Asda will soon begin its recruitment drive to fill roles at stores the supermarket acquired from Netto last year, according to Asda’s head of resourcing, Vikki Gartside.

Following Asda’s purchase of some 200 Netto stores, it will create more than 1,000 new roles, ranging from hourly paid colleagues to retail management. The supermarket hopes to recruit from former Netto employees at the sites and other Asda chain colleagues using a combination of its new online recruitment system, its legacy applicant tracking system and the Asda website.

According to Gartside, the converted supermarkets will take on the Asda brand and culture rather than become hybrids. While both supermarkets have a focus on cost and the customer, one of the key differentiators between the two brands is the “leanness” of Netto’s operations.

“Netto is very entrepreneurial - because of the leanness of their operation they have to be on their toes. There is a lot more structure and process to Asda … I think that is a more positive thing for the colleagues coming over.”

Gartside added that Asda had been waiting for the green light from the Office of Fair Trading to begin recruitment. The supermarket had acquired 200 stores and had to sell 40+ locations to Haldanes, Iceland and Morrisons. With the first converted stores opening this spring, recruitment will start imminently.

“We would induct former Netto colleagues in the same way that we do with anyone new to Asda. We have a great induction programme called Best Welcome and everybody who joins the business whether that’s through an acquisition or external recruitment would go through that process. That seeks to give people in a short period of time a snapshot of what it’s like to work here, our brand, our culture and our heritage of where we have come from.”