Working at The Home Depot: Employment, Careers, and Jobs

Working at The Home Depot: Employment, Careers, and Jobs

If you are interested in working at The Home Depot, this post will help you learn about career jobs, and employment at the company, including job application process you can follow to get hired there.

Read on:

The Home Depot: Company Overview

The Home Depot, Inc. is a home improvement retailer, which sells an assortment of building materials, home improvement products, and lawn and garden products, and also provides various services.

The Home Depot, founded by Bernard Marcus, Arthur M. Blank, Kenneth Gerald Langone and Pat Farrah on June 29, 1978 also offers home improvement installation services and tool and equipment rental.

With headquarters at Atlanta, GA, The Home Depot stores averaged approximately 104,000 square feet of enclosed space, with over 24,000 additional square feet of outside garden area, as of January 29, 2017, and these stores serve three primary customer groups such as do-it-yourself (DIY) customers, do-it-for-me (DIFM) customers, and professional customers.

As of January 29, 2017, The Home Depot had approximately 2,278 stores located throughout the United States, including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the territories of the United States Virgin Islands and Guam, Canada and Mexico.

Why Work for Home Depot?

It’s fun working in a very nice environment like The Home Depot, where you’ll learn a lot within a short period, and improve your skills.

Working at The Home Depot brings employees benefit packages which include medical, dental, stock options, a 4019(k), vacation, and sick days.

The atmosphere at The Home Depot is very conducive and makes working a lot easier. When working at The Home Depot you’ll find the colleagues (even Top management) to be very supportive.

You will feel like working with your own family when working at The Home Depot, because of how the employees are open to ideas and suggestions.

When working at The Home Depot, you will work on a team comprising different individuals mostly professionals who are sociable.

Customers have stories to narrate sometimes and that makes working at the company friendlier. From time to time, there would often be moments of happiness and joy being an employee at The Home Depot.

However, life at The Home Depot can be quite challenging not just rewarding and benefiting. It takes only a determined mind to enjoy during happy moments and also endure when there are difficulties and during challenging moments.

The workers at The Home Depot are smart, driven and passionate professionals who are able to solve tough problems. They ensure solutions to problems come within just days or weeks.

The opportunities for personal and professional growth are almost unlimited at The Home Depot, as the company provides never-ending stream of interesting work.

The Home Depot Careers and Jobs

The Home Depot is a place you can think of pursuing a career in various fields according to your choice.

The company offers career opportunities in different departments such as communications, human resources, marketing, sales/operations, supply chain, finance/accounting, legal, merchandising, social media, technology, e-commerce, and information technology/IS.

The Company is looking for dedicated and positive individuals who can provide first-class customer service which involves answering calls.

Successful associates can communicate clearly and effectively keep a positive attitude, smile and live The Home Depot values. They will be able to provide excellent customer service, listen patiently and understand customers’ needs.

The minimum age to work at The Home Depot is 18 years.

Available positions at The Home Depot include:

• Sales Associate
• Lot Associate
• Cashier
• Store Manager
• Assistant Store Manager
• Freight Team Member
• Office Associate
• General Warehouse Associate
• Installation Sales Associate
• Installation Service Associate
• Inventory Control Associate
• Transportation Coordinator
• Administrative Assistant
• Customer Service Coordinator
• General Maintenance Associate
• After Hours Truck Unloading Associate
• Stock Associate
• Home Décor Collections Customer Service Representative
• Customer Care Supervisor
• Paint Sales Associate

When applying for a position at The Home Depot, you should have a high school diploma or GED, and with previous retail experience you still need full training.

Here are some of the available positions at The Home Depot employees can get full training for:

Store Manager:

Store managers supervise the sales team for great customer service, urging employees to coordinate work schedules, department tasks, and company policies.

They handle finances and stock at the store, working mostly full-time and making an average salary of $90k per year.

Sales Associate:

Sales associates perform basic manual labor, work part-time and earn up to $11.00 hourly. They assist customers by answering questions about goods.

Cashier:

Cashiers handle transactions, typically work part-time hours and earn around $9.00 per hour.

Tool Rental Technician:

Tool rental technicians’ job is to clean, inspect, and perform basic maintenance on rental tools.

They don’t necessarily need to have previous experience working with machines, but if they possess any special skill set it’s an added advantage.

Tool rental technicians can earn up to $14.00 an hour.

Office Associates:

Office Associates perform a range of clerical duties which also include verification of information and problem resolution in the Distribution Centers.

Warehouse Associates:

Loading and unloading products become the daily responsibilities of warehouse associates. They pull orders for The Home Depot stores, receive forklift training and operate forklifts. They can expect to lift objects up to 75 pounds.

