Yodel is seeking 5,000 additional drivers, self-employed couriers and warehouse staff as it gears up for the Christmas peak.

It is looking for 750 warehouse staff, 760 employed drivers and 470 self-employed van drivers, along with 2,830 self-employed couriers to make deliveries in their local area on a part-time basis to help cope with the influx in volumes. It expects to handle up to a million parcels a day during its busiest period.

On top of this, Yodel is also looking for three service centre managers, three operations managers, 40 service delivery managers and 135 staff to fill customer service and admin roles.

It began the recruitment process in September to ensure that staff are trained ahead of the peak period. Yodel anticipates that many positions will become permanent following the peak, in response to growing volumes.

Executive chairman Dick Stead said: “Many of the vacancies are flexible and perfect for those who want to fit work around families, or who have retired but want to remain active and earn some extra cash. Others are full-time and we expect many people to stay on beyond December. Whatever the job, we’re giving everyone working for us the tools they need to deliver a top service.”

It is hoping to increase its workforce nationwide, but is particularly focused on recruiting in London and the South East, Aberdeen, Carlisle, Edinburgh, East Kilbride, Glasgow, Hayes, Leamington, Middleton, Northampton, Reading, Selby, Tilehurst and Southampton.

Yodel handled over 14 million parcels in the 24 days leading up to Christmas 2013, sorting over 860,000 on its busiest day alone.

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