Chipotle will celebrate ‘National Career Day’ by hiring 4,000 new workers

NEW YORK — Chipotle is going on a hiring spree: It wants to bring on 4,000 new employees in one day.

The company said Monday that it's planning a mass hiring for September 9 that would increase its workforce by about 6.7%. On that day, every Chipotle across the U.S. will open early to interview 60 applicants at each location.

The new hires will be in entry-level positions that earn an average hourly pay of $10 an hour and get a 401(K). Chipotle also began offering all staff access to paid vacations and tuition reimbursements in July.

In a bid to lure applicants, Chipotle is advertising opportunities to move up at Chipotle. About 95% of its managers are promoted from within the company, and 10,000 entry-level workers were promoted to management positions over the past year, according to a press release.

Company spokesperson Chris Arnold said the average time an employee goes from entry-level crew to general manager is about 20 months.

Fast food companies have been facing a shrinking pool of applicants. As the economy strengthens, workers have been looking for jobs with more benefits and higher compensation.

That's led to a trend of boosting offerings to workers. Some companies including Starbucks and McDonald's have recently hiked wages.

Other companies, like Dunkin' and Buffalo Wild Wings, have pushed back against governments raising the minimum wage. They argue the fast food industry is meant to be a stopping point for young workers who are headed on to other jobs or industries.

Arnold said Chipotle's philosophy is just the opposite. The company wants its employees to stick with Chipotle and move on to higher positions.

The company's career path includes kitchen manager (with a company-wide average salary of $33,000 annually), service manager ($36,000), apprentice ($53,000), and general manager ($67,000).

"Working here isn't just a job, but a career where employees learn how to make others better, run a successful business, master culinary skills, and most importantly, lead teams of top performers," Monty Moran, co-chief executive officer at Chipotle, said in a statement.

There's also a group of "restaurateurs" that make between $125,000 and $133,000 per year along with stock privileges and a company car. Chipotle says there are about 500 such positions with the company now.

The company is opening between 190 and 205 new restaurants in 2015, according to its public filings. Its current portfolio includes more than 1,800 locations.

Chipotle wants applicants to register for interviews at NationalCareerDay.com. On September 9, there will be a three-hour window for registered applicants to interview with management on a first-come-first-serve basis.