Home Depot is looking to hire a record 100,000 new employees for its spring rush.- Executive Eric Schelling said that the
hiring push is meant to meet a "spike" in consumer demand.
Home Depot is aiming to hire 100,000 new employees for its springtime rush.
For the past two years, Home Depot has met its hiring goal of 80,000 in the run-up to its busy spring season, when warmer weather and an urge to tackle springtime projects tend to boost home improvement sales. This year, despite the tight labor market, the big box chain is increasing its latest hiring goal to a new high.
"The consumer demand continues to spike and we want to ensure that we have associates to meet customers' needs in our aisles," Vice President and Head of Global Talent Acquisition Eric Schelling told Insider.
The new hires will fill a mix of permanent full-time and part-time roles. Home Depot did not provide Insider with specific details on its average wages, but Schelling said that new hires will receive a "competitive" offering that is dependent on factors like location and employee experience. He said that the home improvement retailer is hoping to attract talent by touting efficient "same-day" hiring, thus reducing wait time for job candidates.
In order to attract talent during a labor crunch, Schelling said that Home Depot will be rolling out a virtual career day on February 16. Schelling said the event will allow candidates to hear from company leaders.
"Job seekers can read a narrative about an organization, but to hear from people directly is a different experience," he said.
Schelling said that in his view, reports about the labor shortage have been "a little sensationalized." He said that Home Depot is looking to give candidates a different job search experience, by focusing on expediting the application process, emphasizing professional development and internal promotion, and "lifting the curtain" on workers' experiences at the company.
"It is a very noisy market for job seekers and they keep hearing from everybody, from billboards to a radio ads," he said. "This opportunity just gives you, as the job seeker, the chance to hear from us, to hear what we're about."