Vanderbilt University is a private institution with a sprawling 330-acre campus. There are approximately 6,500 students on the campus dining meal plan, five residential dining halls, four retail operations, a coffee shop, and five retail markets.
The challenge
Over the past three years, Vanderbilt struggled with staffing. The dining services are on par with local restaurants and hotels in terms of menu offerings, recipe complexities, and international cuisines. This means that university dining is drawing from the same labor pool and requires the same level of skill and talent. As a result, they were having trouble finding workers with the skill and talent they needed for ongoing success.
The solution
At first, the managers were skeptical of Instawork, assuming they were “just another staffing agency” and the platform almost seemed too good to be true.
However, during the initial meeting with Instawork, they posted shifts and by the end of that same meeting, the shifts had been filled and they could see the name of the Instawork Professionals (Pros), their experience and rating populate in almost real time. The positive outlook in the room was palpable, and the excitement was contagious.
They quickly realized the platform was able to bring an agility to scheduling they hadn’t experienced before.
The result
Vanderbilt’s use of Instawork for staffing has consistently expanded to a variety of roles, from dishwashing and storeroom clerks to culinary and concessions workers. They have been pleased to find that the majority of these shifts are picked up pretty quickly, achieving a 90% fill rate on posted shifts.
“The Pros come in ready to work and eager to be part of the team. They immerse themselves in our family, taking the initiative to help out wherever they see a need.” - Adrian Nelson, General Manager of Vanderbilt University’s Nicholas S. Zeppos Dining Hall
A memorable moment for Kiley Stokes, Senior Director of Vanderbilt Auxiliary Services, was when a general manager informed her that the cook who had accepted his shift for the day was a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. This level of talent is a testament to the quality of professionals Instawork attracts and delivers to its Partners.
Kiley also says, “It's easy to post a shift, and the ability to see in real-time as Pros pick up your shift brings a level of ease and trust to the process that we hadn't experienced before.”
Staffing through Instawork has gone so well that they have even hired permanent employees from their roster of Instawork Pros and are currently looking for other ways they can leverage Instawork Pros to best meet their expanding needs.
