Sponsored by Sprockets
Restaurant operators often face challenges in understanding and meeting the needs of employees. True success comes from aligning staff experiences with the company’s goals.
Achieving this requires open, clear communication between operators and their teams, ensuring employees are happy and fulfilled in their roles, which is crucial to creating a thriving operation.
According to Trade Press Services, effective communication motivates 85 percent of employees to be more engaged in the workplace. It could include conducting regular check-ins, asking for feedback, and addressing complaints before they become major issues. This two-way communication can keep employees motivated to achieve the company’s vision and goals. However, frontline leaders don’t always have the time or tools to accomplish this consistent communication at scale in hourly workplaces.
Sprockets, an AI-powered solution that assists operators in sourcing, screening, and hiring the ideal employees, recently acquired HourWork, a leading provider of post-hire engagement and increased retention. “HourWork has provided us with an avenue to connect with team members and take care of challenges immediately,” says Renzo Bassanini, chief people officer at Bluemont Group, LLC. (a Dunkin’ franchisee) “Our turnover curve keeps going down.”
Once a candidate is hired, HourWork’s tools encourage open and effortless communication. “I believe that 95 percent of people start their day with good intentions to get things done, but obstacles can arise,” Bassanini says. “If operators maintain communication and monitor the situation, they can make adjustments for the better. When team members provide feedback, such as pointing out gaps in training, operators can address those issues. Whether it’s a store-level, market-level, or district-level problem, operators can act on the data to close the gap.”
HourWork’s retention suite is a powerful addition to the already successful Sprockets platform. The suite enables two-way communication through regular touchpoints, such as text messages and exit surveys, allowing operators to gather actionable feedback.
Personalized messages, like birthday and anniversary wishes, are also automatically sent out to make employees feel valued. “The suite allows us to send company-wide announcements, keeping everyone informed without requiring responses,” Bassanini says.
The acquisition of HourWork enables Sprockets to cover every stage of the employment journey. Sprockets excels at managing the application flow and attracting quality candidates, and the addition of HourWork helps retain employees once on board. “Sprockets is essentially closing the loop on the entire employee lifecycle—hiring, promoting, and retaining,” Bassanini says. “They offer a complete solution for managing talent from start to finish.”
The combination of Sprockets and HourWork optimizes hiring and enhances communication and engagement, so operators can better understand what their employees truly need. “Correcting team member-related issues with Sprockets and HourWork can be the ‘secret sauce’ to an operator’s success,” Bassanini says. These tools help tackle the critical challenges of providing clear expectations while ensuring team members feel valued to foster a strong sense of connection and purpose.
To learn more about Sprockets and HourWork, visit the website today.
By Abby Winterburn
