Despite ongoing predictions of hiring slowdowns, the labor market remains extremely tight. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the economy is on track to add 6.7 million jobs in the 10-year period from 2023 to 2033. This means that attracting top-quality workers will require you to come up with novel hiring and recruiting strategies to differentiate your company from your competitors.
Using an employee demographics analytics tool, such as SHARE Mobility's Commuter Analysis, is the perfect way to target job postings to key regions. Adding reliable transportation options to your employee benefits packages will then go a long way toward "sealing the deal" for prospective employees. These oft-overlooked but highly valuable approaches will help your company stand out from the crowd while also increasing your pool of available talent.
The Application of Employee Commute Data
With employee commute data in hand, you will be able to follow one of the most important job posting best practices: tailoring each ad to its desired audience. This data can help you better understand your existing workforce’s demographics, allowing you to take targeted approach to your job postings. For example, you can advertise your job listings in specific geographic areas with large pools of available talent.
A benefits package is a key part of any job listing, and in a market where fewer workers are participating in the labor force, transportation benefits can really make a company stand out to prospective employees. Whatever your company's location, understanding employees' commuting habits allows you to offer the perfect transportation benefit for your workers—and your bottom line.
Make Your Listing Stand Out with a Corporate Shuttle Benefit
There are many types of transportation services for workers, but not all will address your employees' unique needs. For instance, rural workers are not the only demographic to struggle with transportation challenges. Perhaps your company is located in an office building in the heart of downtown, surrounded by public transit options; but a commuter analysis shows that most of your employees live in bedroom communities well outside the city. There’s a commuter train, but no easy way to get to that train. In this case, you might consider offering a corporate shuttle service to gather everyone from their homes or central pickup locations in the morning and drive them to the train station, solving the challenge of the last-mile connection.
Which Demographics Face Transportation Challenges?
Every person is an individual, and belonging to a particular demographic doesn’t automatically mean that someone does or does not face challenges in getting to work. But these difficulties are more common in certain populations, including:
- Migrant workers
- Rural employees
- Those living in bedroom communities
- Entry-level workers
- Single parents
- One-car households
- Disabled employees
Through dynamic route mapping and scheduling, corporate shuttle services can be easily tailored to the communities that make up the bulk of your workforce. When highlighting transportation benefits as a recruiting strategy, be sure to highlight how these services can directly impact the people you are trying to reach.
Why Offer Transportation Benefits?
Transportation benefits are important to employees and job hunters for many reasons. These include but are not limited to:
- Work-life balance. Less time commuting means more time at home with loved ones.
- Commuting challenges. Sharing one car between several people, relying on tough bus schedules, or navigating public transit with a physical or mental disability can make commuting difficult or even impossible.
- Feeling valued. Offering transportation benefits lets your workers know they matter to you. It shows that you value their time and empathize with their difficulties. In turn, this can build stronger employee loyalty.
Real-World Success Stories
Data analysis changed the fortunes of one of SHARE Mobility’s partners: a large home improvement manufacturing facility in Louisville, Kentucky. With a rural location and late shifts, the company struggled to maintain staffing. About 30 positions remained chronically open, and there was close to 100% annual turnover across the facility. A detailed analysis showed that the facility’s employees were primarily immigrants, including migrant workers and others who historically lack reliable transportation.
Commuter Analysis allowed the company to drill down on exactly where and how to place its job postings. By combining this with a corporate shuttle bus service featuring dynamic routes and self-service ride bookings, the facility experienced rapid improvements. Within five months, 26 of the 30 open positions were filled. Employee retention skyrocketed to 62%, and productivity jumped by a stunning $3.77 million annually.
Another example is a rural food producer that was also struggling with maintaining full staffing. SHARE's commuter analysis revealed that a significant number of potential employees lived in population centers too far away to easily access the facility. Adding a corporate shuttle service allowed the company to its expand its workforce radius to about 40 miles and partner with nonprofit organizations to open its positions to migrant workers in need of transportation. It didn’t take long for the facility to experience a $12.9 million increase in annual productivity.
Boost Your Job Postings with Commuter Benefits Through SHARE Mobility
Are you ready to learn more about how SHARE Mobility can help you improve hiring by solving a real need for your employees and prospects? Schedule a live demo session with one of our transportation experts today!
