Kmart wants 1600 casuals for Christmas
Kmart is currently recruiting over 1600 casual staff for the Christmas period across its 168 Australian stores.
Tony Weston, Kmart’s human resources general manager, said the department store was looking for people who had “an enthusiasm for work and a passion for customer service.”
“They don’t have to have to have done it [worked in a shop] before but they need to have a general understanding of how to interact with customers.”
“The Christmas period is an extremely rewarding time in Kmart stores. Employees enjoy a great working environment, build new skills and friendships and most importantly, earn great money for the holiday period,” Mr Weston said.
Mr Weston revealed that nearly half of all the casual employees taken on by Kmart over the Christmas period also went on to do permanent part-time or full-time work for the store, many working their way up to management level
Vicky Anderson, who started as a Christmas casual 27 years ago and now heads up the Sylvania Kmart in NSW, says she is looking for “people who can demonstrate commitment.”
“People between the ages of 15 and 18 who play for a team at school or are involved in group activities are the type of people we like to employ. We also want people who are going to be able to relax and interact with customers because they are working on our busiest days of the year.”
Ms Anderson said casual work was also popular among backpackers, who were often in the capital cities over Christmas, and university students who used it as a “career stepping stone.”
“Uni students can work at two different Kmart’s during the year one while they are away at uni and another when they return home,” she explained.
Ms Anderson says applicants can hand in a one page resume when they apply for casual work but it is not a necessity.
“I like people who are prepared to answer a few questions and have put some effort into their personal presentation,” she says.
Candidates looking for casual work at Kmart over the Christmas period can either visit the careers section of the Kmart website or apply in person at their local store.
