With 11,500 employees and growing, we’re proud of the motivated and passionate workforce we have created over the years. All staff, from stores to warehouses and our corporate offices, have an important role to play in the success of our business. This is why we are excited to be recognised as a Winner for Employer of Choice in the Australian Business Awards 2018.
The Employer of Choice Award recognises organisations which have developed leading workplaces. As such, ALDI has been acknowledged for its effective employee recruitment, engagement and retention practices.
There is no shortage of Australians who are drawn to work for our continually growing business, so much so that almost half a million people apply for roles at ALDI Australia each year.
Here are some of the reasons people want to work for us:
Core values
Our employees live and breathe our core values; consistency, simplicity and responsibility.
Consistency: We mean what we say! Throughout our business, no matter what department you work in, our dealings remain consistent, whether dealing with people, product, price or operations. Because of our consistency, we have earned Australia’s trust- recently being named Most Trusted Brand in Australia in a recent Roy Morgan survey of 4,000 brands.
Simplicity: This value creates efficiency, clarity and clear orientation within our business. You’ll notice ALDI’s simplicity the minute you walk into one of our stores. We stock our merchandise on pallets and in boxes so it’s easy for staff to stock shelves. We don’t offer single-use plastic bags. We have no loyalty programs. Our operations at all levels mean we save on costs. These cost savings are then passed onto our customers.
Responsibility: We take responsibility for everyone we deal with, whether it’s our customers, suppliers or the environment. Being responsible means we exhibit principles such as fairness, honesty and openness. We believe that Australians want to spend their money with us because we are fair, transparent and do the right thing.
Culture
It’s not just our operations that are designed with simplicity and efficiency in mind- our company culture also follows this principle. We focus on doing the basics well! Our culture is the reason our employees enjoy coming to work every day.
Our unique company culture helps distinguish us from our competitors. We don’t offer elaborate rewards and recognition programs. We don’t have smoothie bars or offer dry cleaning, but we do have highly engaged employees. Instead of fancy incentives, we like to empower our workforce. We value our employees, and in turn they recognise the huge impact their role has on the business every day. Without them, our business would not be a success, and we find that this sense of merit is why our employees take great pride in their work.
From the moment a potential candidate views an ALDI job ad, we are upfront about our hard working ethos. Once a candidate decides they would like to apply, the recruitment process is designed to check for cultural fit; utilising tools such as assessment centres, video interviews, psychometric testing and competency based behavioural interviews.
Having a unique culture means that we must ensure successful candidates are inducted into the ‘ALDI way’ seamlessly. We want employees to know they are supported at every step. Our high quality induction and onboarding training is simple and targeted to equip our employees with the right skills to perform their job.
An essential leadership principle of ALDI is that each individual treats their colleagues the same way they wish to be treated. With a focus on our people, ALDI has established principles known as the ALDI Management System (AMS). The AMS outlines our organisational structure and describes how we work together in a goal oriented manner. Above all, our AMS guidelines provide principles for how to empower our people to make a difference.
Never stop learning
Once in the job, we want to make sure our employees are continually learning. That’s why we have programs in place to support development and career progression. In fact, 79% of our staff at Director level or above have been promoted to these positions from within the ALDI business.
One way we facilitate development is through our Future Leaders program, where we recognise high performers in our stores and train them to become Store Managers. We also offer Secondments to Executive Managers across the business, helping to expand their knowledge base and expose them to various departments. Our Graduate Program has also proven to be a success, whereby a handful of university graduates are selected from thousands of applicants to undertake 18 months of training to become an ALDI Area Manager. The Graduate Program exposes future Area Managers to different facets of the business, from store operations, purchasing, financial administration, logistics and even property management. Take a look at what our Area Managers do day-to-day here.
Benefits
Our staff are ambitious, hardworking and dynamic, and in turn are rewarded with industry leading salaries.
ALDI remuneration practices are like our business; simple, efficient and designed with our people in mind. We offer market leading remuneration that is transparent and fair. Employees are hired at above industry rates. We provide pay equality for all staff, regardless of gender or any other demographic characteristics. Our parental leave policy is available to all staff, which can access up to 18 weeks at half pay upon the birth or adoption of a child.
We take a practical approach to health and safety, optimising our work processes to create healthier and more pleasant working conditions. Initiatives to help our employees stay healthy include flu vaccinations, counselling services and our Wellness Program, which includes discounted health insurance.
Award winning employer
Other awards under our belt include:
- Australia’s Top Retail and FMCG Graduate Employer 2018 (GradConnection) and 6th place across all industries
- Silver Employer of Choice, Top Performer in Recruitment & Onboarding and Top Performer in Diversity & Inclusion in the Human Resource Director Magazine 2018 Employer of Choice Awards
- Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customers – Supermarkets in 2018, 2016, 2015 and 2014
- Gold LearnX Awards in 2018 for Best Induction/Onboarding Training Project, Best Workplace Health & Safety Training Project and Best Learning Design Team.
- Retail Employer of the Year and runner-up Retailer of the Year in the 2017 Australian Retail Awards
- 2017 Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Liquor Store of the year
- Finalist in the 2018 Employer of Choice Awards (>1000 employees) – Australian HR Awards
- Placed in the Top 100 Graduate Employers of 2018 by GradAustralia
For more information on working for ALDI, visit https://www.aldicareers.com.au