Dive Brief:

• Chipotle will host its first national hiring event of the year called "Coast to Coast Career Day" on Thursday with the goal of hiring 15,000 new employees across the U.S., according to a press release. 
• The fast casual chain is requiring applicants to reserve an interview time online. They'll be held between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time. Meetings will occur with proper COVID-19 protocols in place, including mandatory masks and social distancing. Outdoor interviews will be based on candidate preference and restaurant location. 
• The company, which is looking to open about 200 restaurants in the future, has made larger hiring pushes in the past year. In July, the company said it would hire 10,000 new employees on top of 8,000 previous new hires.

Dive Insight:

Despite the recent employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing a dramatic increase in job losses in December for the industry, Chipotle — like many QSRs — is bucking the trend as it continues to hire thousands of workers. Domino's, Pizza Hut and Papa John's also have had larger employee recruitment efforts to add workers to their stores or supply chain centers following a bump in same-stores sales growth with more customers ordering pizza during the pandemic.

To help attract and retain employees during the height of the pandemic, Chipotle offered field leaders, apprentices and managers nearly $6.5 million in discretionary bonuses. In March, it offered hourly employees with a 10% pay increase through mid-April. Last year, the company paid over $40 million in bonuses and assistance pay to its restaurant workers, according to the press release, and had nearly 11,000 internal promotions and over 70% of its general managers in place because of internal hires. 

Prior to the pandemic, Chipotle began offering a quarterly bonus program in 2019 to stores that meet certain goals. The company also has covered over $13 million in college tuition costs, offers paid sick leave, mental health care, access to English as a second language for employees and families, tuition reimbursement, debt-free colleges degrees, among other benefits. 

The additional employees will help Chipotle keep up with the rapid growth its seen across its digital platforms, which was expected to surpass $2.5 billion during 2020. During Q3 2020, digital sales accounted for nearly 49% of total sales. The company is shifting its future real estate portfolio to be heavily weighted on its Chipotlanes, which generate a higher throughput than traditional locations. Chipotle also opened its first digital-only restaurant in late 2020, a model that is expected to allow the chain to grow into more urban locations that wouldn't necessarily support a traditional location.