Stores at RSW see need to fill positions with increased travel

Southwest Florida International Airport is back to pre-pandemic levels when it comes to travelers and with all the crowds, and stores at the airport need help. So a company is working to get new people into positions that need to be filled.

“We’re about 85% staffed,” said Rachel Berta, the general manager of Paradies Lagardère at RSW. “We’re seeing pre-pandemic levels of passengers, which is really great to see, so I would say we’re looking for an additional 10 employees.”

Paradies Lagardère runs 18 stores at the airport, and it needs 10 new employees right away. That might not sound like a lot, but Berta expects that number to go up with the expected spike in passengers this summer.

“I don’t see the slowdown happening at all, so I think we’ll just continue to increase employees with increased passengers,” Berta explained.

In April 2019, more than 1.1 million people flew through RSW. In April 2021, it was more than 1.1 million people. So the battle to get new people hired is real at the airport too.

“We offer a lot of unique incentives right now,” Berta said. “We have a $300 hiring bonus. We have paid shift meals, which isn’t typical for a retailer. We also offer health benefits and flexible schedules.”

Berta told us any experience is welcome. If it’s your first job, they’ll train you to fill the role.

There will be an airport jobs fair 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 16 at the Drury Inn & Suites. The fair will not be limited to retail position openings.

Prospective hires can begin applying to position openings ahead of the job fair. Anyone interested can visit the careers page on the Paradies Lagardère website.

MORE: Careers| Paradies Lagardère