4th August 2016
Recruitment will commence immediately for roles in store operations, warehousing & distribution as well as head office to add to current 4,000 strong Irish workforce
Announcement follows continued significant growth in market share according to Kantar WorldPanel analysis
Lidl in Ireland has announced that it will hire 600 new staff in the next two years following significant growth in the Irish market which has taken their market share into double digits. According to recent Kantar WorldPanel market share analysis, the low cost, high quality retailer continues to deliver month-on-month increases in market share which now stands at 11.9% of the Irish grocery market.
Recruitment will commence immediately for 600 roles which will be filled over the next 24 months across all business units including store operations, warehouse and distribution support as well as head office and regional office roles. There are a variety of roles on offer in store operations such as managers, deputy managers and store assistants to support the growing store network and ongoing extension of existing stores in 146 locations nationwide. Further recruitment will also be undertaken in warehouse and distribution support, in particular for Lidl’s largest warehouse which is in planning at Newbridge, Co. Kildare. Head office roles include those in buying, which oversees the purchase of over €500 million worth of Irish sourced goods from 180 suppliers annually as well as administration, accounting and finance, property & facilities management, marketing, communications and HR. In the coming months recruitment will also be open for Lidl’s award-winning Graduate Recruitment Programme. Information on all vacancies are available on www.jobs.lidl.ie
All roles advertised will provide opportunities for long-term career advancement in a dynamic customer-focused organisation. In recent years Lidl has grown in status both as one of Ireland’s largest employers and one with a strong reputation for its workplace according to the Ireland RepTrak® report 2016 where it was ranked 7th overall. Lidl has and continues to put a significant focus on making Lidl a great place to work - not just with well paid jobs but also focusing on work-life balance, health and well-being and investing in staff training and career development.
Lidl has achieved considerable recognition over the past 12 months for HR initiatives – among the awards Lidl has won are the Grad Ireland Best Graduate Recruiter award in the retail sector, awards for Overall Excellence in HR, Best Health and Wellbeing Strategy at the 2016 Leadership & Management Awards and Best Leadership Development Initiative from the Irish Institute of Training and Development.
Lidl, which opened its first stores in Ireland in 2000, recently published an economic report undertaken independently by DKM Economic Consultants which concluded that Lidl is a significant contributor to the Irish economy. The report highlighted that Lidl has contributed €1.5 billion to the Irish economy in the past 16 years. Other key findings in the report were that employment offered by Lidl is high quality with sector leading rates, supported by training and education with investment in employment spread widely across the country.
Speaking at the announcement, Maeve McCleane HR Director at Lidl in Ireland said: “As Lidl continues to go from strength-to-strength there are significant opportunities for those willing to join a success story in the Irish market. Lidl is now recognised as a leading employer of significant scale in Ireland and with that brings a wealth of opportunities for ambitious and dynamic people with a passion for delivering exceptional service for Lidl Ireland’s 1.5 million weekly customers, whether they work in store or in a variety of other roles throughout our business. As an employer we believe in the importance of committing to our staff by providing a supportive work environment with training and development in all areas to help everyone achieve their full potential.”
Welcoming the 600 new jobs at Lidl in Ireland, Mary Mitchell-O’Connor T.D., Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation said: “Lidl’s decision to hire an additional 600 new staff over the next two years is a real vote of confidence in the Irish economy and demonstrates further commitment from a company which has already invested over €1.5 billion in Ireland since 2000. It is encouraging to see recruitment across all parts of the business which will provide opportunities for those with a wide variety of skills. I am particularly pleased that much of this employment will be spread across the country in Lidl’s stores, regional offices and distribution centres which is a key objective of the Government’s Regional Jobs plan.”
ENDS
Photography has been issued to photodesks by Photocall Ireland
For information:
Niall Quinn, The Reputations Agency, 086 827 4829
Linda Mc Kenny, The Reputations Agency, 086 813 2080
Aoife Clarke, Lidl Ireland, 087 672 7786
Notes to editor:
Facts about Lidl Ireland as an employer
- Major direct employer with 4,000 employees
- Announcing in August 2016 that Lidl will recruit 600 new staff over a 2 year period following significant growth and in anticipation of planned expansion. Roles will be across all functions such as: stores operations (Managers, Deputy Managers, Store Assistants); Warehouse and distribution support (in particular for what would become Lidl’s largest warehouse in the country based in Newbridge which is currently under review by planners); Head Office (Purchasing, Administration, Accounting and Finance, Property and Facilities management, Marketing, Communications, HR); Graduate Recruitment Programme; and the Lidl Retail degree with Dublin Business School which has a yearly intake
- In recent years significant focus on making Lidl a great place to work - not just with well paid jobs but also a focus on work-life balance, commitment to staff’s health & wellbeing and great opportunities for career advancement
- Health and Wellness
- Walk to the Moon – 3,200 of Lidl’s staff walked 325,000 kms to the moon
- Ireland’s largest corporate cardiac screening programme in 2015
- 2016 programme “Work Safe.Live Well” will focus on both physical and mental health initiatives
- Training
- Commitment to investing in Lidl’s team at all levels to support career development. 43% of store management started as store assistants.
- Store Management Development Initiative (SMDI) programme in 2015 – largest learning and development programme in the company’s history.
- Graduate training programme – 18 month programme with 13 different streams for graduates to choose from – best graduate recruitment employer in retail sector, tenth overall – 1,000 + application for c. 20 grads per year.
- Other benefits/initiatives
- Living wage – first to commit to living wage in October 2015 but prior to introduction 80% of staff earned at least the living wage
- No zero hours contracts
- Paid maternity leave, 2 days’ paid paternity leave
- Sabbaticals available to staff – 3 months after 5 years
- Retail management degree offered in conjunction with Dublin Business School
- Degree to Level 7 National Qualifications level
- 50/50 split between college-based learning and work-based learning. Lectures in Dublin Business School’s city centre campus and practical experience in a Lidl store located in the greater Dublin area.
- 2 year programme
- Terms staggered with work-based term followed by a college based term to maximise the learnings and practical experience
- No fees and students receive salary during course starting at €20,000 in year 1
- Celebrate success
- Annual National Achievement Awards for operational colleagues
- Engagement levels from staff significant
- 80% participants in Walk to the Moon
- HR related awards
- Grad Ireland 2016
- Top Retail grad employer
- 10th overall
- Robert Beirne from Lidl’s Logistics Department was named “Graduate of the Year”
- Leadership & Management awards 2016
- Overall Excellence in HR
- Best Health and Wellbeing Strategy
- Best use of CSR in HR
- Irish Institute of Training & Development 2016
- Best Leadership Development initiative
- Great Place To Work 2016
- Inspiring Award for Great Places to Work
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