Walmart to hire 95 associates in Albany

ALBANY — With construction of its new Neighborhood Market well under way in Albany, retail giant Walmart has turned its focus to hiring 95 new associates to in advance of the store’s grand opening, slated for early December.

The store, one of the company’s first neighborhood markets in South Georgia, will be located at Gillionville Road and Westover Road and will feature a full line of grocery items and a gas station.

In order to get the facility staffed as soon as possible, the company has opened a temporary hiring center in Largo Plaza at 2516 Old Dawson Road, Suite B, and has begun taking applications. The hiring center is currently open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Applicants can apply in person at the hiring center or at the Walmart locations on Ledo Road and Cordele Road. Interest applicants can also apply online at http://careers.walmart.com.

According to store manager Duane Staggers the company will be hiring for a variety of full and part time positions including cashiers, stockers, and associates in the fresh areas such as the meat, produce and bakery departments. The store will also be filling supervisory positions as well.

“We want to hire everybody that we possibly can,” said Staggers. “If we can put them to work we will.”

That also includes looking to hire veterans through the company’s Veterans Welcome Home Commitment program. In a recent press release, Walmart officials said the company will offer a job to any qualified veteran who has been honorably discharged within the past 12 months. Veterans must also be within 12 months of active duty and meet Walmart’s standard hiring criteria. Veterans interested in a position can learn more about the program and qualifications at http://walmartcareerswithamission.com.

“They’ve given a lot for the country and we need to honor the commitment Walmart has made,” said Staggers.

Staggers said the company hopes to have all of the positions filled by November so that the staff can then move into the store location and begin preparing for its grand opening late this year.

“It should be December,” Staggers said. “It’s going to be one of the first ones in South Georgia. We feel like it’s going to be a good thing for the community.”

Staggers said the location will be a full service grocery store that will offer a variety of items, such as cosmetics and paper towels as well. The location will also have an in-store pharmacy and a drive through pharmacy window.

“It will be a hometown grocery store,” Staggers said. “It will give us the opportunity to interact personally and offer more one-on-one service. It will be good not only for Walmart but for the community as well. We’re here to support the community. We want to be a part of the community.”

According to the press release Walmart provides a benefits program to eligible full and part time associates that include a variety of health and well-being benefits. Walmart also offers eligible associates matching 401(k) contributions of up to six percent of pay, as well as discounts on general merchandise, an associate stock purchase program and company-paid life insurance. The company also offers a quarterly incentive program to eligible associates based on store performance.