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.

3Natives, a Florida-based nutrition-focused concept, announces its collaboration with GiftAMeal, an innovative cause-marketing program that turns customer photos into meals for local families in need. GiftAMeal will be implemented at 38 3Natives locations, marking a significant step forward in their shared mission to combat hunger and support local communities.

Renowned for their fresh, high quality menu of açaí bowls, smoothies, juices, wraps, and salads, 3Natives offers nutritious, fast-casual dining options and is not only committed to satisfying taste buds but also to making a positive impact in the neighborhoods it serves. This partnership comes at a time when many of 3Natives’ neighbors need it most after suffering devastating impacts from Hurricane Helene. Through this strategic partnership with GiftAMeal, 3Natives customers can play a direct role in supporting their local communities. Guests are invited to scan a GiftAMeal QR code at 3Natives and upload a photo of their food, drink, or even a selfie. For every customer photo, a donation will be made to a nearby food bank, covering the cost of distributing one meal’s worth of healthy groceries to a neighborhood pantry.

"We’re thrilled to partner with GiftAMeal to make a difference in the communities we serve,” says Brittney Scott, 3Natives Director of Marketing. “This partnership gives our guests a meaningful way to give back locally by simply snapping photos of their 3Natives experience, while also amplifying our brand through increased social media engagement. We love how GiftAMeal aligns with our commitment to fresh, healthy food and community impact, and we can’t wait to see the positive difference we can make together!"

GiftAMeal recently celebrated a milestone, surpassing 2,200,000 meals provided, equivalent to 2,640,000 pounds of food through its platform. The collaboration with 3Natives is expected to significantly contribute to this growing impact, fostering a strong sense of community engagement and social responsibility.

"We’re excited to partner with 3Natives to offer a simple way for diners to support their communities,” says Andrew Glantz, GiftAMeal CEO. “With many still recovering from Hurricane Helene, this initiative serves as a reminder of how small actions, like sharing a selfie, can make a meaningful impact right where it's needed."

GiftAMeal and 3Natives invite the community to join them in making a difference one photo at a time. Together, they aim to create a ripple effect of positive change, turning shared moments into tangible support for those facing food insecurity.

Brinker International announces the appointment of Mike Wesley as Vice President of Marketing for Maggiano's Little Italy. In this role, Wesley will be instrumental in further amplifying and building the Maggiano's brand as it enters its next era of classic Italian American dining, driving key marketing and promotional strategies. 

Wesley's passion and guidance will be pivotal in the evolution of Maggiano's culinary offerings and dining standards, which has been in motion since the appointment of Dominique Bertolone as Maggiano's Little Italy's President last year and more recently, the addition of Chef Anthony Amoroso, VP of Innovation and Growth.

"We couldn't be more pleased to welcome Mike to Maggiano's and know his experience will provide valuable insights to guide the brand toward new heights of growth and success as we craft this next chapter of the Maggiano's story," said Dominique Bertolone, President, Maggiano's Little Italy, and SVP, Brinker International. "We are certain that his visionary leadership style combined with his experience in driving brand relevance will enable us to elevate our marketing strategy in the months and years to come."

Wesley joins Maggiano's after a 14-year tenure at Yum! Brands, where he most recently served as VP of Brand Marketing, KFC U.S., strategizing key initiatives across the national calendar, including notable menu and brand innovations. Before Wesley transitioned into the food service industry, he held brand positions at Procter & Gamble in the North America Oral Health and Global Home Care categories, where he led strategies to enhance brand awareness, loyalty, and market share.

"This is an exciting time at Maggiano's, and I am looking forward to working with the team to continue building upon the great progress they have made, while finding new opportunities to celebrate this iconic Italian American brand," said Wesley. "I have had a lifelong passion for hospitality, having grown up in the restaurant industry working alongside my father. My experience at KFC allowed me to partner with various disciplines in service of creating great products and experiences for our restaurants. This next phase of my career certainly builds upon that passion, and I look forward to opportunity to work with all of the amazing Maggiano's Team Members."

Year over year, restaurants saw growth in both total sales (+8.1%) and foot traffic (+8.7%); however, average ticket sizes continued to decline (-1.3%) compared to 2023, accoring to  Fiserv Small Business Index for November 2024.

Food Services and Drinking Places, which includes restaurants, indexed at 131 in November, a 4-point increase compared to October.  On a monthly basis, both restaurant sales (+3.1%) and transactions (+1.9%) also rose, marking a second consecutive month of strong growth.

Published monthly, the Fiserv Small Business Index is derived from point-of-sale transaction data, including card, cash, and check transactions in-store and online across approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses (restaurants, retailers and services), including hundreds of thousands leveraging the Clover point-of-sale and business management platform.

“Holiday sales are critical for small businesses, with restaurants and retailers in particular benefitting from consumers getting out and patronizing local establishments during the final months of the year,” said Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer at Fiserv. “Notably in November, food sales accelerated across both restaurant and grocery while Retail maintained the positive momentum from October, a significant increase when compared to 2023.”

Grocery Sales on the Rise

Nationally, the Fiserv Small Business Index for Retail was 150, holding steady compared to October. Year-over-year sales (+5.6%) and transactions (+9.5%) grew and average ticket sizes (-3.8%) continued to decline. Year over year, the fastest-growing retail categories were Grocery (+11.1), General Merchandise (+11.0%), Clothing, Shoes and Jewelry Retailers (+7.3%), and Furniture, Electronics, and Appliances (+6.8%).

On a monthly basis, sales (-0.1%) and transactions (+0.3%) were generally flat with no change in index value compared to October; a positive sign given the significant month-over-month growth retail saw the month prior. The strongest month-over-month gains were seen in Grocery (+2.4%), Furniture, Electronics and Appliances (+2.2%), and General Merchandise (+0.6%).

Services

Service-based small business sales grew compared to 2023 (+5.1%) but declined compared to October of 2024 (-1.8%) as consumers shifted more dollars to restaurants and retailers.

On a yearly basis, the fastest growing service categories were Information Services (+15.0%), Food Manufacturing (+14.8%) and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (+11.1%), and Truck Transportation (+7.9%). On a monthly basis, Food Manufacturing (3.6%) and Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (+1.9%) were the only service-based categories to grow sales compared to October.

Regional Trends

• Nearly all 50 U.S. states saw small business sales growth year over year. Nebraska (+13.1%), Florida (+11.5%), Alaska (+11.4%), South Carolina (+8.7%) and North Carolina (+8.0%) showed the most growth compared to 2023.
• Washington (+3.8%), Florida (+3.7%), Alaska (+1.8%) and Nevada (+0.3%) were the strongest performing states for small business sales growth month over month.
• Miami (+11.4%) and Atlanta (+7.5%) were the strongest-performing large cities for small business sales growth year over year.