The world’s leading home furnishing retailer, IKEA, announced that it aims to hire 496 workers for its first store in the Philippines in Pasay City, which is touted to become the largest IKEA outlet all over the world. With hundreds of job vacancies to fill, it also noted that there will be several posts to be opened for part-timers, as well.
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In a statement, the company said that it is looking to fill a wide range of vacancies, which include sales associates, recovery associates, food assistants, customer service associates, and many others.
IKEA Soon to Open the Largest Store Globally and Hire 500 Workers in the Philippines
Additionally, the IKEA physical store will house a Call Center Facility as well as a supersized warehouse to provide support to its e-commerce arm. Meanwhile, the online store is expected to open ahead of the physical store in the second quarter of 2021, the Manila Bulletin reported.
The additional workers will join a team of 73 personnel already working for IKEA in its Makati office, as well as a project office at the Pasay construction site.
Another important announcement the company made is that it will be bringing home 20 OFWs from IKEA stores abroad — primarily from the Middle East.
As per Christian Rojkjaer, Managing Director IKEA Southeast Asia & Mexico, owner of IKEA stores in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Mexico, “The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Creating meaningful, stable jobs and great workplaces is just one way that we fulfill this vision – more important than ever during these challenging times.”
Georg Platzer, Market Development Manager and Store Manager of IKEA Philippines, added that the IKEA culture and values make them different from other retailers. Mr. Platzer noted that co-workers at all levels are encouraged to lead, ask questions, share ideas, and drive the business at IKEA.
Moreover, there are endless possibilities to grow and learn as co-workers take charge of their own learning journey and move across functions. Part-timers are treated like full-time members of the family, with all the same benefits as full-timers on a prorated basis – including health insurance, annual leave, subsidized meals, and IKEA discounts.
Mr. Platzer also highlighted that they are looking for employees with the right attitude. “At IKEA, it’s all about putting ‘we’ before me, empowering people to make decisions, and challenging the status quo,” he said.
“Family is very important to us, and we’re glad that we’re able to reunite some of our Filipino co-workers with their families in the Philippines,” Platzer added.
The company also highlighted that throughout the pandemic, IKEA’s Southeast Asia and Mexico has retained all its co-workers, despite closures of up to 73 days. The company will continue filling local positions in June 2021.
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