News Briefs

Phenom today released its State of High-Volume Hiring: 2025 Benchmarks Report, which analyzed 101 companies on their maturity and use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technology to hire frontline, hourly, seasonal and high-turnover roles across Retail, Hospitality & Travel, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Manufacturing, and Transportation & Distribution. While many have started adopting and implementing AI and automation to attract and hire best-fit candidates efficiently, the audit revealed only 32% demonstrated widespread adoption — indicating challenges in managing fluctuating workforce demands amid competitive labor markets.

Failing to optimize high-volume hiring processes can lead to missed talent goals, increased operational costs, and reduced employee engagement and market responsiveness. Enterprises that automate critical hiring tasks — such as job discovery, interview scheduling and screening – are significantly reducing the time and cost of onboarding new employees while enhancing candidate experiences and productivity for hiring teams.

Where Organizations are Failing to Optimize Hiring Processes at Scale

• 99% of companies did not offer the opportunity for a candidate to record answers to interview questions with video one-way interviews
• 95% of Manufacturing companies did not give qualified candidates the option to schedule an interview right away or within minutes of completing an application
• 83% of Healthcare companies did not allow candidates to upload a resume in the chatbot to help find the best job opportunities
• 82% of companies did not allow a candidate to complete the application in a chatbot or SMS conversation
• 79% of Transportation & Distribution companies did not use assessments to screen frontline candidates

How Organizations are Adopting Technology for High-Volume Hiring

• 65% of Hospitality & Travel companies allowed a candidate to complete the application without creating a username and password — twice as many companies as in other industries that offer this feature, and nearly four times more than Retail companies
• 54% of Retail and Hospitality & Travel companies ranked Advanced or Transformational on the Maturity Matrix, leading the way in overall scores and maturity
• 40% of companies had a chatbot on their career site
• 20% of Retail and Hospitality & Travel companies allowed qualified candidates to automatically schedule an interview

Recommendations to Improve Hiring at Scale

The High-Volume Hiring report provides actionable insights, industry benchmarks and recommendations for all organizations to improve. It also explores the impact of AI and automation in modernizing recruitment efforts, reducing friction in the hiring process, attracting higher-quality talent and ultimately achieving greater operational efficiency.

Recommendations for organizations just getting started include implementing:

• AI-Powered Resume Screening: Drastically reduce the time spent manually reviewing resumes by implementing AI-powered screening tools that automatically assess applications against pre-set criteria and prioritize qualified candidates in the hiring process.
• Automated Interview Scheduling: Automated scheduling tools enable candidates to self-select interview times that fit their availability, speeding up the hiring process and reducing scheduling conflicts – allowing companies to fill frontline roles faster, especially during busy seasons.
• Chatbots for Candidate Engagement: Deploy AI-powered chatbots to handle initial candidate inquiries, determine the best fit based on location and experience, answer frequently asked questions, and guide candidates through the application process to improve engagement and reduce drop-off rates without human intervention.
• Mobile-Friendly Applications: With many frontline applicants applying to jobs on the go, implementing mobile-optimized, easy-to-navigate applications that don’t require a username and password and include AI-driven form suggestions enhances the candidate experience and increases completion rates.

“Not enough organizations across sectors including transportation, manufacturing and healthcare are rapidly adopting AI and automation — this must change if they want to gain a competitive edge during next year’s hiring rush, or risk their bottom line,” said Bill Venteicher, Sr. Director, Product Marketing at Phenom. “Fortunately, the tools they need to get there exist, and our High-Volume Hiring report provides insights companies can immediately act on to meet their goals for hiring at scale.”

To read the State of High-Volume Hiring: 2025 Benchmarks report, download here. 

With Phenom, candidates find and choose the right job faster, employees develop their skills and evolve, recruiters become wildly productive, talent marketers engage with extreme efficiency, talent leaders optimize hiring processes, managers build stronger-performing teams, HR aligns employee development with company goals, and HRIT easily integrates existing HR tech to create a holistic infrastructure.

Shift4 has acquired a majority stake in Vectron Systems AG, a European suppliers of point-of-sale (POS) systems to the restaurant and hospitality verticals. 

Based in Germany, Vectron has 65,000 POS locations across Europe, representing. Shift4 is expected to acquire additional ownership of Vectron through a public tender offer that is expected to conclude within the next month, with a de-listing and formal integration process to occur shortly thereafter.

