Coronavirus has drastically shifted the world’s buying habits, and businesses are rapidly adjusting to the new pandemic reality.
Many retailers are shut down, but consumers continue to flock to pharmacies, grocery stores and take-out restaurants. Demand for essential goods and food has skyrocketed and stores are hiring like crazy to keep up.
CVS
CVS said it is looking to fill a total of 50,000 full-time, part-time and temporary positions nationwide, including “store associates, home delivery drivers, distribution center employees and member/customer service professionals.”
On its website, the retail pharmacy chain said the new employees will help take some strain off its existing workers. The company plans to hire many of the employees who were furloughed or laid off by some of its major business clients, including Hilton and Marriott.
CVS says it plans to use virtual job fairs, virtual interviews and virtual job tryouts during its hiring process.
Walmart
Grocery stores and online retailers have been overwhelmed with an influx of customers now being forced to spend more time at home because of the novel coronavirus. As a result, Walmart, the nation’s largest grocery store chain, is looking to beef up its own supply chain.
The company plans to hire 150,000 workers for full-time, part-time and temporary positions at its distribution and fulfillment centers across the United States.
It is also expediting the hiring process in light of news of mass layoffs around the country. Applicants can “get hired and begin working … in as little as 24 hours,” according to Walmart’s website.
“We’re growing, expanding and looking for more people who want to make a difference providing for customers,” Greg Smith, Walmart’s head of supply chain, said in a statement.
Instacart
Instacart is looking to hire hundreds of thousands of workers to meet surging demand for grocery deliveries as millions of people are urged to stay home.
The on-demand grocery startup said it wants to hire 300,000 “full-service shoppers” in North America over the next three months. They will be treated as independent contractors. The hires would more than double the company’s current workforce of full-service shoppers.
Amazon
Amazon has seen an unanticipated boom in business now that coronavirus “shelter-in-place” orders across the nation have limited many Americans to online shopping.
The company plans to hire 100,000 people nationwide for full-time and part-time roles in Amazon’s delivery network and at its fulfillment centers.
“We also know many people have been economically impacted as jobs in areas like hospitality, restaurants, and travel are lost or furloughed as part of this crisis,” the company said in a statement on its website. “We want those people to know we welcome them on our teams until things return to normal and their past employer is able to bring them back.”
Albertsons Companies
Albertsons — the parent company for Albertsons, Safeway, Randalls, United Supermarkets and several other food and drug retail chains — wants to hire 30,000 new employees to keep up with increased demand.
A spokesman for the retail conglomerate said the new roles are for “delivery drivers, personal shoppers, our distribution centers, and our call center.”
“We are hiring in all [subsidiaries] across the 34 states (DC) we operate,” the spokesperson said via email, declining to provide further details.
Dollar General
Dollar General is looking to add up to 50,000 employees to its workforce by the end of April. The company said it anticipates most of its new roles will be temporary, but it also expects some of the new employees will receive “long-term career growth opportunities.”
PepsiCo
Pepsi said that it wants to hire 6,000 full-time, frontline employees in the coming months. The company is also providing “enhanced benefits” to its US-based workers and increasing its compensation for its current US frontline employees amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a written statement, PepsiCo chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company’s employees are doing “important work” providing food and beverages to people at a critical time.
“We couldn’t be prouder of our PepsiCo team for the role they play in restocking pantries and refrigerators,” he said.
Papa John’s
Papa John’s is one of three major pizza chains looking to take advantage of all the restaurant closings across the country.
The company announced plans to hire 20,000 new “restaurant team members.”
“For anyone looking for immediate ways to earn an income, we’re making it quick and simple to apply, interview and be hired at Papa John’s,” Marvin Boakye, Papa John’s chief people and diversity officer, said in a statement. “We are in the unique position — as a restaurant that specializes in delivery and carryout — to help our communities through this crisis.”
Domino’s
Domino’s plans to hire 10,000 employees to work as pizza makers, delivery personnel and customer service representatives. The company is also looking for people to fill roles at its supply chain centers in addition to management and assistant management positions.
In particular, Domino’s is recruiting 1,000 new employees to work at more than 100 stores in the Chicago metro area.
“The opportunity to keep feeding our neighbors through delivery and carryout means that a small sense of normalcy is still available to everyone,” Domino’s CEO Richard Allison said in a statement. “Our corporate and franchise stores want to make sure they’re not only feeding people, but also providing opportunity to those looking for work at this time, especially those in the heavily impacted restaurant industry.”
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is recruiting more than 30,000 employees across the nation and says its new drivers can start working in as little as five hours upon hiring.
“Now more than ever, restaurants have an important role in feeding families and those looking for safe, fast, and reliable food from brands they can trust,” the company said in a statement.
7-Eleven
7-Eleven, the nation’s largest convenience store chain, expects to hire up to 20,000 new store employees to meet increased demand amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Some of the new roles are for delivery workers to help the company meet a spike in mobile orders received through its delivery app.
“This will provide job opportunities and ensure 7‑Eleven stores remain clean and in-stock with the goods our customers need during this critical time,” the company’s president and CEO Joe DePinto said in a statement.
GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare needs additional manufacturing employees to build medical ventilators, which have been in high demand and short supply during the coronavirus pandemic. Kieran Murphy, GE Healthcare’s president and CEO, said the company also needs to increase its manufacturing capacity and output of CT scan machines, “ultrasound devices, mobile X-ray systems, patient monitors and ventilators,” which are critical to diagnosing and treating Covid-19 patients.