Anticipating an increase in customers during the 2024 “burrito season” from March to May, Chipotle Mexican Grill has announced plans to recruit approximately 19,000 additional workers, marking a 27% rise in recruitment from January 2023's goal of 15,000 hires.
Currently employing over 110,000 workers, Chipotle's new hiring initiative comes on the heels of considerable job losses across the restaurant industry owing to the Coronavirus pandemic. The positions that were lost to the pandemic had only been reinstated by September 2023. A significant number of previous restaurant workers have since found employment in warehouse roles, attracted by the enhanced protection against the virus as well as improved working conditions.
Many of Chipotle's outlets are strategically located near university campuses, hence indicating an expected surge in student customers during the springtime. In a bid to entice young potential hires, the company is offering financial benefits such as a match of 4% of their salaries to a 401k. This perk is only available to those employees who are regularly making student loan payments.
In an effort to support their employees' financial health, Chipotle has also joined hands with Cred.ai to give workers the opportunity to build their credit scores. This partnership focusses on providing cards that don't allow overspending, providing a safety net for employees.
Besides the recruitment, Chipotle is also focusing on fostering a healthy lifestyle for their customers. They have collaborated with Strava, a fitness application, to encourage and reward healthy habits. Strava has integrated Chipotle-based “segments” which terminate at the brand's locations in six major cities. The customer who completes the most segments gets rewarded with free lifestyle bowls for a year. This innovative partnership was conceived after the discovery that a vast majority of Chipotle customers are runners who enjoy a meal at the restaurant post their workout sessions.