The National Restaurant Association has entered into a strategic partnership with talent-management solution provider PeopleMatter to bring automated human resources solutions to its 380,000 member restaurants.
As a result of the strategic partnership, NRA members will gain access to PeopleMatter’s suite of Software-as-a-Service-based (Saas) automated HR technology tools that will help hire, schedule and engage their workforces.
“PeopleMatter’s talent management tools are an easy-to-use, innovative, adaptable technology that will help our members find, hire, train and engage their hourly workforces as never before,” said David Gilbert, chief operating officer of the NRA. “With its 12.8 million employees, the restaurant industry is the nation’s second largest private sector employer, and people strategies are an important part of running a successful restaurant. These are tools our members can use every day to improve their people processes and deliver exceptional customer service.”
PeopleMatter went through a 14-month process of due diligence and evaluation with the NRA to ensure product value.
“We approached them around September 2009 at about the same time the company was formed. We knew that was a group we wanted to get behind our company,” said PeopleMatter president and CEO Nate DaPore. “This partnership is a real validation of our business model and addresses the needs of a lot of operators to automate their hiring process, linking their labor force to the brand and culture.”
Since PeopleMatter Hire was launched in September 2010, the company has been providing automated hiring services to approximately 1,000 restaurant locations and has processed more than 10,000 applications. Out of those 10,000, only 16 people have called citing a system issue.
“That’s how easy the system is and how intuitive and robust the system is,” DaPore said.
PeopleMatter’s platform integrates with social media networks and location-based outlets to help spread a restaurant’s brand, connect with a tech-savvy workforce and build workplace culture. Potential job candidates apply online then managers can access their files, tools and reports from any Internet-enabled laptop, Smartphone or tablet with the SaaS-based model. Additionally, PeopleMatter’s three modules - Hire, Schedule and Engage - span the entire employee life cycle, from screening candidates in the hiring process to creating an HR checklist to fully “close-out” employees during the offboarding procedures.
“Our product ecosystem is designed to empower users with best-practice tools and techniques that actually make their jobs easier,” DaPore said. “Our learning and scheduling modules, set for release in Spring ’11, will continue to further our customers’ shared dedication to delivering great customer service.”
The Schedule and Learn modules are expected to roll out in April, followed by the launch of Perform, Rewards & Recognition, and Collaboration by the end of 2011. (Read also, Will PeopleMatter change the future of HR tech?)
