Dive Brief:
- California-based Williams-Sonoma has announced that it will be hiring remote seasonal workers to handle the influx of home furnishing and gift orders expected this holiday season. Workers will be able to conduct all tasks from home, reports Good Housekeeping.
- Even training will be done remotely, with workers going through the company's process virtually.
- Williams-Sonoma is hoping to land workers with strong sales and customer service skills. The company plans to have these seasonal employees work 30 to 50 hours per week and will start their pay at $11 to $11.50 per hour (depending on state wages). They'll also enjoy a 40% employee discount.
Dive Insight:
Companies in the consumer retail and gift space are starting their seasonal hiring now. Since 2012, holiday hiring in the U.S. has typically added about 600,000 jobs annually, based on research from global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.
And as technology advances, some of those jobs can be home-based, giving employers a larger applicant pool. Before taking the leap, however, employers will want to ensure that those workers have all the tools they need to succeed. Employers also must ensure that hourly employees aren't working off the clock and that remote workers aren't burning out.
