Kroger hiring push targets 23,000 more workers

Following summer and fall hiring drives, The Kroger Co. aims to add 23,000 associates across operations in a hybrid employment event this weekend.

Kroger said Wednesday that its spring hiring event, scheduled for 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, will offer on-site and online interviews nationwide for open roles in all departments, including retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, supply chain, merchandising, logistics, corporate, pharmacy and health care roles.

The latest employment push comes after Cincinnati-based Kroger held hiring events last October to add 20,000 associates and last June to add 10,000 workers.

“After our successful fall hiring event, we are eager to once again open our doors — virtually and in-person — to welcome new members to our our organization,” Tim Massa, senior vice president and chief people officer at Kroger, said in a statement. “Hosting a hybrid event allows us to reach and interact with more candidates in the way that works best for them while also showing them the many fresh, uplifting career opportunities available across our company.”

According to Kroger, job openings include store leaders, customer service managers, fulfillment center associates, e-commerce specialists, digital marketing managers, software engineers, data architects, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, machine operators, category and procurement managers, financial analysts, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, project managers and administrative supporters.

Related:Kroger readies grocery delivery for South Florida

Kroger’s ongoing investment in expanding online grocery service — notably through its partnership with automation specialist Ocado — has been a jobs generator. Facilities announced or going live so far this year account for more than 1,800 new jobs.

Last week, the supermarket giant said it plans to hire over 200 associates, including drivers and associates in areas such as logistics and human resources, to help support the launch of Kroger Delivery in South Florida this summer. Kroger currently provides e-grocery delivery to the Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville areas via a 375,000-square-foot, Ocado-automated customer fulfillment center (CFC) in Groveland, Fla., and “spoke” facilities in Tampa and Jacksonville. The company has said it plans to build two small CFCs in South Florida that will join its live e-commerce operations in Central Florida.

Other upcoming Ocado facilities — including spokes in Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Birmingham, Ala.; Oklahoma City; and Louisville, Ky., and a new CFC in the Cleveland region — and a CFC that opened in Forest Park, Ga., in February will create over 1,600 jobs.

Related:Kroger looks to add another 20,000 associates

“For our more than 450,000 associates, we strive to create a culture of opportunity, and we take seriously our role as a leading employer in the United States. Kroger has provided an incredible number of people with their first jobs, new beginnings and lifelong careers,” Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen said in a conference call last month on fiscal 2021 results. “As we continue to operate in a challenging labor market, we are dedicated to attracting and retaining the right talent across the organization to be able to continue delivering for our customers. We are investing more than ever before in our associates by expanding our industry-leading benefits — including continuing education and tuition reimbursement, training and development, health and wellness — as well as continued investment in wages. This is enabling us to navigate current labor conditions while continuing to provide America with the freshest food at affordable prices across our seamless ecosystem.”

Kroger said Wednesday that it has invested an incremental $1.2 billion in associate hourly wages and training over the last four years, including more than $450 million in 2021. That has lifted the average hourly wage to $17 and average total compensation (including benefits) to more than $22 per hour, according to the company.