Working at Adidas
Adidas AG is a German-based corporation with a 96-year history and an iconic presence in the sports world. Adidas is known for manufacturing sportswear, including athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. Today, Adidas is the second-largest sportswear company in the world after Nike and the largest in Europe.
If you are seeking a job with Adidas, learn about the company’s background check and hiring policies, its response to COVID-19, and more.
The Adidas Legacy
Adidas got its start in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik, which translates to “Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.” The business as a joint venture between founder Adolf Dassler and his brother, Rudolf, with a focus on manufacturing running shoes. The company got a significant boost in 1936 when American sprinter Jesse Owens wore Dassler Brothers shoes in the German Olympics. Owens went on to win four gold medals.
In 1949, a falling out between Adolf and Rudolf caused the two to split Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory in half. Adolf’s half of the company became Adidas; Rudolf’s became Puma. In 2006, Adidas bought Reebok to bring it closer to the competitive level of Nike. The Reebok brand still operates under the Adidas Group umbrella today.
Jobs at Adidas
In 2019, Adidas ranked 480th on the Fortune Global 500 with $25.92 billion in revenue and 57,016 employees worldwide. Jobs with the company include positions in design, product development, R&D, engineering, marketing and communications, accounting and finance, human resources, customer service, information technology, sales, legal affairs, supply chain management, and retail.
A multinational corporation, Adidas currently has 951 open positions across 275 locations in 40 countries.
If you are applying for a job with Adidas, you can typically expect a background check to be part of that process. Background checks to work at Adidas vary from job to job and position to position. Criminal history checks, verifications of education or work history, drug screenings, and credit history checks may all be a part of this process.
The company may also require particular skill or aptitude tests depending on the position. For instance, Adidas jobs in other countries will likely require fluency in non-English languages.
Adidas and COVID-19
Adidas responded to the COVID-19 pandemic early because it operates in China, where the first outbreaks began. From the start, Adidas put health and safety protocols in place for Chinese factories and suppliers and policies to ensure continued pay for workers affected by outbreak-related shutdowns.
Adidas has also collaborated closely with the World Health Organization to determine safe protocols for operating its stores, supplied first responders with 18,000 face shields and 100,000 masks, donated millions of dollars to relief funds (and matched employee donations to COVID-19 relief efforts), and more.