Atlanta, GA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/16/2015 --On December 2nd, HR leaders from world-renown Fortune 500 companies gathered at UPS' corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia to discuss common challenges related to hourly hiring. In attendance were heavy-hitters from AT&T, Capital One, Lowes, Target, Zappos, Macy's and Delta Airlines. In good stead with a dozen other well-known employers of hourly talent, companies were hand-selected to debate, learn, and share best practices in a think tank setting. Held periodically by Atlanta-based management consultancy Designs on Talent, LLC, the event brought answers to pressing issues surrounding hourly hiring and retention. Topics of discussion garnering the most attention were workforce planning, talent acquisition process improvement and employment branding.

The DoT Think Tank centered on how the impact of an improving economy will influence the demand for, and supply of, hourly workers over the next two years. Attendees discussed how rising wages and an improved economy has put operational stress on HR organizations due to dwindling applicant pools. As rising wages leave less room for hiring errors, the need to improve the overall hiring process and measure the quality of hire has become essential. In addition, employment branding has emerged as an increasingly important talent attraction element. To that end the event hosted Millennial guest speaker, Heath Padgett, who underscored the importance of concisely communicating employment opportunities to a targeted audience.

"Our attendees agreed that taking a data-based, laser-focused approach to employment branding can lead to the right talent faster. Gaining such alignment between candidates and companies from the beginning also yields lower turnover and higher performance over time." said Linda Brenner, CEO of Designs on Talent, LLC.

Sharing the common challenge of hiring, in some cases, tens of thousands of hourly employees annually, participants discussed approaches and best practices related to: "Forecasting Demand and Understanding Market Availability" for hourly workers; "Paying More without Getting Less" as organizations respond to increased costs associated with hourly wages and benefits; "The Rise of Apprenticeship Models" as innovative approaches to building pipelines as quality candidates evolve; and "Impact of Technologies on the Future of Workplace Demand" as the roles and responsibilities of hourly workers change along with the rest of business operations.

To request a copy of the white paper to be released in January 2016 based on the event, or to host a Designs on Talent Think Tank contact info@designsontalent.com.

For more information about Designs on Talent, visit http://www.designsontalent.com.

About Designs on Talent, LLC
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Designs on Talent is a management consultancy which specializes in improving hiring and retention results for clients whose business model depends on their intellectual capital. The firm's principals include former leaders of talent acquisition, talent management, and finance for The Home Depot, The Coca-Cola Company and Revlon. Designs on Talent's clients range in size from mid-cap to global organizations.

Contacts:
Linda Brenner
CEO, Designs on Talent
404-313-3590
linda@designsontalent.com

Tom McGuire
Talent Strategy Practice Lead
tom@designsontalent.com

Website:
http://www.designsontalent.com

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