Royal Mail launches bid to hire almost 22,000 festive workers - how to apply

Royal Mail launches bid to hire almost 22,000 festive workers - how to apply Royal Mail has kicked off its annual hiring spree to cope with a surge in letter and parcel deliveries in the run-up to Christmas Royal Mail has launched a Christmas recruitment drive with plans to hire almost 22,000 temporary workers to cope with the festive rush. The postal giant said it needed stand-in staff to help transport, sort and deliver the additional parcels and mail over the busy period. It added that seasonal jobs often act as a way to get permanent jobs. It comes as Royal Mail bids to improve its track record for deliveries after being for missing targets in the past. The hiring spree includes 12,500 mail sorting roles available in England, 1,243 in Scotland, 485 in Northern Ireland and 355 in Wales. There are also 5,000 delivery and collection roles available across the country and 2,100 temporary truck driver roles. The roles include a large number at two parcel "super hubs" in Warrington and Daventry, five seasonal parcel sorting centres in, Atherstone, Stoke-on-Trent, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Daventry., as well as four parcel hubs in Stonebridge Park, London, Wishaw, Scotland, Severn Beach, Bristol, and Wakefield, Yorkshire, along with 37 mail centres across the country. Seasonal workers are needed from late October to early January, including the busy time around Black Friday and Cyber Monday but will be at its peak in December. Those wanting to apply should visit Royal Mail's recruitment website for more details. Jamie Stephenson, Royal Mail Chief Operating Officer, said : “Christmas is the busiest and most important time of the year for our customers, and we're working hard across every part of our operation to deliver for them. "While many people start thinking about Christmas as the festive season approaches, we've been planning for it since January. From recruiting thousands of seasonal colleagues to strengthening capacity across our network, we're making significant investments to help ensure every card, gift and parcel arrives in time for Christmas.” The company added that it was particularly welcomes applications from people aged under 25, including those with no experience.