Published June 13, 2022
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Retailers are familiar with the challenges of keeping employees. But in the last two years, retailers have struggled to find workers, too. That difficulty is understandable in the wake of the pandemic. However, being understaffed creates high tangible and intangible costs. Turnover in the retail industry typically hovers around 60%.1 This turnover alone translates to 230 million days of lost productivity, like when stores open late or close early because no one is available to work. Then there’s the additional $19 billion in recruiting and training expenses.2
These figures don’t even count the effect the lack of service has on customers. As they venture back to shop in-store, they expect their brick-and-mortar experience to offer something different (more personal, exclusive, or exciting) from shopping online. They expect products to be on the shelves and available. The industry is starting to rebound, but progress will stall if stores don’t have enough staff to help customers or get products to them. One way to address the labor shortage in retail is by hiring flexible employees. How the flexible worker helps retail
Flexible workers, also called gig workers, represent a growing pool of people of different ages and skill sets looking for flexibility and opportunity. Many employees who left their jobs during the Great Resignation have joined the gig economy. A recent study found that the number of independent workers increased in 2021 to 51 million,3 and by 2027, the number of independent or gig workers is expected to surpass the number of traditional employees.4
This is good news for retailers. “In the retail industry, gig workers can work a range of jobs, including work within distribution centers or merchandising work in-store,” explained Yong Kim, CEO and co-founder of Wonolo, an innovative online staffing platform. “And gig workers usually accept jobs they already possess the skills to complete successfully, meaning they are ready to work,” he added. Hiring a gig retail worker
The process of hiring a gig worker is also fast. “Through an on-demand job marketplace like Wonolo, companies and gig workers can easily connect with each other — job opportunities can be accepted within minutes as opposed to the days or weeks it typically takes with traditional temp staffing,” Kim said. “When companies post jobs on Wonolo, they can set the specifications for the job, such as the ability to lift a certain weight, wear nonslip shoes or bring their own vehicle. Workers review the specifications for the job before deciding whether to accept the job,” Kim added. This way, companies are connected with the right workers who can successfully perform the job. A broader view of flexible worker
Gig workers can definitely assist retailers in a pinch. But their work doesn’t have to be just for short-term needs. “Businesses and gig workers can continue working with one another based on their respective needs, preferences and objectives. Yet both sides retain the flexibility to expand their work with others and explore new opportunities,” Kim said. Forward-thinking retailers take this broader view of using gig workers for long-term needs. Companies such as Walmart, Big Lots and Meijer hire gig workers to complement their workforces.5 These retailers can scale their workforces up or down as needed, giving them the flexibility to grow and adjust to changing economies. For example, Dallas-based Eyemart Express wanted to aggressively expand into new markets in a year, increasing the store count from 10 to 30. The company used the Wonolo platform to find qualified workers in minutes. As a result, Wonoloers helped Eyemart Express hit the quality and volume goals in a fast-paced warehouse environment. The retail industry has always been volatile — and there’s no sign of that changing anytime soon. As the industry continues to recover from the pandemic, maintaining the right level of labor is essential for business survival. Retailers need workers. And with the industry’s traditionally high level of turnover, the need for workers won’t be just for the moment. There will be a constant need to hire gig employees short-term. But there will also be an advantage to hiring gig employees long-term, giving today’s retailers essential agility and flexibility.

A hidden source for finding retail workers

On Apr 21, 2022
Wonolo, the leading online platform disrupting the temporary staffing industry, announced the publication of a new National Bureau of Economic Research working paper entitled, “Increasing the Demand for Workers with a Criminal Record.” The research discusses Wonolo’s efforts to connect individuals with prior justice system involvement with job opportunities. “In our research, we find that 39% of businesses in our sample are willing to work with individuals with a criminal record at baseline, which rises to over 50% when businesses are offered crime and safety insurance, a single performance review, or a background check covering just the past year,” said Zoe B. Cullen, Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. “With cost-effective policies, platforms can integrate workers with past involvement in the criminal justice system without deterring employers. This is a promising approach to expanding labor supply, and simultaneously addressing a pressing social challenge.”
The research builds upon Wonolo’s Path Forward Program that aims to help formerly incarcerated individuals find work. Since launching the program last year, Wonolo has experienced strong receptivity to the initiative. Over 30,000 jobs have been created to help people with prior justice system involvement find work. “We are proud of the progress we’ve made in the past year with Path Forward,” said  Yong Kim , Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wonolo. “Every day, there are jobs available on Wonolo to people seeking flexible and fulfilling work. At Wonolo, we believe anyone who has the will to work should have an opportunity to do so. We want to remove barriers and stand in support of those who have been involved with the justice system. The data by researchers from the Harvard Business School shows that businesses are receptive to working with individuals with prior justice system involvement and that there are tactical things we can do to help businesses navigate that decision.”
“I know that this program will definitely be able to help me with keeping funds in my pocket,” shared Sharmaine, who has participated in Wonolo’s Path Forward program. “I definitely love it and would recommend this program to anyone who has a hard time finding jobs with their background.”

