IKEA SEEKING 400 TO JOIN SWEDISH FAMILY

Recruitment Underway for Store Opening Summer 2009 in Tampa, Florida

TAMPA, FL – IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced it has begun the recruitment process for its future Tampa store, set to open Summer 2009 in the Ybor City-area.  Candidates interested in working at the future IKEA Tampa – the Swedish company’s 3rd store and restaurant destination in Florida, 6th in the Southeast, and 37th in the United States – should look online (www.IKEA-USA.com) for all available positions at the future store.  Candidates without access to a home computer are encouraged to visit a local library for online computer access.

“We are thrilled to offer interested jobseekers diverse positions with limitless opportunity at a global company,” said Monica Varela, store manager of the future IKEA Tampa.  “At IKEA, we realize that the ability to do the things in life that bring success and happiness is extremely valuable to our coworkers.”  

While IKEA Tampa progresses through construction and outfitting, a variety of positions are open to local residents.  Prospective coworkers are welcome to apply for the nearly 400 diverse positions as postings are available in: home furnishings sales, interior decoration, customer service, safety and security, cashiers, maintenance, goods flow, receiving, warehouse and stock replenishment.  Also, setting itself apart from other retailers in the area, IKEA Tampa will offer – among the 400 total positions to be hired for the store – approximately 75 food service opportunities in its Restaurant, Swedish Foodmarket, Café Bistro and coworker cafeteria.

Named in FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list (three consecutive years), Working Mother magazine’s annual list of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” (four consecutive years) and Training magazine’s annual “Top 100” ranking of companies that excel at human capital development (five consecutive years), IKEA places value and emphasis on coworkers’ personal lives and the importance of a work/life balance. 

Drawing from the company’s Swedish heritage, IKEA is committed to a flexible workplace that emphasizes a work/life balance and provides professional opportunities to people from all life situations.  If an IKEA coworker needs to take time off to find a nursing home for an aging parent, be home to kiss their child before bed or have flexible scheduling to best juggle caring for a newborn, one can do so without worrying about risking their career aspirations.

IKEA offers family-friendly initiatives and diverse workplace benefits including full medical/dental insurance to coworkers working 20 hours or more per week with eligibility for domestic partners and children.  Coworkers working less than 20 hours still are eligible for medical and dental insurance.

Other benefits include:  vacation, paid maternity/paternity leave and paid time off for child adoption, tuition assistance, 401(k) match, professional development, training and mentoring programs and, of course, a discount on IKEA purchases.  The organization puts career opportunity into the hands of the individual, encouraging coworkers to consider assignments within different functions, at other IKEA stores or even in other countries.  IKEA prides itself on the fact that an opportunity to work at IKEA truly can evolve into a career, and also can serve as a gateway to global experience as well.

Under construction on 29 acres along Adamo Drive at 22nd Street and the Crosstown Expressway, the 353,000 square-foot IKEA Tampa will feature nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, three model homes, 50 room settings, a supervised children’s play area, a 350-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon plates, as well as American dishes.  Other family-friendly features will include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store.  Also, IKEA will generate significant tax revenue for state and local governments.  When IKEA Tampa opens in Summer 2009, the new store will welcome 400 coworkers to the IKEA family of more than 11,000 coworkers in the United States and 130,000 globally.