We're Only Human Behind the Front Desk: Real Stories of Frontline HR
In this episode of We’re Only Human, host Ben Eubanks sits down with Conrad Riddle, HR technology leader at Aimbridge Hospitality, to explore how frontline hiring and scheduling are being reimagined in today’s fast-moving workplace. They dig into the challenges of recruiting and retaining hourly workers, why scheduling is the heartbeat of retention, and how technology can empower employees while easing the load on managers.
You’ll hear practical examples of streamlining the candidate journey—from frictionless mobile applications to instant interview scheduling—plus insights on self-service scheduling tools that give employees more flexibility and control. Conrad also shares how automation is saving thousands of hours for managers, improving compliance, and transforming the onboarding experience.
Whether you’re an HR leader, a hiring manager, or simply curious about the future of frontline work, this conversation offers actionable takeaways on speed, simplicity, and employee empowerment.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
02:01 Inside Aimbridge Hospitality: Scale and Challenges
05:18 Why Scheduling is the Core of Frontline Retention
09:01 Fixing the Candidate Experience: From Application to Interview in Minutes
13:28 Competing with Amazon and Uber: Speed Matters
17:02 Empowering Employees Through Self-Service Scheduling
22:19 Balancing Manager Control and Employee Flexibility
26:44 Automation in Onboarding: Saving 40,000+ Hours
31:12 Compliance Wins and Smarter HR Tech
34:20 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts
Links for show notes:
Thanks to the team at Fountain for connecting us with Conrad and the team at Aimbridge Hospitality for this conversation!
Connect with Conrad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conradriddle/
Connect with Fountain: https://www.fountain.com/