In response to the attack of COVID-19 on the world, our daily lives were disrupted with a shuttering of our economy. Our responsibility to our communities were to stay home and minimize contact with each other until the curve of infections had flattened. Our businesses have been closed for several weeks, our medical professionals have gained valuable knowledge of the virus, and governments have begun to plan for the reopening of our economy. We have not won the battle vs COVID-19 but we have advanced the front line, where we can see the end.
In many locations across the country, these restrictions have begun to ease, and our businesses once again are doing in-person operations. What we see in every storefront and hear off the lips of those that advocate for the open is that we must use common sense and implement best practices in social distancing to continue to decline the spread of the contagion. The fact behind every opening is that there will be significant preparation that will be necessary in logistics, infrastructure, and training.
At Principled Compass, our business model of preparing organizations for the challenges of operating a guest-facing operation must be adapted in the wake of this moment in time. We understand that all businesses will operate with a slightly different approach. An NFL football game seating 65,000 will have a different entry plan than a coffee shop seating 15-25. The Crowd Management philosophy is similar in that there is an entry, an exit and an expected crowd flow. These are all areas where a business will need to identify the intersections of individuals and minimize the risks associated with the contagion. In redesigning the crowd flow in the operational delivery, an organization can minimize guest-to-guest contact. Speed of service will greatly decrease the guest-to-guest contact, which ultimately means utilizing more team members and better training for a safer environment.
The constant in the guest-facing business models are the employees. This is where the battle of operating will be won and lost, as team members will be the representation of your collective efforts. Knowing your variables is the key to providing services in a safe environment for guests and employees.
Hiring will be the most important component of reopening, especially in the high-volume operation of a part-time employee pool. Team members that operate in a guest-facing position will have to spend some time in an in-person capacity for training and facility orientation. These are not roles that can operate online, nor can they be trained to perform in these roles online. The development of people in this environment is an application of math, as it relates to time and area. These are logistical processes that need to be coordinated within an allotted time frame.
Logistically, the hiring of team members is a series of events determined by the mathematical equations created to deliver staffing in volume.
Variables:
- Staffing Need – Total number of employees needed to operate
- Active Staff – Current number of employees available through training and certification
- Time – Amount of time before the service date
- Number of in-person pre-service events
- Interviews, Orientation, Trainings
- Length of time per event
- Size of space (Number of persons allowed)
- Availability of space
Each variable is applied to develop the hiring strategy at different stages in the process. The most important number is the current employees as they have been through a portion of the process. Any additions to the process will need to be factored in time for the returning employees. The mathematical approach is set to determine the achievement milestones and ensure that the number of staff will be reached by the service date. This is not a difficult process to put in place if the number needed is small with a manageable time frame to deliver the number of trained team members. However, in a high-volume setting, the processes are multiplied exponentially regarding how much space is available, restrictions necessary to keep social distance, and size of the number needed by the in-service date.
The economy opening creates a larger available workforce for many employers to hire in an uncommon time in history. The challenges that will occur in this environment need to also be examined, especially in a part time seasonal capacity. The unemployment rate has hit record highs and will continue into the summer. The largest of these challenges for employers will be the competition that will rise out of the opening economy, especially in a part-time capacity.
Competition:
- Historical competitors
- Unconventional Competitors – Markets that did not originally compete for event-based employees will have access to them as they become available. Employees having the choice to work where they are most valued will drive the payrates and limit availability to employers as they compete for the most qualified employees.
- Amazon, delivery services, grocery stores etc.
- Full-time jobs – As employers begin to open their businesses, there will be a need for additional participation as they establish their new processes. This could limit the ability of secondary job market to attract persons who were consistent participants in a second job.
- Fear – The Covid-19 pandemic will have lasting effects on society as people try to make sure they are doing their part to limit its spread and the possibility of future pandemics. This will impact persons from participating in the workforce that may have had multiple jobs previously.
Understanding where the challenges will arise will help in developing the strategies that elevate an organization above their competitors.
The fact is that every business that opens during this time will have access to the same employees. The organizations that understand how to engage the applicants, know their competition, and can navigate the logistics of the hiring process will be more successful.
At Principled Compass, we are a values-based organization specializing in the event and crowd management field. Our operational development in Volume Hiring is a multi-tiered process to ensure an organization is successful in achieving their staffing goals and delivering excellent service. It is our belief that volume hiring is the combination of applied knowledge, effort and the values that define an organization.