Posted on 02/19/2015 9:51:16 AM PST by Olog-hai
Hoping to shed its reputation for offering little more than dead-end jobs, Wal-Mart, the nations biggest private employer, is giving raises to nearly a half-million workers and offering what it says are more opportunities for advancement.
Wal-Mart told The Associated Press that as part of $1 billion its spending to change the way it trains and pays workers, the company will give raises to nearly 40 percent of its 1.3 million U.S. employees in the next six months.
In addition to raises, Wal-Mart said it plans to make changes to how workers are scheduled and add training programs for sales staff so that employees can more easily map out their future at the company.
The company said the changes, which were announced on Thursday as Wal-Mart reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results, will hurt profits this year. We are trying to create a meritocracy where you can start somewhere and end up just as high as your hard work and your capacity will enable you to go, CEO Doug McMillon told the AP during an interview this week at the companys headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Worth noting that the CEO, Steve McMillon, started out his career working in a Walmart warehouse
Doh...that would be Doug McMillon
There’s a company in Tulsa that is doing fantastic ... with its workers and with its business! It’s QuikTrip. It’s the best convenience store/gas station I’ve seen anywhere in the USA. They are amazing!
And the workers there are doing fantastic ... as they get $30,000 a year, with the manager of each place getting $70,000! They all get full benefits from the company.
Now they are a true American company and quite the success story!
>>plans to make changes to how workers are scheduled and add training programs for sales staff so that employees can more easily map out their future at the company.<<
Anything in these proposed changes to make their employees more than barely sentient neanderthals?
Worst customer service ever.
What a concept! Why hasn't anybody thought of this before?
Another delayed sign of inflation that is finally starting to happen is the major labor strikes. Inflations occasion them as worker's wages buy less and less even as they don't nominally shrink.
I can name the bias in three words, George.
You said, “Worst customer service ever.”
Quite true!
When the old man Sam ran the place it was much better run.
They are in Kansas City also. And you’re right, there is no comparison to any other convenience stores.
Walmart caves. Give a mouse a cookie, he’ll just want a glass of milk. The workers will be, “hey, it worked...we go $15 an hour...let’s start again and go for twenty!”
If Wal-Mart pays higher wages,it will help attract better employees.
I can give a couple examples: Costco is known for better pay and benefits than Wal-Mart. In my experience, the employees at Costco are at a much higher level than the Wal-Mart.
Chick-Fil-A vs. McDonalds
Chick-Fil-A is known for paying a few dollars above the hourly minimum wage. The quality of the employees, and the customer experience is much higher at Chic-Fil-A than McDonalds.
This is only one step for Wal-Mart. The management will need to follow up by making improvements in inventory management by making sure the stores are adequately stocked with merchandise, and by making sure enough employees are in the stores to service the customers.
If Wal-Mart tries to make up the cost of increased wages per employee by scheduling fewer employees in the stores, then it will result in angry customers and the move will backfire on Wal-Mart.
The Democrat/Gubbermint/Labor Union Protection Racket has been paid off. Can breathe easy for another year.
I have a QT next to me and it does tremendous business. They undercut everyone on gas prices and I can get a 32oz refill for 70c. The flatbreads are good as well.
The workers are very polite, much like Chick-fil-A.
In Tulsa (which is also the headquarters for QuikTrip) ... they “set the prices” for the city. Everyone else follows them, except for a few odd ones here and there!
I noticed at Wal-mart, they have a lot of employees in the superstore, but they are not burning any rubber stocking or helping customers. I wonder if they paid more, but increased quality of the employee, if they would reduce labor costs. I think Wal-mart problem is they expanded so fast they sacrificed employee quality. (As a side note, the employee part of the McDonald's operating plan is what made the franchise a successful business model. High growth destroyed this part of the model.)
I hope QT maintains the employee part of the business model.
Wow that will really irritate the unions.
I think the savings will come in attracting better employees and reducing employee turnover and the recruiting and training costs associated.
Not really. They're pushing for $15 an hour.
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