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Supermarket chain Asda will place job adverts on shelf labels and product stickers in all its 244 stores in a drive to recruit 10,000 extra staff in the UK.
The retail giant will be using the in-store adverts as part of a revamped recruitment and selection process to attract customers to work for them. It has already piloted this successfully at a number of its stores.
Philip Horn, resourcing development manager of Asda, said the group decided to invest in hiring between 30 and 50 extra employees for all of its supermarkets following very strong trading in the first quarter of the year and a decision to invest in customer service.
He explained, "As we have a much more competitive environment where everyone is selling the same sort of products at similar prices then service and how good your people are becomes more and more important."
Horn said a survey of new employees shows that many are Asda shoppers, so the company decided to try to recruit from its thousands of shoppers.
Asda is using its new approach to target certain areas where they have a particular need for more employees, such as bakers. Horn explained that adverts will be placed on baking tins in the home and leisure department and on packs of flour.
All stores will also have job adverts placed near the checkouts as well as large recruitment banners. Those interested will be invited to attend recruitment evenings and weekends.
Asda has introduced new activities to its group selection events to bring out candidates' personalities, as well as telephone screening to ensure those who attend the events are potential employees.
By Ben Willmott
