General Motors announced a delay in plans to hire 3,000 salaried workers in 2022 because the company is ahead of schedule in its hiring.

GM already hired 7,000 new salaried workers in 2022, said spokeswoman Maria Raynal. 

The automaker put an emphasis on technical hires in GM's engineering, strategy and innovation, digital and IT departments, Raynal said.

She noted the company will delay filling some open positions because of its fast hiring pace in recent months. "We are essentially ahead of schedule with our planned 2022 hiring,” she said

Raynal did not say how long the delay would last. She did say the automaker expects to have about 3,000 open positions through the end of the year. The company will repost the jobs on a rolling basis throughout the year on its career website, Raynal said.

Reynal said GM's hiring will continue during the upcoming months. "It’s not unusual to retime hiring of some positions for a variety of reasons — which is what is going on in this case,”she said.

In January, the automaker announced plans to hire 400 software specialists and more than 8,000 people across various technology teams and other areas of the company. The hiring also extends to GM Defense, GM's wholly owned subsidiary that makes products for the military.

Last year, GM reported hiring 10,000 people globally. GM hired 3,000 engineers in 2020 to accelerate its development of EVs and self-driving cars.

GM offers a Work Appropriately policy that lets employees work remotely if their job allows for it. The automaker also offers a benefits package that includes 15 to 30 paid vacations days, depending on length of service, plus paid time off for national holidays, a commitment to diversity and an inclusive environment.

Though the benefits set the company apart, GM still struggles to hire and keep manufacturing help.