Is HR prepared for Black Friday?

Black Friday, the US tradition that’s made its way across the Pacific and into our department stores. And whilst the deals on offer are enough to send shoppers crazy, HR departments need to start preparing themselves for the influx of employees now.

Retailers such as Amazon, Royal Mail and Argos are planning to hire 49,000 staff to manage 225 million parcels over one weekend. All the chaos that the sales bring require thousands upon thousands of extra workers, meaning HR has to be ready with all the required legislation and on the job training.

One retailer determined to ensure their staff are prepared is Walmart. According to Express News, the brand is using virtual reality headsets to train their employees for the imminent mania, helping them to deal with mobs of crazed shoppers and a hectic holiday season.

“You want to ensure that you don’t have that panic in there,” explained Amanda Cardenas, a training facilitator at a Walmart Academy in San Antonio, to Express News. “You’re going to know what to do in that situation because you’re experiencing it through this virtual reality.”