Frontline Target Workers Say Seasonal Training Fell Short This Year
A widely read online thread on December 2, 2025 captured current Target employees reporting rushed or inadequate training for this year s seasonal hires, lower retention among some temporary workers, and increased strain on regular staff. The accounts matter because they illustrate how corporate hiring choices are playing out at the store level, with consequences for scheduling, productivity, and morale during the busiest retail period.
On December 2, 2025 a widely read r Target thread brought together multiple firsthand accounts from current Target team members describing problems with this year s seasonal hire cohort. Posters reported receiving groups of trainees during peak shifts, minimal onboarding before new hires were placed on the sales floor, and a higher than usual rate of seasonal workers leaving shortly after being hired. Those operational realities, employees said, translated into more time spent training during already busy hours, more complex scheduling and coverage challenges, and lower morale among regular staff.
The thread stands out because it is employee to employee reporting. Several contributors, identified as current frontline workers, laid out specific operational impacts. The burden of bringing new colleagues up to speed often fell to experienced hourly staff, who described shortened breaks and longer shifts to cover for gaps while also teaching basic tasks. Stores struggling with high traffic and holiday volume faced the simultaneous demands of servicing customers and training new hires with limited formal onboarding.
Those store level reports suggest broader implications for Target as it moves through the holiday season. Training time is a resource that can reduce immediate productivity, and higher turnover among seasonal hires forces managers to cycle through additional hiring and orientation. Scheduling becomes more complicated when teams rely on a mix of tenured employees and recently onboarded workers who may not yet be confident in critical tasks. Workers described morale effects from repeatedly taking on extra work to compensate for inexperienced staff.
The thread offers a grassroots snapshot of staff sentiment as corporate hiring decisions meet store realities. For workers the practical issues are immediate: more training responsibility, shift strain, and uncertainty about coverage. For management the challenge is balancing rapid hiring to meet seasonal demand with sufficient training and retention strategies to keep stores operating smoothly. As the season continues, frontline employees and store leaders will be watching whether adjustments are made to onboarding, scheduling, and support for staff on the sales floor.
