Walmart to Hire 50K Associates in Q1
At a time when many retailers are grappling with an ongoing labor shortage, Walmart has revealed plans to hire more than 50,000 U.S. associates in Q1 2022 in a range of store, club, supply chain and corporate tech roles. The company currently employs 2.3 million associates worldwide.
The 50,000 new hires will include new and unique positions in the field and corporate offices. Further, Walmart’s global tech team will hire thousands of engineers, data scientists and tech experts this year in line with the company’s focus on attracting strong tech talent to continue evolving its business.
Walmart is also creating new jobs as it finds new ways to serve customers. This year, the company is scaling its InHome delivery services to nearly 40 new markets, so it will need to hire more than 3,000 associates as InHome delivery drivers.
As Walmart Chief People Officer Donna Morris pointed out in a March 16 blog post, the company’s starting wage is now up to as high as $30 an hour for select roles in certain markets as it continues to fill hourly and salaried roles in stores, clubs, distribution centers and fulfillment centers.
Additionally, people can apply and start working as little as 24 hours; entry-level associates are usually promoted to new roles in about seven months, with 75% of salaried managers having started out in hourly roles; and the company offers such benefits as medical, vision and dental insurance for as low as $31.40 per month, paid time off, 401(k) matching, no-cost counseling, and access to a free college education and books through the Live Better U program.
What’s more, the company is dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace. “We’re committed to building a work environment striving for all associates to feel heard and that they belong,” noted Morris in the blog post. “We are standing up new ways to seek timely associate feedback and ideas. We know diversity is a key piece of the puzzle in creating that environment. That’s why we’ve embraced inclusive recruitment practices and diverse hiring to ensure our promotional, pay and hiring processes are fair and equitable. We also believe in transparency and publish our workforce data and progress every six months.”
Walmart’s current hiring spree comes after a record-setting year during which the company added more than 13,000 pharmacy technicians and hired more truck drivers (4,500-plus) and pharmacists/pharmacy managers (5,500) than any other year in its history to meet higher demand from customers.
Those interested can apply for open roles online.
Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart operates approximately 10,500 stores under 48 banners in 24 countries, and e-commerce websites. Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Walmart division Sam’s Club is No. 9 on the list.
