Dive Brief:
- Home Depot plans to hire 80,000 associates this spring, the company announced Feb. 11. Both full-time and part-time positions across the country will become available.
- To meet demand, the home improvement store touted its training program that can "help associates get up to speed quickly." Benefits for both part-time and full-time associates include tuition reimbursement, backup dependent care for children and elders, and discounts on items, the company stated. After one year of service, all associates are eligible for paid family leave.
- "More than 90 percent of our store leaders began their careers here as hourly associates, which is a testament to our commitment to growing the careers of our people," Tim Hourigan, executive vice president of human resources, said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Employees are placing a high priority on education benefits and training in the workplace, according to research.
An October 2019 report by Bright Horizons, which surveyed 30,000 American working adults pursuing higher education, found high interest in benefits like tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment and upskilling as 90% think automation will change their industries. The report also indicated that members of Generation Z ranked education benefits above paid sick and vacation leave and retirement savings programs. In fact, more than 80% said they would be more likely to recommend an employer with education benefits.
As the employee learning field expands, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are gaining momentum. According to a survey released by Genesys in October 2019, almost half of the employers surveyed plan to increase training budgets in response to the rise of AI and automation. A study published in Current Psychology in June 2019 found that VR is well suited for training cognitive skills related to understanding and remembering visual and spatial information and knowledge.
Home Depot will be using a gamified mobile app for upcoming training, and other major companies are also creating solutions for learning. In October 2019, Carnival Corporation announced the launch of Global Learning and Development Information System (GLADIS), a remote learning platform, which was deployed to its more than 100,000 ship employees. GLADIS offers programming including videos, instructor-led presentations, podcasts and videos that provide "continuous learning and professional development," Carnival said in a statement in October.