2023-08-25 04:00:00
In the midst of a labor shortage, Walmart Canada reportedly managed the feat of recruiting no less than 300 workers for the opening of its new Marché Central branch in Montreal.
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At least that’s what its management swears, adding as a bonus that it received more than 3,000 candidates for an interview, all interested in occupying one of the dozens of positions offered by the American retail giant.
Francis Llarena, manager of this new 140,000 sq. ft. department store, is very proud of the result. “We worked hard. We have been recruiting since March. More than 3,000 candidates were interviewed, and we continue today, once more and once more.
Hundreds of candidates
The information is surprising, in these times when not a day goes by without a business leader speaking out in Quebec to complain regarding the lack of manpower, the lack of interest from candidates, or the difficulty of retaining them once hired.
The retail industry is particularly vocal regarding this. For example, on every occasion for years, the Quebec Retail Trade Council has multiplied conferences, seminars and training to analyze the situation and try to overcome this difficulty. Yesterday, however, the organization preferred to be discreet, choosing not to respond to our request for interviews on the subject.
In the center, the vice-president of Walmart in Quebec, Cyrille Ballereau, accompanied (on his right) by Brad Evans, director of the Montreal territory, and (on his left) by Francis Llarena, manager of the new Walmart branch in the Central Market. They are surrounded by some of the 300 employees recently hired for the opening of the 73rd Walmart store in Quebec. Chantal Poirier / JdeM
Isn’t Walmart experiencing a labor shortage? “Listen. We posted the positions and we gave everyone a chance, replied the vice-president of operations for Walmart in Quebec, Cyrille Ballereau. I don’t know what the others are saying, but on our side, while recognizing that recruitment may be more difficult elsewhere, in the case of this store, we managed to fill all of our positions.
Thus, following “more than 3,000 interviews”, just over 300 candidates from around 40 national origins were hired and trained in time for the opening of this new Walmart department store, the first to open its doors. in Quebec for ten years.
Beyond wages
At the head of this new liner, Francis Llarena, suggests that the great flexibility of the organization to adapt to the availability of staff might partly explain its success.
“We have shifts in the morning, day, evening, night, week, like weekends. We adapt with variable hours, with short and long shifts. We really have a wide range of possibilities for candidates who wish to join us.”
Citing competitive reasons, Walmart refuses to disclose the salaries offered to “its associates”. “We always pay above the minimum wage and this salary varies according to the responsibilities,” confines himself to saying the vice-president, convinced that the salary alone does not explain the power of attraction of the Bentonville retailer.
In addition to salary and accommodating hours, Walmart would offer many other benefits to its employees. “For example, in addition to accommodating hours and our everyday low prices, all our associates benefit from a 10% discount on their purchases. In addition, they take part in the profits of the store, they have a share program available to them, not to mention the telemedicine program for them or that of their family”.
And then there’s that ever-present opportunity to move up the organizational ladder. “I am a good example. I arrived in the country with my wife and my four suitcases. I started in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, in March 2002, as an associate in the hardware section”. This possibility of experiencing the same professional ascent, Cyrille Ballereau ensures that it is offered to all of the 14,000 employees of Walmart in the province.
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