The need for speed: Jumpstart your hiring process for hourly workers

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of U.S. job openings recently hit 10 million. Most of the openings are positions in hourly sectors like retail and warehousing. One in four employers is experiencing over 30% turnover among frontline workers, and 60% reported turnover of more than 10%, according to recent research from Fountain.

The competition for hourly workers is high. They can quickly pivot and work for DoorDash, Uber, or Amazon in a few simple clicks. According to Fountain, 80-90% of frontline workers are looking for easy-to-apply-for jobs on their phones and tablets. However, many employers still utilize traditional Applicant Tracking Systems and require resumes, lengthy interviews, and other hurdles to get started. Then, there’s often a 2 to 4-week wait for the first paycheck. With this kind of timeline, you miss out on a fast-moving, fluid workforce. Last holiday season, a friend’s son applied, was accepted, did the onboarding paperwork, and got a schedule with UPS all in one night, all online.

Here’s how to jumpstart your hiring of hourly workers:

1) Strip down your application for these jobs to just what you need to decide whether you want to have a conversation. Gather other data (if absolutely necessary) later in the process.

2) Make the application easy to complete on a tablet or phone. Test it again and again to make sure it works.

3) Streamline your vetting process. Aim for one interview or one visit – and utilize automation tools like video interviewing – to make it easy for candidates to proceed through the process.

4) Once an employee is onboard, offer opportunities to build new skills through upskilling and ways to continue to move within your organization.

5) Engage with daily pay or other payroll options that allow you to pay more frequently or after work is completed. This helps to keep hourly employees engaged and coming back.