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Or any company really. But we’re concerned with IKEA hiring practices here, so here’s what NOT to do if you want to get hired at IKEA. This took place on the social media site, Twitter.com and is in the public domain. I just recorded it for posterity:

Never mind the appalling lack of language skills; check out the final tweet. Perhaps it’s not the age so much as the lack of maturity that’s holding you back, darlin’. Seriously – social media is called social for a reason … there are lots of people with their ears to the ground and one of them might just be your potential future hiring manager. 4real!

IKEA Drug Testing

To answer the question that’s likely on everyone’s mind: Does IKEA do drug testing prior to employment? Yes. You’ll be asked to submit to a cheek swab, so there’s no faking it with someone else’s pee like if it were a ‘piss test’.

In this type of drug test, a swab that looks similar to a toothbrush with an absorbant pad instead of bristles is held in the mouth between the gum and cheek for a period of 2 minutes, then it is placed into a collection vial to be sent for testing. This form of saliva test can detect marijuana and thc, heroin, cocaine and amphetamines. Unlike urine, or hair tests, the saliva test can only detect drugs used within the previous 72 hours or so.

Still, if you’re slinging my flatpacks around, stay off the weed.

Starring Illeana Douglas and a host of c0-stars, including Justine Bateman, Tom Arnold, Keanu Reeves and others, this second season of the IKEA branded web series is all about who will be voted Co-Worker of the Year. You can vote! Just hit the Easy To Assemble series website to vote.  Watch here each week for a new episode and follow the coverage at IKEAFANS.com!

Tips on how to get a job at IKEA

cscawthon writes to ask about Getting Hired at IKEA:

Hopefully someone can give me some feedback on getting a foot in the door. I have responded to numerous positions, but have never been called for an interview. I am highly qualified, experienced and enthusiastic. I have had experts review my resume, and I know that it is outstanding. I have gone to my local store to try to speak to the hiring manager, but was not able to do so. I have tried to call the HR manager, but only get voice mail. I have left messages, but my call has not been returned. What’s up? Any suggestions?

Answer from fries_n_gravy, a coworker at IKEA Orange, in Costa Mesa, CA:

There’s not really a hiring manager per se; each candidate is reviewed by whoever his/her manager would be (for example, a position in Beds would be picked and interviewed by the Beds manager).

Did you apply online? For some reason the online aspect is highly essential. Go to IKEA | Job search and follow the application process. It looks like there are a number of sales jobs there, so all you have to do is plug in your info and apply for those specific jobs. If all else fails, you can print out a cover letter and resume and leave it with someone downstairs to pass on.

I got hired by going to a job fair that I found out about only a couple of days earlier (sheer luck). After a period of waiting and snacking on Swedish candy, there was a manager-led roundrobin interview with a group of people; after that, the manager filters out the prospective candidates to relevant department managers where they conduct individual interviews.

I’d imagine it’s a little bit more competitive, but it’s way easier to shine in that environment (I know I dazzled the **** out of my manager). Still, for the job fair thing, you need to apply online to be in the system (not sure if they keep a copy of your resume with your file or what). Also, they’re not held all that often, so check with you local IKEA.

Tips on Getting Hired at IKEA:

Apply online first – you must have an online application in the system to be considered for a job.

Be competitive – you are competing against many hundreds of other qualified people for the same job if you’re applying for a new store opening (and these days, even for a regular opening!). Shine.

Don’t count on your resume – Make personal contacts, show up at a job fair, or talk to current co-workers about what’s important to be hired in the department in which you want to work.

Follow up – these days, simply writing a thank you note after an interview may be enough to make you stand out from the crowd.  Call back only if you haven’t heard a thing after 2-3 weeks.

Good luck!

IKEA and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association have reached an agreement that offers the best parental leave plan I’ve ever heard of!  The agreement offers 26 weeks (that’s six months for those of you doing the math!) maternity leave and four weeks paternity leave, at full pay, to Co-workers who have been with the company at least two years. New moms also have the option of taking 12 months maternity leave at half-pay.  The offer is available to same-sex couples as well.

David Hood, Ikea Australia’s country manager, told new.com.au the new agreement aims to

“create a better everyday life for co-workers.

“Despite the prospect of rising unemployment rates, it still remains a challenge to attract and retain a diverse group of co-workers,” he said.

“By offering some of the best employee benefits in Australia, we are demonstrating our commitment to co-workers, and aim to be ranked amongst the best employers of choice in the retail sector.

“Our core customers are families with young children, and we want our co-worker team to reflect this. Supporting family life at home for co-workers is one of the best ways we can achieve this aim.”

Unprecedented job cuts at Ikea due to crisis

Ikea Weighs More Job Cuts as Sales Growth Slows

Over the past ten months, IKEA have slashed 5,000 jobs worldwide, mainly in manufacturing and logistics.

“We have never had to implement such massive job cuts before…. But it is completely necessary to adapt our costs and our capacity to demand, which is weaker than we expected,” managing director Anders Dahlvig said two weeks ago.

He said IKEA was caught off guard by the severity of the economic crisis.

“The sharp downturn of the economy has really surprised us. This downturn is very closely linked to the housing sector and is therefore even worse for our industry. Home decorating has plunged much more than the retail sector in general,” he said.

And yesterday comes this, “There might be layoffs, since we have to adjust the organization to the dampened sales growth,” said spokeswoman Charlotte Lindgren, adding that the company doesn’t yet know how many jobs would be affected.

The economic slowdown has helped IKEA boost its market share as its low-price products have won out over those of more expensive competitors. Nonetheless, its sales are about eight billion Swedish kronor, or $1 billion, below budget for 2009, Ms. Lindgren said.

Although IKEA plans to cut new store growth in half, 14 new stores are due to open this year, an investment worth some 12 billion kronor ($1.5 billion), Dahlvig said.

And new staff will be needed for those stores, so IKEA expects its number of employees worldwide to remain at around 130,000 despite the cutbacks.