Chipotle Adding Thousands To Its Staff As Other Companies Are Laying Off In Droves
Chipotle plans to hire 15,000 employees due to its anticipation of an uptick in demand come spring.
Chain restaurant Chipotle is doing what a lot of companies are not. They are taking on employees. But not just a small number of employees; they are taking on 15,000 employees nationwide. This mass hiring is due to Chipotle’s upcoming busy season from March to May.
Every day in the news, a release from different multinational companies states that they will be laying off a considerable percentage of their workers. It is great to hear some positive news, especially for the hospitality sector, which was hit so hard during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the last quarter of 2022 and the first few months of 2023, restaurants have found it easier to attract and retain good employees. This is a far cry from two years ago when the pandemic sent the restaurant business into mayhem, and new staff could not be acquired or were very hard to find.
The hospitality sector is one of the main business areas with a continually high staff turnover. While the madness of the post-pandemic return to business is over, restaurants are still worried that they may not have enough employees to meet the consumer demand.
This shortage may still happen even when people are not going out to eat as much due to the economic uncertainty and hyperinflation that has caused a global cost of living crisis.
Most of the recent layoffs have plagued the technology industry as many leading tech companies let tens of thousands of employees go. Thankfully that hasn’t translated into the hospitality industry, as restaurant employees haven’t faced significant layoffs or pay cuts.
The unemployment rate in restaurants is slowly reducing from 5.7%, which was pre-pandemic, to a lower amount of 5.2%, which is not a small feat in this economic climate.
The Chief Restaurant Officer for Chipotle stated that the chain restaurant will keep hiring more staff as they expand the number of restaurants Chipotle has nationwide, in what he called “aggressive growth plans.” Over a year ago, Chipotle revised its long-term growth plan and decided to expand its future store locations from 6,000 to 7,000. This expansive plan calls for the chain restaurant to double the number of stores it has nationwide; as it stands, they have 3,500 restaurants.
Its Chief Restaurant Officer also stated that it is working to streamline and improve its recruitment process as they plan to take on so many new employees. To attract new employees, they also offer a range of benefits, including free meals, tuition reimbursement, debt-free college, a bonus scheme, and access to mental health care. All of which would make great additions to any employee’s life. As it stands, Chipotle has over 100,000 employees nationwide, but that number is set to increase quickly and sufficiently.
Amid all the negative news about the economy, war, inflation, and mass layoffs, it is a breath of fresh air to hear that a company is not only hiring thousands of new staff but is offering them a range of benefits to joining their team, including free education. Well done, Chipotle.
