LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Gasoline and convenience retailer Thorntons Inc. and human resource management solution provider PeopleMatter have announced the return on investment (ROI) achieved through the companies' collaboration to streamline HR practices.
With 173 locations and more than 1,850 team members serving customers throughout the Midwest and South, the Louisville, Ky.-based chain implemented PeopleMatter HIRE, which helped Thorntons save 83 hours a month in onboarding alone, the companies said.
"PeopleMatter's solutions combine the elements of motivation and employee-focus that we embrace," said Thorntons' vice president of human resources, Mike Woerner. "With similar team-based, high-performance cultures, working with PeopleMatter takes our philosophies of 'hire for attitude' and 'train for success' to the next level."
Prior to implementing PeopleMatter solutions in Feb. 2012, Thorntons operated with paper-based hiring processes. Manual hiring restricted managers to reactive HR practices, said PeopleMatter. Often the corporate office would be unaware a location was hiring until a candidate's background check was submitted. The manual hiring practices didn't give the company the required competitive edge, it said.
Thorntons also realized its previous labor model was inefficient in managing turnover, it said. Managers were not able conduct preemptive hiring, which made staffing challenging when employees working 30 to 35 hour weeks left a store that had 10 team members. Under this model, stores continued operating understaffed while managers completed the hiring process.
"By using PeopleMatter, we have the ability to understand the applicant traffic that is coming into our stores, as well as conduct anticipatory hiring," said Woerner. "Our managers are able to be more proactive now."
HIRE moved Thorntons' applicant tracking and onboarding processes from manual and paper processes to a Web-based ATS. Prescreening tests, such as integrated assessments and background checks, help store managers find the right candidates. With all the hiring paperwork rolled into one online Platform, Thorntons saves an average of 45 minutes per new hire on the first day. In fact, approximately $40,000 in administrative or managerial time has now been reallocated to new hire training.
Thorntons has seen the benefits of automation throughout the entire hiring and onboarding process. PeopleMatter's built-in tax-credit screening has helped the convenience chain submit a projected $27,500 in tax credits every month, it said. Step-by-step online onboarding helps team members save approximately 1,000 hours a year. Additionally, the company saves an average of 125 hours a year with PeopleMatter's automated I-9 and E-Verification tools.
"As a senior HR professional with more than 30 years of HR experience in the retail sector, Mike Woerner's endorsement of PeopleMatter is both humbling and flattering," said PeopleMatter president and CEO Nate DaPore. "Our platform makes it easier and faster than ever to hire, develop and engage great people who will take customer service to the next level, ultimately boosting a company's bottom line."
Charleston, S.C.-based PeopleMatter provides the only comprehensive human resource management solution for the service industry. We help employers identify, develop and engage dependable talent to provide exemplary customer service. PeopleMatter's platform of HR tools handles hiring, scheduling, learning, recognition and performance management. Our integrated technology manages the process, so employers can focus on the talent. PeopleMatter. The name says it all. PeopleMatter is headquartered in Charleston, S.C.
Thorntons is a leading independent gasoline and convenience chain currently operating throughout the Midwest. With more than $2.3 billion in revenue, it is the largest privately held corporation in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Thorntons operates 165 gasoline and convenience stores, car washes and travel plazas in five states: Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee. Thorntons distributes its petroleum products through its wholly owned Thornton Transportation Co. and operates a river bulk storage terminal in Louisville.
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