Candidates of all ages are welcome to apply
John Lewis at Victoria Centre, Nottingham (Image: Joseph Raynor/ Nottingham Post)
Retailer John Lewis is creating more than 10,400 seasonal roles as it prepares for the busiest time of the year.
These include jobs at the Nottingham department store in Victoria Centre, as well as branches of Waitrose, in the run-up to Black Friday, Christmas and the January sales, known as the ‘golden quarter,’
Candidates of all ages are welcome to apply. Previously the under 25s have accounted for nearly 75 per cent of Christmas recruits.
A hundred positions are expected to go to young people who have been in the care system, creating opportunities for those facing some of the highest barriers to work.
The vacancies span the breadth of Britain across the 36 John Lewis stores and 320 branches of Waitrose plus distribution centres and supply chain jobs.
Helen Webb, chief people officer for the John Lewis Partnership, said: “These roles appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds, and we’re excited to welcome great candidates across the board. At the same time, we know retail is a vital stepping stone for young people entering the workforce.
“With youth unemployment remaining a significant challenge, we recognise the role we play in providing meaningful opportunities to learn and grow.
“Our seasonal roles are more than just a job for the festive period; for many, they are a catalyst for building confidence and kickstarting a long-term career.
“By offering thousands of roles to under 25s and guaranteeing interviews for care-experienced young people, we are actively helping to break down barriers to employment and investing in the future of our communities.”
Pay for the seasonal roles starts at £13 an hour, rising to £13.25 after 30 days. Successful candidates will receive a competitive salary and training, as well as flexible and blended working options.
Kicking off with the launch of new seasonal ranges, the build up to Black Friday in November, before moving into Christmas and the January sales, the so-called golden quarter is the retailer’s busiest period of the year.
Christmas comes early for retail with a spike in online searches as the summer holidays end.
In response to demand, particularly as customers look to spread the cost of Christmas, the John Lewis Christmas Shop launched online on August 27, and is set to open in stores later this month.
Waitrose’s Christmas range launches in shops from September 21, with ‘The Food Lover’s Christmas catalogue’ going live the same day, allowing customers to plan their menus and order early to beat the rush.
Seasonal shop roles will go live at jlpjobs.com/Christmas this month, with candidates able to register their interest and sign-up for job alerts now.
Young people from care who are interested in the Building Happier Futures employability programme can contact buildinghappierfutures@johnlewis.co.uk for upcoming dates and information.
The hiring push follows significant investment — more than £1bn at Waitrose and £800m at John Lewis — in both shops and in new technology designed to free up staff time to focus on serving customers.
As a result of the investment, Waitrose recently won the Grocer 33 Customer Service Award for the sixth consecutive year, and John Lewis was named Which? Retailer of the Year and the number one retailer in the UK Customer Satisfaction Index.
