Kroger Sets Stage for Nationwide Hiring Spree

Grocer is looking for new associates in various roles across the country

5/9/2023

Kroger Is Building a Grocery Ecosystem for the Future

Kroger is looking to hire associates across the country and its operations.

The Kroger Co. has put out a call for new associates across its footprint. The grocer is looking to hire employees for salaried and hourly roles across various sectors, including retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, supply chain, merchandising, logistics, corporate, pharmacy, health care and more.

Kroger asserts that its work to create a place where all associates can thrive will only accelerate when it closes its proposed merger with Albertsons Cos., and becomes one of the largest unionized workforces in the United States. The combined company is committing $1 billion to raising wages and improving comprehensive benefits after the deal closes.

In a jointly penned opinion letter to the editors of the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati.com in late April, Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran and Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen tamped down rumors about job losses, reiterating the point that “no frontline workers will be laid off as a result of the merger.”

Since 2018, Kroger says it has invested an incremental $1.9 billion in associate compensation and benefits and raised the average hourly rate to $18/hour and $23.50 per hour. Its tuition reimbursement program offers up to $21,000 for part-time and full-time employees to pursue educational opportunities, and health and well-being resources include access to The Well-Being Assistant powered by Magellan Health that offers free counseling sessions.

"Across our family of companies, we respect and value all of our associates and have opportunities for everyone to feed their future and discover a career,” said Tim Massa, SVP and chief people officer at Kroger. “We are driven to be a leading employer in America, offering tools and pathways to grow as individuals and with our organization, no matter your skill set, role or ambitions."

Throughout the spring, Kroger banner Ralphs Grocery Co. has held several hiring events in an effort to recruit new associates for roles in retail, supply chain and manufacturing. The grocer has offered in-store weekly hiring events, as well as virtual sessions for supply chain, manufacturing and delivery positions.

Cincinnati-based Kroger has almost 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The company is No. 4 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Kroger one of the Retailers of the Century. Ralphs employs more than 18,000 associates at 184 supermarkets across Southern California.