Amid an industrywide labor shortage and with the holiday season approaching, grocery distributor/retailer SpartanNash and Ahold Delhaize USA supermarket chain Stop & Shop are planning hiring events this Saturday.
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based SpartanNash said it will host what it called a “major national hiring spree” on Oct. 23, in which participating distribution and retail locations will create themed experiences and activities to engage candidates “in a fun way.” More than 4,000 positions are available — ranging from warehouse order selectors to meat cutter associates in stores — and job seekers stand to receive an on-the-spot offer, according to the company.
Activities at the National Day of Hiring events will include “minute-to-win-it” games and fast-paced challenges that replicate on-the-job tasks. SpartanNash said applicants also will learn about how careers at the company support its “ingredients for a better life” mission.
The job events will run simultaneously from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at all retail locations (including Martin’s Super Markets, Family Fare, VG’s Grocery, Dan’s Supermarket) and SpartanNash distribution centers nationwide. Overall, SpartanNash operate more than 145 corporate-owned supermarkets in nine states and distributes to more than 2,100 independent grocery stores. The company also has 11 wholesale distribution centers and seven military distribution facilities.
“Traditional job applications and interviews can often feel formal and awkward, so we are looking to put People First and transform that experience,” Yvonne Trupiano, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at SpartanNash, said in a statement. “Each SpartanNash hiring event is designed to create an environment that simulates the actual workplace in an interesting and engaging way. Candidates will get a behind-the-scenes look into the journey of their groceries, learn about the company’s generous benefits package, and meet some potential co-workers to get a better sense of what it’s like to work here.”
Citing the current “tough labor market,” SpartanNash noted that this year it raised the starting wage for many positions and cut the length of employment time required for associates to receive benefits. The company said it also has expanded access to tuition reimbursement, wellness benefits and grocery discounts.
“We recognize that job seekers have many options right now, and we are proud to showcase SpartanNash’s ‘people first’ culture and career opportunities through our National Day of Hiring,” Trupiano added. “This has been a transformational year at SpartanNash. We are incredibly proud of the ways we served our communities throughout this pandemic, and there are many exciting career paths available at SpartanNash.”
Stop & Shop’s career fair will offer interviews for unionized positions in the bakery, deli, grocery, seafood and produce departments, among other jobs.
Meanwhile, Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop will hold a career fair on Oct. 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at all of its 400-plus supermarkets in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey.
Applicants can go to any Stop & Shop store on Saturday and receive an on-the-spot interview. The grocer said interviews will be offered for e-commerce and store roles, including unionized positions in the bakery, deli, grocery, seafood and produce departments, as well as for the overnight crew, cashiers, porters, baggers and home shoppers.
In addition, qualified applicants will be able to apply for roles on the company’s asset protection team, which helps provide a secure destination for customers to shop and associates to work while also safeguarding company assets.
Stop & Shop said the open part-time positions provide up to 28 hours of work weekly. Part-time employees receive competitive pay, paid training, flexible schedules, a company discount, paid time off and career advancement opportunities, the retailer noted. Advancement programs include on-the-job training, cross-functional job rotation, coaching, networking, and mentoring, along with classroom training and tuition reimbursement for business- or food industry-related higher education.
Eighty percent of full-time associates began in part-time roles and over 5,000 current associates have been with the company 25 years or more, according to Stop & Shop.
“Many members of Stop & Shop’s leadership team started as part-time associates. The roles we offer at Stop & Shop are more than jobs, they are growth opportunities,” stated Maria Silvestri, senior vice president of human resources at Stop & Shop. “We hope that anyone who is interested in a career in an exciting work environment focused on helping their community will join us on the 23rd.”