Marks & Spencer has launched its Christmas recruitment drive, with the retailer seeking temporary colleagues to support stores through the peak festive trading period.
The retailer is inviting candidates to register their interest in Christmas roles across its UK store estate. Roles will focus on supporting customers during one of the busiest periods of the retail calendar.
M&S said Christmas colleagues will play a key role in helping customers find products and delivering its festive proposition, with roles spanning its food, clothing and home operations.
The retailer is offering temporary positions at £13.41 an hour, with individual contracts and shift patterns varying by location.
M&S has admitted that Christmas colleagues are expected to work full-time during the two weeks leading up to Christmas, while availability is required on 22, 23 and 24 December – traditionally some of the retailer’s busiest trading days.
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The recruitment process involves an online application and assessment, followed by an in-store interview or assessment centre. Applicants will also be asked to provide their availability as part of the process.
M&S is positioning the seasonal roles as an entry point into retail, highlighting examples of colleagues who have progressed into longer-term careers with the business.
One current M&S team manager, Stuart, said he joined the retailer as a Christmas customer assistant in 2007 before progressing through a number of stores and eventually managing a team of 25.
The recruitment comes as retailers across the UK ramp up seasonal hiring ahead of Christmas, with businesses looking to ensure they have sufficient frontline capacity to manage increased footfall and demand.
Boots is recruiting around 6,000 seasonal workers across its stores, warehouses and customer support operations.
While, the John Lewis Partnership is to set to recruit more than 10,400 seasonal roles across the UK, stressing that these roles are not just for Christmas.
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