Supermarkets share urgent appeal for new staff as coronavirus crisis hits Harrogate

Supermarkets are urgently recruiting for temporary staff in their fight to feed the district during the coronavirus crisis.
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Thousands of jobs have been announced nationwide - and soon to be confirmed locally - at supermarkets where worried shoppers continue to panic-buy groceries and staff try to keep the shelves full.

How older people in the Harrogate district can make a telephone friend during coronavirus self-isolation

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The recruitment drive is being fast-tracked, with the Co-op - which has nine stores in Harrogate and is creating 5,000 temporary posts across the UK - urging job hunters to walk into their nearest store with a “view to starting work in a matter of days”.

Supermarkets are urgently recruiting for temporary staff in their fight to feed the district during the coronavirus crisis.Supermarkets are urgently recruiting for temporary staff in their fight to feed the district during the coronavirus crisis.
Supermarkets are urgently recruiting for temporary staff in their fight to feed the district during the coronavirus crisis.

Co-op Food chief executive, Jo Whitfield, said the supermarket is looking to hire pub and restaurant workers who have lost their jobs.

She said: “Whilst our store and depot colleagues are working round the clock to ensure people have the essentials they need, we are all too aware that many people working in bars, pubs and restaurants are currently out of work. It makes sense for us to try and temporarily absorb part of this highly skilled workforce as we work together to feed the nation.”

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Meanwhile, Asda said it was working with other companies that had been forced to make redundancies.

The supermarket’s colleagues are also being urged to reach out on social media to invite friends and family whose work has been impacted by Coronavirus to get in touch with their local store about job opportunities.

And Lidl, which has a store in Knaresborough, is creating 2,500 jobs nationally. The supermarket is specifically looking for Stock Assistants on a four-week fixed term contract to start immediately.

Its CEO Christian Härtnagel said: "Temporarily expanding our teams is one way we can help support our colleagues and customers, whilst providing work to those that have had their employment affected by the current situation.”

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Earlier this week, Morrisons announced it was hiring 3,500 staff as it looked to increase its grocery home delivery service for those who are self-isolating at home.

The company's chief executive David Potts said: “We expect the days, weeks and months ahead to be very testing and we are determined to do our bit."