Home Depot also known as The Home Depot, Inc. is the most immense American home improvement seller that furnishes construction commodities, devices, and assistance. It has its headquarters in Cobb, County, Georgia. Its subsidiary is The Home Depot Pro. The net income of the company is $11.24 billion. let us know about that the Home Depot Associate- Complete Guide.
More than 500,000 employees are working at The Home Depot Inc. and many full-time, as well as part-time job roles, are offered by the corporation. Let us take a look at the following article to get relevant details of working as a Home Depot associate as well as the organization.
The Home Depot Inc. overview
Home Depot belongs to the retail industry. It was founded on 6th February 1978 in Marietta, Georgia, the United States by Ron Brill, Bernard Marcus, Kenneth Langone, Arthur Blank, and Pat Farrah. The Chairman, as well as CEO of the corporation, is Craig Menear. The areas served by the organization are US Virgin Islands, United States, Mexico, Guam, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
The total number of locations the company is currently serving is 2,312 that includes many big-box format stores. It also has a total of 70 distribution centers. In 2020, it secured 26th position in the Fortune 500 list that ranks the largest companies in the United States based on their revenue. In 2002, The Home Depot Foundation was created as a public-spirited department of the organization. Since then, it has donated around $200 million in the form of labor, money, supplies for various objectives and organizations.
Types of associate roles
There are many full-time and part-time job roles as associates along with internships at Home Depot’s stores and distribution centers. Their official website contains relevant information on all the associate positions being offered at specific locations as they vary with different areas. The types of career areas for a Home Depot associate are as follows-
- In-store and Distribution Center Hourly
- Corporate
- Management
- Supply chain
- Construction
- Supply Chain Field
- Communications/ External Affairs
- Real Estate
- Contact Center
- Outside Sales
- Facilities
- Support
- Delivery Services
- E-commerce
- Marketing
Associate positions
Major associate positions available at The Home Depot Inc. are as follows-
Retail- The retail team forms the frontline for all the home depot stores. They assist the customers, help in the sale of the company products, ring up client purchases, and handle receipts or payments made in the store. They also monitor all sorts of freight transport and shipping. Available job offers are listed below-
Cashier
They provide the services of checkout payments and process return transactions for customers. They are required to be accurate through the payment processes and provide a safe service to the clients. They also monitor the self-checkout areas in the store and try to sell relevant products to customers by understanding their project needs. After a year of experience as a cashier, employees can also apply for the service of the Head Cashier. They determine the positions of all cashiers, expedite price checks, approve the markdowns for tool rental, Point of Sale transactions, etc.
Customer Service/Sales Associate
These associates learn about the products sold at the store through company-provided tools. Then, they sell an entire project based on their knowledge of supplies. They are trained to greet, recommend, and qualify customers. Each Sales Associate is assigned a specific area. They have to ensure that the assigned region is clean, safe and the in-stock condition is good.
Freight Service- The associates in this position are constantly involved in loading and unloading trucks. They need to maintain the stocks for the store and on-hands, pricing. They may operate forklifts and move materials from the receiving area to the store. They are expected to have excellent customer service skills.
General Office Associate
They are an important source of communication in warehouses for clients. In addition, they carry out many tasks such as clerical or admin work. Jobs include-
Warehouse Support
These associates mainly manage the Distribution Center (DC). They perform the office duties of a particular assigned area that falls under the DC. Also, they keep a check on all the outbound and inbound activities taking place in the center. They cooperate with other vendors, associates, etc., and establish relationships with internal functional groups and suppliers for providing accuracy and quality at service stores and distribution centers.
DC General Office Associate
They manage the telephone console and receive incoming calls, greet clients, vendors, visitors, job applicants, etc. They are also responsible for the arrangement of escort services. They prepare the list of items to be loaded on specific trucks, manage shipment plans and prepare for their documentation. They are required to be proficient in making operational reports and using computer systems.
General Warehouse Associate
Their main role is to conduct shipping operations smoothly and keep things moving. Also, they help in loading and unloading vehicles like trucks and move them with the aid of equipment such as forklifts, hand trucks, and motor conveyors. Then they head for loading and delivery. Available positions are as follows-
Warehouse Associate
This job requires an HS Diploma or equivalent and a relevant work experience of a minimum of 3 years. These associates have to look after various primary and secondary tasks in the warehouse. They include order verification and packing, shipping, general duties, etc. They may stand for long durations while working or occasionally lift essential equipment. Repetitive movement of hands is required. They must dispose of all scrap material in the warehouse.
