Convenience Stores Turn to Kronos® for Best Hires in a Down Economy
Surge in job applicants and fewer job openings drive demand for higher levels of precision in retail selection and hiring
2009-01-12
NEW YORK, Jan 12, 2009 — The current macro-economic climate has created a massive selection and hiring challenge in retail. For convenience store operators, the challenge is further magnified as hiring quality associates across hundreds of locations is a daunting but critical task for ensuring a consistent customer service experience. The job applicant pool is much larger now, with candidates from varied backgrounds applying for hourly retail jobs, while open positions have dropped significantly from a year ago. With superior customer service being imperative moving forward, and turnover remaining a costly challenge, leading convenience stores are turning to the selection and hiring solution from Kronos®Incorporated to hire and retain the best associates.
Reducing turnover costs; improving retention
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores recently selected the Kronos solution for effective selection and hiring to improve retention. "For long-term success, we picked Kronos to help us make a difference in our selection of best-fit candidates," noted Matt Thompson, director of recruiting at Love's. "We expect to improve retention as well." Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores operates more than 200 locations in more than 30 states.
Sourcing is not a challenge but selecting the best is
SAPP Bros. Travel Centers noticed a surge in the number of candidates looking for work this year, which made the selection process more challenging. "With the Kronos solution already implemented, we had access to superior selection tools to face the enhanced challenges this year," said Mary Eriksen, human resources/safety manager at SAPP Bros. Travel Centers. "We are receiving significantly higher numbers of applications this season representing a wide range of experience and qualifications. However, our mission is clear - we need people who understand customer service - but without Kronos, it would have been a much more difficult challenge to navigate through this extensive applicant pool to select and hire the best associates that can deliver superior service." SAPP Bros. Travel Centers operates 16 travel centers across eight states.
Improving efficiencies in selection and hiring processes
Tesoro Petroleum Corporation wanted a solution that would reduce inefficiencies associated with manual selection and hiring processes. "Automating with the Kronos system has enabled job seekers to have access to 24/7 online applications," said Patrick Chalfin, retail human resource manager at Tesoro. "We quickly realized the benefits of the greater efficiency in our application management and hiring process with Kronos. Also, an easy hiring tool that helps to select and hire only the best available candidates is an added bonus." Tesoro Petroleum currently operates 275 stores primarily in Alaska, California, Hawaii, and several other Western states.
"The strong interest that we continue to see among convenience stores drives home three key points," said Steve Earl, director of marketing, Talent Management Division at Kronos. "First, as surprising as it sounds, turnover continues to exist in retail, and it's costly. Second, finding and hiring the right people to deliver quality service becomes even more challenging when the applicant pool is as broad as it is now. An applicant tracking system is not the need of the hour; an effective selection tool is. Third, there is no better time than now to implement solutions that improve efficiencies."
Built upon client-specific success criteria based on industry, company, and job requirements; behavioral assessments developed specifically for the hourly workforce; and easy-to-use behavioral interview tools, the Kronos solution is designed to consistently improve the quality of hires.
Earl added, "When you're hiring hourly staff, the focus is less about finding that single star performer and more upon improving the quality and consistency of the overall workforce at every location. Retailers, now more than ever, need to be laser focused on reducing inefficiencies, hiring the best, and providing superior customer service at store level."
Kronos made this announcement from the National Retail Federation's (NRF) 98th Annual Convention & Expo being in held in New York from Jan. 11-14. Kronos is exhibiting in booth #2123.
About Kronos Incorporated
Kronos Incorporated empowers organizations around the world to effectively manage their workforce. At Kronos, we are experts who are solely focused on delivering software and services that enable organizations to reduce costs, increase productivity, improve employee satisfaction, and ultimately enhance the level of service they provide. Kronos serves customers in more than 60 countries through its network of offices, subsidiaries, and distributors. Widely recognized as a market and thought leader in managing the workforce, Kronos has unrivaled reach with more than 30 million people using a Kronos solution every day. Learn more about Kronos at www.kronos.com.