In all the thinkpieces there are about millennials and how they are changing the workforce, a common element is that this generation of workers wants to have more control over where, how, and why they do their jobs. It’s the Uber influence writ large.
One of the major areas where this plays out – and where the most notable advances have surfaced – is in hourly positions, namely your retail and service-industry jobs. I’ll take you through a few innovations that I think are poised to really make an impact and address high-volume recruiting challenges:
High Volume RPO
I’ll start close to home and talk about Cielo’s solution for hourly hiring woes, something we call High Volume RPO.
There are 79 million people – or 58.7% of all U.S. workers – who are paid hourly, and these folks play an incredibly important role, being on the front lines of an organization and often having the power to singlehandedly determine a customer’s experience. It cannot be overstated how vital it is to get this right.
Which is why it’s disturbing that there is a 49% turnover rate for hourly employees, averaging out to a cost of $4,969 per employee. Much of the problem comes in the way hourly hiring is currently done, an inefficient process that doesn’t serve the organization or the candidate well. What we’ve come up with is a technology-first approach that ensures a better experience for candidates and hiring managers, along with better results for the organization. Features include:
- Programmatic advertising: Instead of simply posting to job boards, we use smart ads that reach specific candidate demographics by targeting them where they append their time online (Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Instagram). This optimizes the organization’s ad spend and increases the quality of talent, not just quantity.
- Assessment and matching: A great way to see if a potential candidate will succeed is to compare them to high-performing current employees. Our artificial intelligence-backed assessment tools narrow the applicant pool to only qualified candidates and give accurate predictions of job success.
- Interview self-scheduling: One of the biggest pain points in the hourly hiring process is trying to coordinate everyone’s schedules. Hundreds of hours can be wasted trying to arrange interviews, so by automating the process and letting qualified candidates choose their own interview times, the process runs more smoothly and everyone’s experience is better.
That’s just a peek at High Volume RPO. Visit cielotalent.com/highvolumerpo to get the whole picture.
Getting Paid Instant-ly
The all-bets-are-off attitude of the gig economy has grown to include giving us options as to how and when we get paid. The basic payroll system hasn’t changed much at all in the centuries since the Industrial Revolution, with many of us getting our paycheck every two weeks. But it is now possible to shorten that to whatever interval best suits the employee – even daily!
And this isn’t just a matter of convenience for many employees. Having more frequent access to their pay could help offset the financial hardships brought about by interest payments, surcharges, penalties, reconnections, short-term loans and other not-so-great situations.
That is where an app like Instant comes in, giving employees access to more of their pay sooner. They are able to withdraw cash, make purchases on a card, pay bills, or transfer funds – everything they need to operate their own cashflow. This helps reduce the employees’ stress level, while also proving a major boon to the organization’s employer brand.
Instant has already found success in the hospitality industry, with organizations like McDonald’s, Hardee’s and Bloomin’ Brands (Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill) offering raves.
Wonolo Connects Workers With Shifts
It’s not always easy to predict how much work needs to be done and how many workers are needed to do it. Wonolo connects organizations with qualified people in their area who are looking for work for the day.
In essentially transforming (i.e., replacing) the typical temp agency experience, Wonolo gives more flexibility to employers and employees, getting people to the jobsite without having to go through resume screenings, interviews, onboarding and everything else that comes before actual productivity starts. Apps that help connect workers use badges and ratings to ensure that workers are of high quality just like a traditional agency might.
The ever-changing dynamic of the workplace is thrilling to some and scary to others, with benefits like freedom and flexibility countered by concerns about protection for workers and financial sustainability. And the truth is we’re just at the beginning. But the more you can learn about these innovations, their effect on the marketplace and how they could work to benefit your organization, the more prepared you’ll be for whatever changes are down the road.
Post contributed by Adam Godson, Cielo’s Vice President of Global Technology Solutions. Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamGodson or connect with him on LinkedIn.