GameStop hiring 17,000 for holiday season

GameStop plans to hire 17,000 people across the United States in preparation for the upcoming holiday shopping season, including the launch of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 next month. International hiring plans were not mentioned.

The positions include in-store Game Advisors, consumer electronic technicians within its refurbishment operation center in Texas, and warehouse personnel for the company's two distribution centers.

These seasonal employees will work part-time shifts during the week, weeknights, and weekends. They will receive the same 15 percent discount that standard employees get.

"In the weeks leading up to the holidays, GameStop experiences a substantial peak in the number of customers it services online and within its retail stores," the company said in a statement. "As a result, ensuring that there is an adequate number of talented Game Advisor staff to support this increase in store traffic is a priority in order to maintain the high quality of customer service shoppers expect from GameStop."

GameStop said the holiday season is the company's busiest time of the year, accounting for about 40 percent of annual revenue. The company described its hiring plans as "critical" for success during this period.

Recruiting efforts are currently underway. Those interested in applying for positions can visit GameStop's careers section on its website. This year's 17,000 planned new hires is "in line" with the number of new employees GameStop added during the same holiday season last year.

Coming aboard as seasonal help could lead to a full-time position, GameStop said. In 2012, between 25-30 percent of seasonal employees were hired on full-time at the retailer for the next year, the company said.