Springtime is high-tech time for Home Depot

The fact that Home Depot is hiring 80,000 associates for its busy spring season may not seem like a big deal, but the retailer is arming these employees with unprecedented retailing technology.

This spring, the company is equipping its associates with the next generation of its in-store mobile technology: the FIRST Phone. The company will deploy approximately 40,000 of these new web-enabled devices to help stores expedite checkout through mobile technology in outside garden, and give associates a simple customer service tool for locating products, checking inventory on hand, or simply explaining product features.

FIRST Phones were designed specifically for the Home Depot, providing associates with a customer service tool that serves as a phone (of course), walkie-talkie, inventory management, product look-up, business analytics and even line-busting features to speed up checkout. The new phones feature a more intutitive interface, Internet access and inclusion of the Home Depot mobile app to help customers.

The retailer has already begun filling more than 80,000 positions as it prepares for spring, the company's busiest selling season.

"Spring is a great time to join the Home Depot, where you can work alongside a fun, energetic team that's passionate about the latest home improvement innovations and great customer service," said Tim Crow, executive vice president of human resources at Home Depot.

The company is recruiting for positions both in its stores and distribution facilities, as the warm season approaches and customers begin to spruce up their lawns and tackle new home improvement projects. From sales and cashiers to operations and online order fulfillment, opportunities available include both permanent part-time and seasonal positions.

Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,269 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico.