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HOME DEPOT PRE-HIRING WORKSHOPS ARE THURSDAY

July 9, 2003 – Home Depot representatives are conducting pre-employment orientation workshops Thursday for individuals interested in applying for 150 to 200 positions that will be available in its St. Thomas store, which is scheduled to open in December.
The retailing giant is working with the local Labor Department's Job Service Division in holding the three workshops at the Holiday Inn Windward Passage Hotel. They are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. and last for two hours.
The sessions are "to facilitate the screening process for the hiring of sales associates, sales specialists, cashiers, receiving and freight specialists and supervisors," Arah Lockhart, Job Service Division director, said Wednesday.
"There will be no job applications taken" Thursday, Lockhart explained. "The primary purpose of the workshops is to facilitate the application and pre-interview process" for the company.
Julio Alonso, Home Depot's human relations manager in Puerto Rico, where the company has eight stores, was on St. Thomas on Wednesday conducting interviews for management positions, including those of store manager, assistant manager and human resources manager, Lockhart said. For those positions, "We will have interviewed 16 individuals as of 5 p.m. today, and a few more are scheduled tomorrow," she said.
For the management positions, she said, "We reviewed and selected and referred individuals who had submitted resumes to us indicating interest in those particular positions."
As required by law, Lockhart said, the Labor Department "will conduct all screening" for the Home Depot openings. At the workshops, she said, "because we know so little about Home Depot and most consumers here know nothing about Home Depot, we intend to provide basic knowledge regarding customer service expectations. We expect attendees to understand the level of customer service expected of job candidates."
The workshops also will cover employee rights and responsibilities, including such things as probationary hiring and part-time versus full-time work, she said. She noted that Home Depot "has a personnel handbook" and that, with regard to being unionized, "I'm sure they may not be."
Following the workshops, "Whatever follow-up assistance these individuals need, we will schedule in-house," she said.
When it does come time to apply for positions, candidates for all positions must have a high school diploma or equivalent, be registered with the Job Service Division, and submit a resume. Division personnel will provide assistance with resume preparation for those who need it.
Lockhart said she does not know how many of the 150 to 200 positions are full-time. Efforts to reach Alonso for more information were unsuccessful.
The store, under construction at Market Square East, is scheduled to open Dec. 11.
All persons interested in applying for Home Depot jobs must attend a workshop, according to a Labor Department release. For more information, call the Job Service Division at 776-3700, ext. 2129.

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