Businesses on average are running 16.24 different HR tools, according to a survey by Sapient Insights Group. Furthermore, according to a report by Westmonoroe, managers are spending more than 15 hours a week on administrative HR tasks. While managers and operators have many tasks it’s necessary to ensure attracting applicants and providing a top-notch worker experience does not fall through the cracks.
Furthermore, workers are becoming more particular with the jobs that they accept, making good employee management more necessary than ever before. These disadvantages have continued to add up, causing many restaurants to lose current and future employees, which ultimately hurts revenue.
Georgia Foods is a restaurant group that manages 41 Bojangles locations across Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. It is one of many quick-service restaurants that had issues with hiring. “There were certain locations where I was struggling to get applications,” says Rajiv Dinakaren, the Bojangles franchisee for Georgia Foods.
To combat the issue, they turned to Workstream, an HR, Payroll, and Hiring platform designed for the hourly workforce. It is a one-stop shop for all processes from hiring to employee management, allowing employers to screen applicants automatically, instantly schedule interviews, start dates, and much more.
After switching to Workstream, Dinakaren has seen steady growth in several locations. “Within 60 days, all of a sudden, I had 30–40 applications, where previously I would get two or three applications a month.”
Dinakren also noticed how Workstream helped his general managers keep employees for longer periods of time. “Usually within the first 90 days we typically lose people, but I’ve noticed that if we monitor their progress for 30, 60, or 90 days, we’re more likely to hold them for over a year. I think Workstream has helped us keep employees’ progress organized because we are able to keep track of the whole hiring process,” Dinakaren says.
Workstream also has a significant impact on people in charge of hiring for quick-service restaurants. Heather Cunrod, director of people and culture for Georgia Foods, gives her input on how Workstream has cut 50 percent of her workload. Cunrod is responsible for processes such as onboarding and managing digital documents related to hiring and HR.
“The amount of reports I don’t have to fill out manually, the general manager’s ability to go through applications quickly, and the filtering technology of Workstream has cut my time in half,” says Cunrod.
Keeping track of applicants across several different franchise locations is also something Cunrod previously struggled with. “Helping 41 locations with the onboarding process can be hard,” Cunrod says. “With Workstream, I can go in to check the applicant’s compliance and make sure their direct deposit is ready, using only one platform.”
Not only has Workstream helped franchisee owners and recruiters, but it simultaneously makes applicant’s lives a lot easier, too. “I think it’s a lot easier for applicants because they can text to apply, instead of walking into a location and filling out a paper application,” Cunrod says. “Instead, with Workstream, they get a live view of where they are in the hiring process and can even follow up with the manager. It’s a lot more efficient on all ends.”
Applicants’ response rate has also increased when using Workstream, because individuals are able to instantly respond to a text message. “I can have a real time conversation with an applicant and find out when is the best time for them to come in and talk to someone,” Cunrod says.
When asked if they would recommend Workstream, Dinakaren and Cunrod both commented that they highly recommend Workstream due to its support team, streamlining of onboarding and hiring, management of documents, and its reasonable price. Workstream is a valuable all-in-one for HR, payroll, and hiring, making the process less time consuming for employers and more personable and less daunting for applicants.
To learn more about Workstream and how it can benefit your HR management, visit the Workstream website.
By Abby Winterburn