Wonolo’s Path Forward Program Has Created Over 30,000 Job Opportunities to Help People With Previous Justice System Involvement Get Back to Work

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A new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research discusses the willingness of businesses to work with individuals with prior justice system involvement
NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wonolo , the leading online platform disrupting the temporary staffing industry, announced the publication of a new National Bureau of Economic Research working paper entitled, "Increasing the Demand for Workers with a Criminal Record."  The research discusses Wonolo's efforts to connect individuals with prior justice system involvement with job opportunities. "In our research, we find that 39% of businesses in our sample are willing to work with individuals with a criminal record at baseline, which rises to over 50% when businesses are offered crime and safety insurance, a single performance review, or a background check covering just the past year," said Zoe B. Cullen, Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. "With cost-effective policies, platforms can integrate workers with past involvement in the criminal justice system without deterring employers. This is a promising approach to expanding labor supply, and simultaneously addressing a pressing social challenge." The research builds upon Wonolo's Path Forward Program  that aims to help formerly incarcerated individuals find work. Since launching the program last year, Wonolo has experienced strong receptivity to the initiative. Over 30,000 jobs have been created to help people with prior justice system involvement find work. "We are proud of the progress we've made in the past year with Path Forward," said Yong Kim, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wonolo. "Every day, there are jobs available on Wonolo to people seeking flexible and fulfilling work. At Wonolo, we believe anyone who has the will to work should have an opportunity to do so. We want to remove barriers and stand in support of those who have been involved with the justice system. The data by researchers from the Harvard Business School shows that businesses are receptive to working with individuals with prior justice system involvement and that there are tactical things we can do to help businesses navigate that decision." "I know that this program will definitely be able to help me with keeping funds in my pocket," shared Sharmaine, who has participated in Wonolo's Path Forward program. "I definitely love it and would recommend this program to anyone who has a hard time finding jobs with their background." The full research paper entitled "Increasing the Demand for Workers with a Criminal Record"  is available from the National Bureau of Economic Research. To learn more about Wonolo's Path Forward program and to sign up, visit: https://www.wonolo.com/path-forward/ . About Wonolo
Wonolo is the leading online platform disrupting the temporary staffing industry. Founded in 2014, Wonolo connects over one million workers – or "Wonoloers" – to retail, e-commerce, distribution, fulfillment, and other types of frontline jobs posted by thousands of businesses throughout the United States. Wonolo is on a mission to make work flexible and fulfilling for everyone. Contact

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Wonolo's Path Forward Program has created over 30,000 job opportunities to help people with previous justice system in...

