challenge
Lack of forecasting. New management. Shifting processes. Demand doubling year over year. All of these factors added up to a very unpredictable workload for one of retail’s top apparel distribution centers. To make matters worse, attrition and absenteeism were rampant during the holiday season — in which labor demand typically increases by 300 percent. This was due in large part to the overtime workers were asked to perform six or even seven days per week. With three shifts operating 24/7 and off days typically falling during the week, all of this added up to a workplace where quality talent was hard to keep motivated — and hard to keep at all.
solution
Randstad leveraged its proprietary Relevate Schedule tool to design a custom solution to increase attendance, cut down on attrition and decrease overtime. It included:
- a flexible schedule for a new pool of candidates
- part-time days
- ability for flex-pool talent to pick up two to five shifts a week based on their preferences and availability - fifteen percent work full time (five shifts/ week) - forty-six percent work three to four shifts/ week - thirty-nine percent work two shifts/week
- zero tolerance for no-shows, with talent able to cancel 24 hours prior to a shift
- a flex pool starting at 20 workers per shift across three shifts to cover the attendance issue
- a flex-pool incentive program to enhance talent attraction and shift pickup
- opened off shifts first to ensure fulfillment, and offered first shift later
- a targeted recruiting plan for talent with a flexible schedule
- a weekly meeting to continually evaluate the composition of the flex pool
- a cross training strategy
- condensed training for seasonal flex worker.
outcome
The outcomes of Randstad’s sweeping reforms became clear almost immediately, including:
- attendance rate of 98 percent, compared to a competing agency’s rate of just 76 percent
- flex pool ramped up to 1,400 workers by peak season’s end, averaging a 2.3:1 ratio to fill 200 slots per shift
- ability to fill open positions on days of unexpectedly increased demand
- reduced overtime from 24 percent to four percent year over year, resulting in a cost savings of $543,551 in a single quarter
- reduced turnover over the course of the quarter by four percent weekly, resulting in further cost savings of $180,787
get in touch
Ready to learn how Randstad can solve attendance challenges, reduce turnover and increase productivity through Relevate Schedule at your facility? Get in touch today.