Cinnabon + Workstream

Cinnabon (by 13th Floor Pilot)

In 1985, Cinnabon started off as a bakery in SeaTac Mall in Seattle, Washington, founded by a father and son duo who dreamt of creating the world’s greatest cinnamon roll from scratch. 

35 years later, the Original Cinnabon Cinnamon roll has won the hearts of many and they are now known for their “World Famous Cinnamon Rolls”, with over 1,200 stores in 50 countries worldwide. 

Considering the sheer size and scale of Cinnabon’s operations and locations, it is no surprise that they are highly dependent on an efficient and effective hiring process to ensure that all of their manpower needs are met. 

Let’s take a deep dive and analyze how they’ve managed to hire effectively despite being in the midst of a global pandemic. We’ll also take a look at how they have significantly reduced the number of no-shows and thus saved significant amounts of time spent on hiring candidates, with the help of Workstream.

High No-Show Rate and Inefficient Hiring Process

With the gradual reopening of many brick-and-mortar businesses across the food service industry, Cinnabon was faced with a major roadblock. They realized that they needed to readily assemble a large applicant pool of hourly workers as quickly as possible to ensure sufficient manpower in their stores when businesses were allowed to resume. 

However, gaps in their previous hiring process made it nearly impossible to do so. Firstly, they experienced a high no-show rate of 75% for their applicants, which depleted their pool of potential hires significantly. In addition, it took many hours to post jobs and screen applicants. 

Due to the inefficiencies of their previous process, it was crucial that Cinnabon had a new system in place, to ensure that they could assemble the necessary number of workers in time for reopening. 

A Seamless Hiring System

Through Workstream’s Job Board Integrations, Cinnabon now has the newfound ability to post to multiple popular job boards with a single click, and gain access to a wider network of candidates. The Workstream text-to-apply posters also give potential candidates the convenience to view and apply for all open positions. These features increase the pool of applicants, giving them more candidates to choose from. 

At the same time, they are able to save time in the screening process. An applicant tracking system, a streamlined feed with workflows and stages, makes the hiring process more efficient for hiring managers. The use of data-driven analytics allows them to find out more about the demographics of their applicants and the percentage of those who are qualified for the job. Workflows are also customizable, and hiring managers can view applications easily, and even add interview and training notes if necessary.

Cinnabon is also able to make use of automated scheduling and SMS reminders to reduce ghosting. Applicants are now able to schedule, reschedule, and cancel their own interviews, which makes them more likely to choose a convenient and desired slot for themselves, automatically increasing their chances of turning up. SMS reminders are an additional safety net, and candidates are given a chance to reschedule via text, making it less likely for candidates to ghost the interviews, as the entire application process is designed for their convenience. 

Streamlined Hiring Process While Saving Time

Having streamlined their hiring process with Workstream, Cinnabon has drastically reduced their screening times and job postings by 14 hours per applicant and their no-show rates by 50%! This allows them to assemble a large applicant pool quickly and efficiently, even in the face of the uncertainties brought about by the pandemic. 

Want to find out how you can adapt and gear the hiring processes in your QSR towards the 'new normal'? Schedule a chat with us today!