The acquisition is expected to provide Shift4 with an expansive customer footprint across Europe as well as a distribution network of ~300 POS resellers. As a result of the acquisition, Shift4 believes it will be able to add its integrated payment services to current Vectron customers and products, while also empowering the sales force with a compelling all-in-one POS and payments solution unrivaled in Europe.

“Shift4 was at the forefront of the convergence between software and payments in the restaurant and hospitality verticals in the US. We see an incredible amount of demand for a similar all-in-one solution across Europe,” states Shift4 CEO Jared Isaacman. “With our integrated payments and SkyTab offering, we believe we have the best solution at the right price point. Vectron will provide valuable local expertise, infrastructure, and the distribution necessary to meet the demand. This acquisition is right out of the Shift4 playbook – enabling us to unlock synergies, expand our distribution, and monetize payments for a large existing install base.”

Completes Revel Systems Acquistion

In addition to the acquisition of Vectron, Shift4 has also completed its previously announced acquisition of Revel Systems. Revel has over 18,000 merchant locations across the United States and internationally which Shift4 estimates represents a $17B+ payment opportunity. Revel also has a direct sales and dealer distribution network which Shift4 believes can be leveraged to accelerate SkyTab distribution both domestically and abroad. 

Shift4 has signed a definitive arrangement agreement to acquire Givex Corp., a global provider of gift cards, loyalty programs and point-of-sale solutions. 

The Arrangement Agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and the transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. 

With across more than 100 countries, Givex serves a wide range of businesses in various industries, including 7-Eleven, Wendy’s, Best Western, Texas Roadhouse. 

The company offers robust gift card and e-gift solutions as well as customizable loyalty programs, and a point-of-sale (POS) system for various business types, among other value-added services.

 “Givex has a considerable footprint around the world which will dramatically increase Shift4’s overall customer base,” states Shift4 President Taylor Lauber. “At the same time, their gift card and loyalty solutions are second to none and will add significant value for our current customers, creating stickier relationships andh 130,000+ active locations enhancing our overall value proposition. Similar to other deals we have recently completed, this acquisition aligns perfectly with how we like to deploy capital – adding blue-chip merchants at a low customer acquisition cost while delivering additional benefits to our customer base.” 

“The Givex team looks forward to joining the Shift4 family and bring our enterprise gift card capabilities and loyalty programs to hundreds of thousands of new customers,” says Don Gray, CEO of Givex. “By combining Shift4’s end-to-end payment solution with our value-added engagement services, we can deliver an unparalleled package to both of our customer bases.”  

Encore, a global event technology and production services provider, confirmed today the launch of its pioneering ‘Overtime Savings Program’ in the United States, along with additional people-first programs to further support its ongoing workforce in a seasonal industry.

Powered by UKG’s payroll technology, this first-of-its-kind program aims to enhance financial wellness and stability for Encore’s frontline employees, many of whom work in markets that experience seasonal ebb and flow of business volumes.

With 12,000 team members providing event technology and production services at 2,200 hotels and conference venues in 20 countries, Encore faces the same challenges common in the hospitality industry. Seasonal fluctuations often result in workers’ hours varying from ample overtime during peak times to reduced schedules in off-season periods. This seasonality makes it difficult for workers to maintain consistent earnings and creates challenges for companies to retain talent in the off season.

“Encore has always believed its team members are the heart of our story. This people-first mindset motivates us to constantly evolve our team member experience and innovate around challenges, like the impact of seasonality, that the industry previously viewed as immutable,” said Ben Erwin, president and CEO of Encore.

In addition to the Overtime Savings Program, the company launched a Seasonal Leave of Absence Program, which offers team members the flexibility to take time off during slower seasons while retaining full benefits, accruing paid time off, and maintaining their tenure. This unique program enables employees to explore other work opportunities, pursue education, or focus on personal goals without sacrificing benefits or career progression. Both the Overtime Savings and Seasonal Leave of Absence Programs are active nationwide, with plans for global expansion.

“We established the program as another way to support our team members so that they can be at their best in delivering for our customers,” Erwin added. “With this innovation, they can better plan and save their premium overtime pay for periods of the year when they might not work as many hours. Providing this capability and funding a company-paid match for a portion of the savings should motivate financial wellness and enable them to continue to build their career with Encore. Team member reactions tell us we are onto something,” he said.

