Lidl GB is ringfencing job interviews for people who have been out of work for at least six months as part of a new hiring push across its stores and warehouses.

The discounter will reserve 10 per cent of interview slots for entry-level roles at every new store it opens over the next 12 months.

It will also set aside at least 480 interview opportunities across its 13 warehouses.

Candidates taking part in the scheme will not need to submit a CV and will instead be fast-tracked directly to the interview stage.

Lidl said the initiative was designed to remove barriers for people who have struggled to get back into work and create a more accessible route into retail employment.

The supermarket is working with local employability organisations, including Department for Work and Pensions partners and the Restart scheme, to identify eligible candidates and help them prepare for interviews.

Lidl GB chief people officer Stephanie Rogers said unemployment was affecting communities across the country and adding to the pressure already facing many households.

“For people who are facing barriers into employment, getting that first opportunity can be the hardest step,” she said.

“That’s why we’re fast-tracking interviews across the nation to help people get a foot in the door.”

The move comes as Lidl pushes ahead with one of the largest store opening programmes in UK grocery.

In April, the discounter said it would open more than 50 new stores over the next 12 months as part of a £600m investment in its British infrastructure.

The expansion is expected to create almost 2,000 jobs, with new stores planned in locations including Abbots Langley, Warrington and Thornbury.

The recruitment scheme also lands against a tougher backdrop for the UK jobs market.

The latest ONS figures show UK vacancies fell by 19,000 to 707,000 in the three months to May, the lowest level since early 2021.

Vacancies in the wholesale and retail trade sector were down by 13,000 year on year, the largest annual fall of any industry.

Lidl said people who believe they are eligible but have not been contacted by DWP or one of its partner organisations can reach out through the retailer’s careers site.

The grocer has also confirmed a £50,000 donation to homelessness charity Standing Tall, following a pilot in Runcorn last year that helped connect people experiencing homelessness with roles in Lidl stores.

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