Management Positions:

Management teams in the company’s distribution facilities operate in a fast-paced, exciting environment managing the inventory for the company’s 2,000+ stores. General Manager, Assistant General Manager, Human Resources Manager, and Operations Manager are some of the management positions.

Customer Service Representative:

Providing quality professional customer service that consistently meets or exceeds company standards of excellence and customer expectations is the role of the customer service representative.

Resolution Expeditor:

Through active listening and professional communication, resolution expeditors provide excellent customer service. They take ownership of customer issues and provide complete end-to-end issue resolution by utilizing resources available.

Customer Care Associates:

The role of a customer care associate is to provide excellent customer service via active listening and professional communication. Customer care associates concentrate on the primary contact resolution related to customer inquiries.

The Home Depot Training and Development Programs

It was announced that The Home Depot through The Home Depot Foundation would donate $50 million to train 20,000 trades-people over the next 10 years in an effort to fill the skilled labor gap.

In 2017, the company launched a pilot training program for military members who were transitioning to civilian life in partnership with nonprofit Home Builders Institute (HBI) at Fort Stewart and Fort Bragg with the first set of students that graduate this month.

Since 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has committed about $250 million to communities impacted by natural disasters and veteran housing, including 37,000 veteran homes and facilities.

The Home Depot’s training is delivered across the country through web-based training, instructor-led training, self-paced courses, distance learning or virtual instructor-led training, and on-the-job coaching and training.

Customized training is delivered by a team of highly qualified learning specialists in multiple areas such as kitchen sales and design, flooring sales and installation, doors and windows sales and installation, and customer service and selling.

Store leaders participate in applied learning in areas such as merchandising, operations, finance, leadership skills, including communication, coaching, providing feedback, change management, performance management, conflict resolution and more.

The Home Depot offers leadership development programs and training in MS Office, project management tools and other core business programs for high-performing team of experienced professionals at the “Store Support Centre” or corporate office.

The Home Depot Student Internship Program and Recruitment Process

Interns at The Home Depot are valuable contributors on challenging and immersive projects that directly impact the company’s business.

Interns who join the team have an ample opportunity to become part of an innovative and fast-paced team to grow and connect with the press and company leaders who can help provide career guidance and coaching.

The Home Depot offers paid 12-week internships at the company’s corporate offices in various disciplines and business areas.

With The Home Depot’s internship program, you can establish the building blocks of your career. The company is #9 on Indeeds’s `The 15 Top-Rated Workplaces for Internships` and ranked #30 on Vault’s `50 best Internships`.

These internship programs are as follows:

Intern-Merchandising, Intern-Operations, Intern-Decision Analytics, Intern-Supply Chain, Pricing Analytics Intern, Software Engineering Intern, Intern-Merchandising Services, 2019 Finance Intern, Software Engineering Intern-Orange Works, and Systems Engineering Intern.

Interns at The Home Depot are paid hourly rate based on their experience and the level of degree they pursue.

For those that need accommodation during the internship program, housing recommendations will be offered.

If you are interested, you can apply for internships beginning in late August, then prepare for the interviews.

For eligibility status, internship qualifications vary by function. You can review the job description for the open internship positions to determine if you are eligible.

The Home Depot Corporate Culture and Values

As the biggest home improvement retailer in the United States, The Home Depot uses its organizational culture to maintain a gorgeous environment where employees are motivated and where customers feel welcome.

The Home Depot’s organizational culture empowers employees to fulfill the company’s goals for high quality service to differentiate the company in the home improvement retail market.

The company’s organizational culture is a key factor that supports success and leadership in the market. The leaders of the company recognize this relationship and continue to commit to a high performance culture.

Features of The Home Depot’s Organizational Culture

The main features of The Home Depot’s organizational culture include:

• The inverted pyramid
• Excellence in service
• People-centricity
• Collaboration

The Inverted Pyramid

In the strategies and organizational culture of The Home Depot, the company’s inverted pyramid presents the prioritization of some of its stake holders.

The customers are the top priority, followed by the front-line associates, field support, corporate support, and then the CEO.

The Home Depot’s organizational culture ensures that corporate values are repeated among all employees, especially the front-line workers at the stores.

Additionally, this feature of the organizational culture highlights the value and contributions of front-line workers.

Excellence in Service

The Home Depot’s organizational culture emphasizes excellent service, to help achieve high quality service through training programs and a human resource strategy that hires field experts such as carpenters and plumbers.

When customers make decisions to purchase a product or service, these experts provide expert advice. In Home Depot’s generic strategy, this characteristic of the organizational culture enhances competitiveness.

People-Centricity

The Home Depot’s organizational culture involves a people-centric approach to work in relation to the inverted pyramid.

