don't give a sh--. They are over working everyone and the cream of the crop are leaving.
Yea what a douche bag this curious guy is, all positions a pre determined. Strive to move up only to get pushed down. Frack this place!
"Curious to know"----at least be honest, you're not curious at all. You're mind is already conveniently made up that team members who have put in years of hard work but haven't attained higher leadership positions must be "lazy". Perhaps from where you sit, probably in the Global office, that's how it appears and hey, it makes you feel better and eases your conscience right? Post ID: @GMAB9IK-1kou really nailed it. There are just not enough leadership positions available period. Cronyism is rampant also, as other posts have correctly pointed out. I know, having worked in several regions in a variety of positions for well over a decade of service. I did attain leadership positions eventually, both store and regional, but not without having gone through the hell and degradation of negative campaigns by corrupt leadership, being pressured to step down at one point (for no valid reasons--I fought back and won), being passed over for promotions in favor of regional pets (with less experience), watching outsiders come in and be promoted above long-time, loyal team members. I've observed and experienced the worst of corporate cronyism at Whole Foods. Now that I am no longer there, I see it very clearly. It was like being in an abusive relationship or a cult. I am glad to be outta there and working with a company that understands sound business practices and truly values its employees.
It's impossible to make these judgements based on posts here alone. There's no statistics to make any claim of who the posts on here represent. However, there is the phenomenon where negative feedback doesn't usually represent the majority, because unhappy people are more motivated to express their frustrations. This site definitely taps into this phenomenon.
Having worked in over 6 stores for more than a decade (and most in leadership), the attrition rate for long term (3-plus years) full-time (not PT20), team members is very low compared with PT team members.
With all that said, Whole Foods Market could not by any means (even with the goal of opening hundreds of stores in a few years) sustain leadership positions for every single career minded hard-working capable individual. If moving up is the only respectable track for every individual, Whole Foods would have built that into it's structure; instead it built into it's structure (and GIG book) guidelines for wage ceilings and quartiles and PTO categories, including the idea of a "life-long team member" with benefits of discount cards no matter employment status once they hit 20 years (in any position, entry or management level).
A long time ago there was pride in simply working hard in one position and being rewarded for loyalty. That has changed, and it is considerably and understandably difficult for someone who put their loyalties to a company ahead of seeking out alternate employment or education. When these promises of long-term reward for long-term loyalty are taken away or slowly eroded after implicitly building expectations, people will grow disgruntled for reasons that are bigger than simply stupid regional programs and inefficiencies. The transcendent reasons for distaste are much more impactful and create a deeper feeling of disgust. Who is to say how many posts on here are from existing team members, but regardless of the statistics, the overall message is clear, Whole Foods Market is not what it appears to be, it sold a lot of people on the idea that they could change the world through their purchasing habits; they could change the world simply by selling their labor to a company with values for the hope of better conditions. But they failed to consider that over-consumption is over-consumption, and those in control will maintain their positions at any cost. They are even willing to erode the cultural core of this once great company.
"It was impossible to move up due to all the favoritism!!! Didn't matter years of service, experience or due diligence it all came down to who kissed more assVery discouraging."
Not really true. There is always politics involved if you want to move up, in any job...that's the way the world works. If you can't play the game to some extent it doesn't matter how much talent you think you have. No one will care.
It was impossible to move up due to all the favoritism!!! Didn't matter years of service, experience or due diligence it all came down to who kissed more ass Very discouraging.
I'm not talking about STL. Unless you are a tl the chances of you getting considered for STL or astl are slim to none. I'm talking about people that bitch and moan but won't even apply for a supervisor position. Or people who like to claim "back in my day, we did xyz and that worked but my current TL is an idiot" without bothering to apply for that position.
Try to apply for any position in the Florida region and you will eat one cold humble pie. All ASTLS have to be on the good list to even be considered for a fake interview because "STLS to be" are already positioned in open stores. So my suggestion will be to not even waste time and labor dollars on doing interviews because results are predetermined by the powers that calls the shots.