Flexible Shifts In Hospitality: Aimbridge Uses AI To Schedule Workers E187
Oct 2, 2024
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Conrad Riddle, VP of HR Shared Services at Aimbridge Hospitality, shares insights into transforming workforce management in the hospitality sector. He discusses how Aimbridge leverages AI to allow employees to dynamically manage their schedules, enhancing flexibility and engagement. The 'Uberizing the Workforce' concept enables staff to bid on shifts and share schedules seamlessly. Riddle also highlights the integration of the UKG Workforce Management system, emphasizing its role in improving efficiency and addressing post-COVID challenges.
Aimbridge Hospitality enhances employee engagement and retention through an 'uberized' model allowing flexible, dynamic shift scheduling via a centralized app.
The implementation of UKG Workforce Management empowers employees with autonomy in managing their schedules, resulting in increased job satisfaction and workforce engagement.
Deep dives
Transforming Workforce Management
AIMBRIDGE Hospitality is revolutionizing its approach to workforce management by adopting UKG Workforce Management. This centralized app creates a streamlined experience for employees, allowing them to manage their schedules and timecards from one interface. By embracing an 'uberized' model, employees gain increased flexibility as they can easily swap shifts or pick up additional hours without the constraints of traditional scheduling methods. This transformation comes in response to the competitive landscape shaped by gig economy principles, enabling AIMBRIDGE to attract and retain talent more effectively.
Employee Empowerment Through Technology
The implementation of UKG has granted employees greater autonomy, allowing them to access their schedules and make requests directly through a mobile app. Previously, managers controlled all scheduling decisions, but now the process is decentralized, enabling employees to propose shift trades and manage their availability independently. This empowerment contributes to greater job satisfaction, as employees can adapt their work hours to better fit their personal lives. The result is a more engaged workforce that feels in control of their work environment.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
While the shift to a new workforce management system has largely been successful, it has not been without challenges. Initial resistance from some managers and the complexity of implementing a system across 1,100 properties required careful planning and phased execution. Feedback highlighted the need for flexibility within the technology to adapt to unforeseen requests and nuances in management needs. Listening to employees became crucial, revealing that their preferences often differed from management assumptions, ultimately guiding improvements in the system.
Aimbridge manages 1100 hotels around the US and employs more than 45,000 employees. In this podcast, Conrad Riddle, VP of HR Shared Services at Aimbridge Hospitality, discusses how the company empowers employees (“Uberizing the Workforce”) and delivers a flexible, highly engaged workforce with dynamic workforce scheduling. The company leverages UKG Workforce Management to give employees a centralized app that lets an employee manage their schedule dynamically.
As you’ll hear, Ambridge employees can now “bid and ask” for new shifts without going through management.
Through schedule sharing across locations and bidding on shifts in an online platform, employees have more flexibility in their schedules and empowers them to manage their own shifts. It also enables managers to easily approve requests and effectively manage labor to avoid costly contractors.