Sprouts to hire for 1,500 positions nationwide

Dive Brief:

Sprouts Farmers Markets is hosting a National Hiring Day event across the U.S. on Tuesday, June 11, according to a company press release sent to Grocery Dive. Walk-in interviews will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at participating stores.
The grocer has about 1,500 non-seasonal, full and part-time positions open in all departments and at several levels. Sprouts employees receive competitive pay and get team member discounts and opportunities for professional growth. The company said it created 3,500 new jobs and promoted 28 team members in 2018.
Sprouts stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Yuma, Arizona will not be participating in the hiring events.

Dive Insight:

Sprouts’ store count continues to rise and so does its number of employees. The Arizona-based retailer currently operates more than 300 stores in 19 states and employs more than 30,000 people. In the second half of this year, Sprouts is slated to open 13 new stores, growing to 340 stores in 22 states.

The company is concentrating most of its growth in markets where there is high demand for natural and organic products, including Florida, California and Virginia, but also entering new markets like New Jersey and Louisiana.

Sprouts' expansion is designed to better position the grocer in those competitive markets, particularly ones where Whole Foods has a foothold. The company is giving its seafood and deli departments a more sophisticated feel and is adding more ready-to-eat options like sushi and fresh juice. In order to excel in these areas, Sprouts needs to invest in the manpower.

With unemployment hovering under 4%, businesses have to be particularly savvy about attracting and retaining employees to fill open positions. Sprouts is not alone in hiring. Aldi and Schnuck Markets have launched major hiring campaigns in the last year. Walmart, Target and Amazon recently raised their starting pay to $11, $12 and $13 an hour respectively with Target and Amazon on track to raise that to $15 by 2020.

While competitive salaries are important, the added perks could sway a potential employee from one store to another. Walmart, Publix and Kroger have offered to help employees pay for college. Kroger-owned Harris Teeter recently expanded its partnership with OurHealth to provide workers in Charlotte, North Carolina with primary care services and health coaching. Aldi is consistently ranked high on Glassdoor for its great work environment and work-life balance. Sprouts' desire to foster a rewarding employee experience should help attract employees who want a career path, not just a job.