I'm an agency recruiter and I've helped place a handful of people into Target tech over the past few years, so I've been debriefed by candidates after their phone screens pretty often. Here's a reasonable picture of what to expect.
The Target recruiter phone screen for tech roles (SWE, data eng, PM, DS, analytics) is usually 20-30 minutes. Recruiter, not a hiring manager or technical person. The goals are basic qualification and culture signal, not technical depth.
What they typically cover:
Why Target? Be specific. Generic "I love retail" does not land well. Something about their tech organization specifically, their push into same-day fulfillment, their internal data platform (they've invested a lot here), or their hybrid tech/physical retail model. They hear "I shop at Target" 50 times a week.
Comp expectations. They ask early and directly. Have a number ready. Base salary is reasonable for Minneapolis-calibrated roles but total comp is lower than pure big tech. Equity exists but it's RSUs and the grant sizes for IC engineers are meaningful but not FAANG-level. They know this and they want to know if you've done your homework.
Basic resume walk-through. Nothing surprising. Why are you leaving, what are you looking for next.
Logistics. Hybrid vs remote expectations (many Target tech roles require some presence in Minneapolis), timeline, visa status if relevant.
One thing worth noting: Target's tech recruiting process is reasonably organized but it can move slowly. Don't be surprised if there are 1-2 week gaps between steps. The recruiter screen is followed by a hiring manager conversation before the loop, so it's a 4-5 step process total for most technical roles.
Have your why-Target story ready and know roughly what market comp looks like for your level in Minneapolis. That'll make the phone screen a formality.