Tesco has announced it will create 16,000 new permanent jobs, with many of the roles going to staff who joined on a temporary basis during the pandemic.
The supermarket chain said “exceptional growth” in its online business during coronavirus lockdown meant it needed 10,000 new staff to pick customer orders from shelves and 3,000 more delivery drivers. The retailer will also hire staff for a variety of other roles across its stores and distribution centres in the coming weeks and months.
Job support
Sunak to announced ‘Jets’ scheme to boost employment
Chancellor unveils Job Support Scheme to curb winter job losses
Online customer numbers rose from around 600,000 at the start of the pandemic to almost 1.5 million, it added. Before the pandemic, only around 9% of its sales were online, compared to 16% currently.
The company has already created 4,000 new permanent roles since March.
Tesco UK & Ireland chief executive Jason Tarry said: “These new roles will help us continue to meet online demand for the long term.”
Food retailers have enjoyed success in comparison to the rest of the retail sector, with many businesses forced to make significant redundancies. Marks and Spencer recently announced it would make 7,000 people redundant, for example.
Earlier this week it was revealed that a long-running equal pay case against Tesco could be resolved earlier than expected.
A job evaluation study by the company that showed jobs in stores and distribution centres were equal could lead to store workers who had made claims being paid compensation years earlier than expected.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
Tesco also reported today that profits for the first half of this year rose by more than a quarter to £551m.
HR roles in retail and wholesale on Personnel Today
Browse more HR roles in retail and wholesale