With a launch just after Labor Day, usage of the UKG Wallet™ increased tenfold compared to the prior year’s period. he company offered an initial savings match, similar to a 401k program incentive match, to reward healthy financial behavior.

“Financial stress is not a problem isolated to our industry, it’s a stressor for nearly everyone,” said Charlie Young, chief human resources officer at Encore. “Nearly 70% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck¹ and Americans spent $9B in bank overdraft fees in 2023. The more we can do to reduce stress for our team members, the more focused they can be on our customers. We are successful in the event production business because of the unique combination of our technical expertise, hospitality mindset and ability to work under pressure and through challenges. Seasonal fluctuations are part of our business, but with a partner like UKG that understands every industry has unique challenges, we were able to innovate to support those unique needs to make our team members’ lives better.”

Cody Browne, a technical lead with five years of service for Encore in Las Vegas, said he will try the Overtime Savings program, in addition to accruing and saving his Paid Time Off, for the slow season in December in Las Vegas. He hopes the vacation time, in addition to the saved overtime funds, will afford him an out-of-state vacation to visit family. “I love that Encore is creating new opportunities, that’s one of the reasons I am interested in growing my career here,” he said.

ezCater announced a new partnership with Crumbl, the nation’s fastest-growing dessert company. Workplaces across the country can now order Crumbl’s fan-favorite cookies on ezcater.com and the ezCater app for meetings, celebrations, and everyday moments at work

A recent ezCater survey found that 76% of US workers enjoy small treats during work at least once a week and 30% indulge daily, with cookies as one of their top three treats. With ezCater's nationwide reach, Crumbl franchisees can now reach more high-value customers and further capitalize on the demand for treats in the workplace.

“Joining forces with ezCater will not only satisfy the cravings of workplaces but also give our franchisees new sales opportunities within their local communities,” said Grace Chadwick, Chief Operating Officer, Crumbl. “This partnership presents a tremendous opportunity for Crumbl to diversify and expand our off-premise channel by bringing our iconic cookies to new business customers everywhere."

Crumbl franchisees will have access to ezCater’s Catering Growth Platform, which is designed to help restaurants get valuable, incremental catering orders and manage their catering operations. The platform combines online ordering and catering management software with reliable delivery solutions and award-winning customer service. 

“We know that Crumbl’s iconic pink box of cookies will be a hit in workplaces. In fact, in our recent survey, workers told us that cookies are one of their top 3 treats at work,” said Kaushik Subramanian, Chief Revenue Officer, ezCater. “We're excited to help this fan-favorite brand scale their catering operations, and reach workplace customers across the US.”

ezCater is making it easy this holiday season for customers to find holiday specials and gift items from popular restaurants for their workplace gatherings. 

Traverse Automation is pleased to announce the launch of HotelEase, an advanced platform designed to simplify and streamline inventory management for hotels. This solution directly addresses the challenges of manual updates and communication with channel partners, giving hotels a faster, more reliable way to manage availability, including critical stop and open sales updates, and ensure seamless, accurate information flow to all partners.

Managing inventory updates has traditionally been a time consuming process, often involving countless manual adjustments and inconsistent formats, which can lead to misunderstandings and booking errors. HotelEase aims to eliminate these challenges by providing hotels with a central platform that automates updates, allowing clear and consistent communication with channel partners.

What is included with HotelEase?

Hotels can set up their company within HotelEase, set up custom email templates, and easily manage contacts and mailing lists, ensuring that channel partners receive updates in a consistent, professional format every time.

HotelEase’s easy to use calendar allows users to manage stop sale updates using natural language, simplifying scheduling and significantly speeding up the process, whether for a single update or multiple adjustments.

With full control over communication, users can customise each email’s look and feel to ensure clarity across all channel partner communications, while HotelEase’s email monitor and dashboard offer real time visibility on inventory updates and track progress across all properties under management.

With HotelEase, hotels can now feel confident that their channel partners are always up to date with the latest availability, allowing teams to focus on delivering exceptional guest experiences rather than being weighed down by operational complexities.

HotelEase will be fully developed by 12th December, poised to transform how hotels manage their inventory and connect with channel partners. 

Check out the video demo here: https://vimeo.com/1026071463