Argos corporate news
Argos steps up a gear with 20,000 extra staff in place for Christmas
02 November 2007
Thousands of extra staff are starting work across Argos’ 690 stores as the UK’s leading multi-channel retailer gears up in time for Christmas.
‘Tis the season to make lolly’ is this year’s campaign which has attracted over 20,000 retail staff already to cover the mostly part-time opportunities. Approximately 14,000 have been recruited throughout Argos’ 530 stores in England, 1,200 in the 40 stores in Wales, 1,400 in the 60 stores in Scotland, 500 in the 27 stores in Northern Ireland and 1,000 in the 30 stores in the Republic of Ireland. Around 1,100 staff will also be recruited within Argos’ distribution centre operations.
“The run up to Christmas is not only an exciting trading period for us,” explained managing director, Sara Weller, “but it is also a fantastic opportunity for people to benefit from really flexible working opportunities in stores right across the country. At our busiest we can experience a threefold increase in the number of customers coming into our stores, so it’s vital that we continue to give them exceptional service. This extra energy creates a real buzz within our stores and we know our temporary staff, looking for an energetic and fun place to work, enjoy being part of our store teams and can make a real difference to the Christmas shopping experience.”
And seasonal temporary work doesn’t necessarily always mean temporary, according to HR director, Andrew Bush: “Most people who choose temporary work do so because it suits their lifestyle, but we have found that it can really kick start their career! In March this year we still had nearly 2,000 temporary employees still employed in the business and we also have over 1,000 who have returned to us each year for the past two years. Many of our store managers started as Christmas temporary workers so we know it can work long-term and be a fantastic way to launch a career.”
This year, recruitment for the 20,000 jobs started last month, and the majority of new recruits have already completed their training. The jobs generally last right up until Christmas Eve, with some resource retained into the new year.