Freight Team Associate Countryside
The minimum job requirements include a high school diploma and/or GED. No additional work experience is required. They stock the supplies onto shelves and ensure that the store is fully stocked. They are also responsible for answering customers’ questions, cleaning the aisles, completing all the safety training courses, and following loss prevention policies. They monitor trucks while unloading and safely bring down merchandise.
Warehouse Associate, Shipping, and Receiving
Minimum requirements for the job are a high school diploma and/or GED with at least a year of experience, preferably in remodeling or home improvement. Most of the part of the job includes loading, unloading, and moving products to allotted places. Other tasks are keeping the warehouse clean, organized, safe and assist in completing open services.
Merchandising-In-Store
The Merchandising Associates are assigned with the duty to keep the store arranged by organizing shelves and aisles. Also, they have to keep all the products in place so that customers can easily look for what they want. They are also involved in planogram maintenance, signage maintenance, general bay service, customer service, and overhead organization. They also focus on product resets, merchandising projects and maintain safety as well as accuracy at the forefront.
Lot Associate
They help customers while they load their vehicles. Also, they must monitor the store entrance, look after it, and arrange the required number of carts near it. This position needs the quality of customer interaction since the Lot Associates are the first and the last to interact with the clients.
Benefits
A Home Depot associate is provided several benefits. They are supported by the corporation in every possible manner that can help them take care of their families, themselves, and even any pets they own. Their benefits are listed as follows-
- Availability of physician 24/7 through Teladoc
- Instant rewards and recognition for a job performed fantastically
- Paid parental leave so that the employee can bond with the new member
- Regular merit increases and performance-based bonuses
- Full support for donating to non-profit organizations
- Pet care provided that includes pet sitting and insurance
- 401(K) savings scheme along with company match
- Exclusive discounts provided on day-to-day bills such as that of cellphones
Conclusion
This article encapsulates all the required information about The Home Depot associates, career areas offered, hiring process, and the average salaries of the associates. It is a complete guide to help you throughout your queries about the corporation as well as help you secure a job in this renowned organization.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the hiring process a Home Depot associate goes through?
The first step of the hiring process is an online test conducted by The Home Depot. The applicants are required to have a high score to be considered for the next rounds. Questions are based on plumbing, tools, repairs, sales, gardening, installation, customer service, etc. After passing this round, there will be a telephone screening as well. Then, the company will conduct 2 interviews followed by a drug test. The HR department then verifies the applicant’s documents, checks their answers in the application, and goes through their references. If they consider everything as okay, a part-time job offer is made. The candidate has to prove his or her willingness to work, learn, his or her potential, punctuality, skills, physical strength, and flexibility to be considered for a full-time role in the corporation. Here is a list of commonly asked interview questions-
- What does excellent customer service mean to you?
- Why did you apply for a position at The Home Depot?
- Do you have any experience in cash handling?
- What will you do if a customer wants to buy a part but does not know what it is called?
- How would you help a customer who asks you for suggestions on his DIY project you don’t have much knowledge about?
- Are you comfortable working evening and night shifts?
It is suggested to ask some good questions at the end of the interview process to show your willingness to be a part of the team and make it more interactive and fruitful. Some questions that you can ask the interviewer are as follows-
- What are some day-to-day activities as a Home Depot associate?
- What characteristics have you observed as common among the best performers at this particular position?
- What are some barriers new employees face while working at The Home Depot and how can I overcome them?
- Did anything about the company’s work culture fascinate you during your initial days in the corporation?
What is the average pay scale of Home Depot associates?
An overall hourly rate at The Home Depot is about $13.09 per hour but it can range from $10.79 to $18.84 per hour. The Field Service Technicians at The Home Depot earn the highest pay of about $19.99 per hour whereas the Order Selectors earn the least pay of about $11.36 per hour. The average pay of other prominent job positions are as follows-
- Sales Associate- $12 per hour
- Retail Sales Associate- $12 per hour
- Head Cashier- $13 per hour
- Retail Department Supervisor- $16 per hour
- Merchandiser- $12 per hour
- Cashier- $12 per hour
- Customer Service Associate- $12 per hour
- Warehouse Associate- $15 per hour