It is expedient that all employees establish productive and enjoyable work relations and employee-customer relations.

Collaboration

Home Depot’s organizational culture upholds a community approach among workers to perform as a team.

Collaboration creates synergy from collaborated efforts, instead of relying on separate individual employee contributions only.

Taking Care of People

The Home Depot creates an inclusive environment for its associates where diversity is encouraged, ideas and contributions are valued, and there are equal opportunities for development growth.

Respect for all People

The Home Depot has mutual respect for everybody.

Building Strong Relationships

Home Depot builds strong relationships through listening and responding to the needs and opinions of customers, associates, vendors and communities.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Building entrepreneurial spirit can be achieved through encouraging associates to assimilate good ideas from others, and to develop innovative and creative ways of their own, for improving the business and serving their customers better.

Creating Shareholder Value

Profitable enterprise is operated – in which in itself is a consequence of sticking to The Home Depot’s core values.

Doing the Right Thing

The Home Depot doesn’t tolerate unethical and dishonest behavior, because they strive to understand the impact of their decisions and accept responsibility for their actions. This is to ascertain the fact that they do the right thing.

Giving Back

The Home Depot gives its time, talent, energy and resources to the community and society, and coordinates corporate community involvement through The Home Depot Foundation.

Through hands-on service, The Home Depot’s associate-led volunteer force, Team Depot, uses the time and talents of associates to meet community needs.

The Home Depot Job Application – How to Start a Career (the Hiring Process)

If you are one of the eligible candidates, you can fill The Home Depot applications either online or in stores.

In the online application, you are asked to provide personal information, education and work experience. In order to facilitate the process, collect all relevant materials ahead of time.

To ensure there are no errors or misspellings, check over all phone numbers, contact names and other information.

Verification email is sent to online applicants, but they have to wait for a few days or one week to hear back from hiring managers about interviews.

The Home Depot Jobs, Tips for Applying

Here are some tips for applying to The Home Depot jobs:

The application

The hiring process typically takes two or more weeks, and applicants usually apply online, in-person or through a university.

Interviews can be done on-site or over the phone. You need to keep contact with the interviewers through emails and phone calls, and show them that you are passionate and willing to go the extra mile while the application process is still on.

What the hiring managers are looking for

What they look for to select successful applicants for a job at The Home Depot are animated individuals who are problem-solvers and who can succeed in a fast-paced environment.

Furthermore, they desire workers who put customers’ needs first and who will contribute to the excellent guest experience. For you to stand a better chance of being hired, try to be unique, caring, and fun candidate.

Live the company’s values

By promoting your commitment to The Home Depot’s core values – which include an entrepreneurial spirit, excellent customer service, respecting other people, doing the right thing, giving back and building strong relationships – you are proving that you a good fit for the position that you are seeking.

Continue to research

By researching on the company’s products, history and values, you will get to discover some facts about the company, which include being recognized nationally with environmental awards and business strength, and as a reputable company.

You need to impress the interviewers by giving much attention to detail and learning about the company.

The Home Depot Job Interview Preparation

By preparing well for the interview will help you to answer the company’s specific job interview questions.

Below are questions you may be asked at an interview for a job at The Home Depot, which you can work with to effectively prepare for the interview:

1. Why do you choose The Home Depot as a company to work with?

2. Do you have any home improvement project experience you have worked on previously?

3. Which do you prefer? Working alone or in a team setting?

4. Do you think it is better to be familiar with several topics, or to be an expert on one?

5. What are your qualifications to be able to carry out the duties of this position successfully?

6. Show how you would handle a disgruntled customer.

7. Demonstrate what you will do when you observe a customer coming into the store.

8. What would you say about working at Home Depot that you like?

9. What do you understand by customer service?

10. How will you ensure that customers get a wonderful experience for visiting the store?

11. What do you know about the Home Depot?

12. Why do you think The Home Depot should hire you?

13. What experience are you bringing to the job you are seeking?

The Home Depot Benefits and Compensation for Working at the Company

All Home Depot employees that work an average of twenty hours a week are eligible for benefits such as dental, drug, etc.

The store share bonus for all employees which they receive quarterly is meant for store that has reached Plan.

Another benefit of working for The Home Depot is the business of profit margins in lumber, which attracts a discount of ten percent or less. If you know the business, you can gain advantage of it and even make some bucks from the scheme.

The determination of The Home Depot’s bonus payments will be carried according to a person’s length of service.

The payouts vary from $200 at minimum to up to$1,000 for all hourly employees in the United States.

Apart from all these bonuses allocated to the employees at The Home Depot, there are yet some other benefits the company offers.

These include medical, dental, and vision plans; employee stock purchase plans; health savings accounts; and 401(k) retirement plans.