On Mar 22, 2022
Plaza promoted to spearhead the next phase of Wonolo’s growth through implementation of transformative strategies
Wonolo, the leading online platform disrupting the temporary staffing industry, announced the promotion of Monica Plaza to Chief Strategy Officer. In this role, Plaza will lead Wonolo’s business growth initiatives as the company further shakes up the traditional hourly work paradigm. “The temporary staffing market generates over $500 billion in global annual revenue — and it’s only continuing to grow as organizations understand the power of flexible labor,” said Yong Kim, CEO of Wonolo. “Monica’s vision and strategic approach will spearhead Wonolo’s mission to redefine what it means to work.”
Plaza will work closely with Kim and the entire leadership team to disrupt the hourly labor market and expand in markets across the United States including: Newark, Dallas, Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, Phoenix, Nashville, Tampa, San Antonio, Miami, Columbus, Austin, Houston, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Denver, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Philadelphia. Plaza joined Wonolo in 2019 as Vice President of Supply and transitioned into her role as a core strategy driver in October 2020, when she was appointed to Vice President of Strategy for the company. Prior to Wonolo, Monica spent 10 years at Google in leadership roles across Sales and Operations. “Businesses and workers alike are recognizing the need for flexible work arrangements, but this labor revolution cannot happen on its own,” said Plaza. “It’s a critical time to reevaluate how work gets done, and Wonolo is leading that charge. As CSO, I’m eager to support this mission-driven organization and have a real impact on the direction of our business.”
Wonolo, which recently raised a growth round of $138 million, connects workers across the country with flexible job opportunities posted by businesses across various industries. Thousands of businesses including Uniqlo, Papa John’s, Driveline Retail, and more use Wonolo’s platform to help solve these issues by connecting with the rapidly growing labor force that wants to work on their own terms. In her role, Plaza is responsible for fostering disciplined and agile decision making at the leadership level, driving alignment across the organization around strategic priorities, and developing and implementing transformative growth strategies for Wonolo.

Wonolo Deepens Leadership Team, Names Monica Plaza as Chief Strategy Officer

New report reveals Americans' desire for flexible work arrangements and the struggles they face to make ends meet
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SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wonolo , the leading online job marketplace platform disrupting the temporary staffing industry, discovered that the top reasons American gig workers have been driven to look for temporary or additional work include: supplementing their income, managing increased living costs, and finding flexibility, according to the company's new report titled, " The Voices of the Gig Economy: 2022 Industry Report ." Surveying 3,000 workers using Wonolo's app, the report released today reveals insights into what Americans want from their jobs today and why today's job landscape barely fits their needs. Wonolo's new report reveals Americans’ desire for flexible work arrangements and the struggles they face to make ends meet
Americans clobbered by recent inflation are fighting for a new definition of work. According to Wonolo's report, only 34% of respondents said they are satisfied with their current work situation. The top three reasons that drove workers to seek new opportunities: higher wages (74%), flexibility (63%), and learning new skills (48%). "Workers in many industries like warehousing, hospitality and manufacturing are struggling because their earnings aren't enough to cover the cost of living," said Yong Kim, Co-founder and CEO. "We're committed to doing our part to enable workers to find jobs on the Wonolo platform that offer enough to live on based on the demands of their local economy." All jobs posted on the Wonolo app offer pay above the local minimum wage, but the company was the first job marketplace platform to make a Living Wage Pledge . In March 2021, 75% of the jobs businesses posted on the Wonolo platform offered workers at least the local living wage. Today, Wonolo found that 82% of all jobs posted by businesses offered pay at or above the living wage. Job Seekers vs. Job Openings
According to the survey, 50% of respondents said they are currently struggling to make ends meet. Seventy-nine percent said they are employed by other businesses but don't make nearly enough and 28% of respondents said they are working with two or more businesses outside of finding jobs on Wonolo's platform. Yet more than 10.9 million jobs remained open by the end of December, according to the latest JOLTS report . "The discrepancy between job openings and unemployment numbers comes from the value workers place on the jobs they're evaluating and what companies are currently offering," said Monica Plaza, Chief Strategy Officer at Wonolo. "Workers today place high value on flexibility, better pay, and working conditions when looking for jobs. Rather than traditional 9-to-5 opportunities, workers want the freedom to piece together a schedule that fits their day." Wonolo's report also discovered a newfound love for travel among gig workers: almost half of all respondents (46%) said they plan to use the Wonolo app while traveling to pick up new opportunities in different cities and areas. This new work model proves to be a testing ground for broadening one's skill set as 64% said they hope Wonolo can help them discover new job types and different industries. For more information on what American gig workers are experiencing, generational differences, and to download the full report, visit: https://go.wonolo.com/voices-of-the-gig-economy-report.html
Methodology
Wonolo's "Voices of the Gig Economy" Survey posed questions to more than 3,000 people who use the Wonolo app to find temporary jobs ("Wonoloers"). The questions touched a variety of topics, including job satisfaction, earnings, and much more. About Wonolo
Wonolo is the leading online platform disrupting the temporary staffing industry. Founded in 2014, Wonolo connects over one million workers – or "Wonoloers" – to retail, e-commerce, distribution, fulfillment, and other types of frontline jobs posted by thousands of businesses throughout the United States. Wonolo is on a mission to make work flexible and fulfilling for everyone. Contact

