Walmart to convert most U.S. part-time store workers to full-time

Walmart plans to have the majority of its U.S. hourly  employee workforce full time by the end of its current fiscal year.

The nation’s largest private employer expects that two-thirds of its U.S. hourly store roles will be full-time with the same schedules from week to week by January 31, 2022. With the change, Walmart will end up with approximately 100,000 more full-time positions than it did five years ago. This means that of Walmart's 1.2 million hourly U.S. store employee, approximately 740,000 will be full-time.

In making the change, Walmart said it is following the full-time staffing strategy that has been successful in its distribution centers and fulfillment centers, where more than 80% of the employees are full-time.

“We believe full-time schedules complement the other ways we are preparing for the future of retail,” wrote Drew Holler, senior VP, Walmart U.S. people operations, in a blog on the company’s website. “Having full-time associates has never been more important than it is right now. Our growing pickup and delivery business calls for us to create more full-time job opportunities as our stores increasingly operate as both fulfillment centers and retail spaces.”

The move has other benefits too as employees are scheduled to work alongside their teammates and their leader on every shift, building on the team-based structure the retailer introduced in stores last year. 

“Having these small teams of eight to 12 associates work together will lead to a more connected, productive and enjoyable work environment,” wrote Holler. “Associates are cross-trained within their team’s area of the store, and they get real-time, one-on-one feedback and mentorship from their leader. All of this helps them build careers with Walmart if they choose. And all of this ultimately results in even better customer service.”