Other available dividends include paid time off for vacations, holidays, and personal days. The Home Depot offers a total benefits package to all their permanent associates including their spouses and dependents.

Consider such huge benefits from health to finance to tuition reimbursement and paid time off offered to you at The Home Depot.

Benefits for full-time hourly and salaried associates

Benefits for full-time hourly and salaried associates include medical, dental, short-term and long-term disability insurance, term life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.

Benefits for part-time and senior associates over 70

Benefits for part-time and senior associates over 70 include medical, dental, term life insurance (optional), basic travel accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.

Maternity & Paternity Leave

These include:

Maternity leave top-up plan

Salaried associates require minimum one year of service to qualify for maternity leave top-up plan. This pays 50% of the difference between employment insurance maternity benefits and the company’s associate’s salary for their complete maternity leave, which lasts up to 52 weeks.

Paternity leave top-up plan

For proud fathers, the paternity leave top-up plan pays 50% of the difference between employment insurance parental benefits and the company’s associate’s salary for their entire parental leave up to 35 weeks.

Salaried associates require minimum one year of service to qualify for the paternity leave top-up plan.
Adoption Financial Assistance

The Home Depot provides $5,000 per adopted child for full-time associates and $1,500 per adopted child for part-time associates with the aim of covering adoption expenses.

Eligibility commences after minimum one year of service for full and part-time associates.

Bonus Plan

This includes:

Success Sharing

Your semi-annual Success Sharing bonus grows bigger as your store aggressively exceeds its sales goals. The store sales helps all eligible associates make extra money.

Management Incentive Plan

Eligible management associates earn extra money when the company’s semi-annual incentive plan pays out a bonus. This bonus is given based on a set of financial and non-financial metrics.

Employee Stock Purchase

Associates build ownership in the company by purchasing stock through the company’s plan. When you buy shares, you stand a chance to receive an immediate 15% discount off company stock.

Time off Benefits

Time off benefits include vacation, personal/sick days, statutory holidays, leave of absence, jury duty, float days, compassionate leave and bereavement days.

Tuition Reimbursement

The Home Depot reimburses 50% of college, university or technical school fees up to a maximum of $5,000 per year, to support and encourage their associates who enroll in school to pursue a degree or professional development.

Retirement Plans

The retirement plans benefits are as follows:

Deferred Profit Sharing Plan

The Deferred Profit Sharing Plan will help you to plan ahead for retirement with a share in the company’s profits. All associates start accumulating 4% of their annual earnings after one year of employment.

Registered Retirement Savings Plan

The Home Depot helps you lay aside for your financial future. Their associates can make voluntary contributions through convenient pre-tax payroll deductions and select from a variety of investment funds.

Care Program

A free employee assistance service is available for the associates and their immediate family members. The CARE program is ready to help you deal with issues related to work, family or finances, after professionally training and qualifying counselors.

Orange Advantage

The Home Depot’s associates can take advantage of great discounts on group home and car insurance, computers, hotels and more.

The Home Depot Work/Life Balance

Working at The Home Depot gives you the comfort to talk and interact with other people while doing sales and marketing duties.

At The Home Depot, you have long hours of duty and good compensation. Both customers and employees are great people to be with.

A typical day at The Home Depot usually seems to be one of the most interesting jobs ever seen, because of the great qualities and characters of the customers and employees there.

At The Home Depot, positions are frequently swapped to relieve people of their lunches and breaks.

Though at The Home Depot you need to stand most of the day, however, the atmosphere there is relaxed and schedule very flexible.

There are little promotions, but raises are provided yearly. Newer hires make more money than older employees.

Working with The Home Depot is enjoyable; the shift can range from about 4 to 9 hours. There are many customer service skills to learn for those people who aspire to seek employment at the company in the future.

During times of need, for instance during natural disasters, the employees are provided free meals. Everybody at The Home Depot seems to be happy day to day.

They are like family and maintain a very tight bond you can expect to make when working in that kind of environment.

The Home Depot offers a lot of computer based classes to develop its associates on the products and services they offer. If you’re willing to advance with The Home Depot, the company is willing to promote from within. What a great place to work!

At The Home Depot, you get a 30-minute break if you work more than 7 hours. If you want a day off, you need to do so four weeks in advance.

Conclusion

It’s good to pursue a career with The Home Depot, however, you need to first learn about the company, including the careers, jobs, and employment opportunities that it offer.

This post gives you all of that information to be able to make an informed decision about taking a career at The Home Depot, including the application process to follow in seeking a job with the company.

Did you find this post helpful in learning about the careers, jobs, and employment at The Home Depot? Please leave a comment in the box below. You can also share any experience that you have had working with The Home Depot.

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