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Wonolo's Latest Gig Economy Report Reveals Pay Isn't The Only Factor Job Seekers Consider

Bento is an integrated solution for organizations and individuals that enables affordable, pay-as-you go dental benefits without the need to contract with insurance companies. Organizations of all sizes are saving considerable money by replacing their dental insurance with a self-funded dental benefit powered by Bento, resulting in more accessible and transparent oral care and increased patient satisfaction.

Bento Dental

Dental : Wonolo has partnered with Bento , a modern alternative to dental insurance , to help Wonoloers access pay-as-you-go dental care .

Spotlight: Wonolo Announces Partnership with Bento

WAZE is a network of drivers that creates and shares dynamic, driver-generated live maps and traffic information.  By simply driving around with a WAZE-enabled smartphone, drivers automatically contribute to and benefit from real time driving statistics. Together they create the only relevant reflection of traffic status and road availability in any place, at any moment. The resulting WAZE knowledge is shared for free with live driving instruction via the user's mobile, and available to all on the community-based website. With WAZE, drivers know how to detour traffic jams and local shortcuts to get to their daily destinations without delays caused by car accidents, road works, speed cams and other surprises along the way.In June 2013, Waze was acquired by Google. The valuation of Waze was reported initially as $1.1 billion but in Google's 10-Q it was reported be $966 million with with $847 million attributed to goodwill and $188 million attributed to intangible assets minus the $69 million in other net liabilities assumed from Waze's books.

Waze

Not keen on wasting time with complicated customer support systems, yet you need a solution more sophisticated than simple email & phone Does your IT department need to make employee support easier and clearer Or are you facing both issues Try an elegant and versatile solution – Requestor Service Desk. Requestor is an online application for user request management. It is designed according to best practices and methods.

Requestor

Stride Health is a health insurance recommendation engine. Stride Health quickly builds a health profile for each patient, then delivers a financial forecast for their "health year". Stride's algorithm then filters to find a recommendation with preferred doctors, prescription drugs, and even the clinical efficacy of all of the doctors included.

Stride Health

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 HR tech startups are helping companies manage critical pain points in HR processes such as recruitment, automation, career development, compensation, and benefits management, through a mix of software and services.

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Wonolo is an on-demand staffing platform that enables businesses to fill their immediate labor needs.

THE HOURLY EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT TECH MARKET MAP

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GoJob is an online agency that offers temporary assignments throughout France and in all business sectors including logistics, transport, building, retail, sales, and more.

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Coople is an on-demand marketplace for temporary staffing. The company's cross-device software platform enables businesses to find temporary workers to cover immediate hourly or daily staffing needs around the clock.

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Zenjob is a mobile tech company that solves short-term staffing emergencies by providing hourly workers on-demand. The company hires the workers, who earn more than minimum wage through Zenjob, and lends them out to businesses, who have less admin hassle and more flexibility than with traditional temp agencies.

Zenjob

Veryable is a marketplace of on-demand labor for manufacturing and warehouse work, which provides businesses with higher productivity and fewer administrative burdens and workers with flexible work arrangements – the ability to choose where to work, how much, and when.

Veryable

Snag offers an online platform for finding hourly work and is helping the marketplace for on-demand hourly workers through technology. The company aims to put people in the right fit-positions so they can maximize their potential and live more fulfilling lives. SnagAJob offers connections between workers and employers across a variety of industries, including restaurant, retail, hospitality and healthcare.

Snag

Sabbar is a recruitment solution for businesses in retail and service industries to boost productivity in managing their candidates and making the right hires.

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WorkWhile provides job listing services for workers. The company offers services such as background checks, interviews, screening processes, and other services.

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These platforms allow companies to find workers that can either fill temporary positions or cover shifts on short notice. Some platforms offer metrics on workers, like reliability ratings, or use job-worker matching algorithms that increase the chance of finding high-quality workers with relevant domain experience.

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