National Restaurant Association Partners with PeopleMatter to Automate HR Processes and Get Restaurants 'Out of the Weeds'

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In efforts to help its members effectively recruit, retain and manage employees, the National Restaurant Association announced today a strategic partnership with leading talent management solution provider PeopleMatter to bring innovative human resources solutions to its member restaurants. Association members will gain access to PeopleMatter's suite of SaaS-based (Software-as-a-Service), automated HR technology tools that will help hire, schedule and engage their workforces.

The National Restaurant Association chose PeopleMatter's talent management solution for its one-to-many platform that consolidates multiple point solutions into one, integrated system specifically engineered to meet the high-volume needs of the restaurant industry. PeopleMatter's product ecosystem helps restaurants find talented, passionate employees and train and motivate them to consistently deliver an exceptional customer experience. The products also aid in engaging employees in a restaurant's brand through performance management and recognition to build a strong culture and create lasting, rewarding careers for foodservice professionals.

"PeopleMatter's talent management tools are an easy-to-use, innovative, adaptable technology that will help our members find, hire, train and engage their hourly workforces as never before," said David Gilbert, chief operating officer of the National Restaurant Association. "With its 12.8 million employees, the restaurant industry is the nation's second largest private sector employer, and people strategies are an important part of running a successful restaurant. PeopleMatter's vision for a social, engaged workforce continues to drive innovation. These are tools our members can use everyday to improve their people processes and deliver exceptional customer service."

"Our product ecosystem is designed to empower users with best-practice tools and techniques that actually make their jobs easier," said Nate DaPore, PeopleMatter president and chief executive officer. "PeopleMatter's solutions deliver the next evolution in merging social media influence with practical talent management software that will provide National Restaurant Association members with a powerful, efficient solution, to help them spend less time on consuming HR paperwork and dedicate more time to delivering an out-of-this-world customer experience in their restaurant," DaPore continued. "Our learning and scheduling modules, set for release in Spring '11, will continue to further our customers' shared dedication to delivering great customer service."

PeopleMatter's platform is a social, practical talent management alternative to solutions built for white-collar, Fortune 500 companies. The system integrates seamlessly with social media networks and location-based outlets to help spread a restaurant's brand, connect with a tech-savvy workforce and build workplace culture. Candidates can apply online and managers are able to access files, tools and reports on-the-go from any Internet-enabled laptop, Smartphone or tablet with the SaaS-based model. Additionally, PeopleMatter's three modules - Hire, Schedule and Engage - span the entire employee life cycle, from screening candidates in the hiring process to creating an HR checklist to fully "close-out" employees during the offboarding procedures.

PeopleMatter released its first module, PeopleMatter Hire™, in September 2010. Hire features a robust applicant tracking system (ATS) that allows employers to quickly and easily identify, track and hire qualified, service-minded employees. Applications such as tax credit processing, hiring assessments and background checks can be embedded within Hire's online application form for a seamless candidate experience and easier sorting for employers looking to filter candidates by tax qualification, assessment, or screening results. The Hire module also includes automated onboarding and offboarding, tools that make tedious HR tasks an automated breeze with organized, electronic filing and form completion.

PeopleMatter continues to rapidly develop products to transform talent management in the service industry, with plans to launch learning and scheduling modules in Spring 2011 as part of the PeopleMatter product ecosystem.

National Restaurant Association members can find out more about how PeopleMatter's talent management software can propel their business and brand at www.peoplematter.com/nra.

About PeopleMatter

PeopleMatter is a talent management solution for the service industry. We help companies like restaurants and C-Stores hire dependable employees and other service-industry employers, ignite their passion and inspire enduring loyalty by providing a comprehensive suite of HR tools including hiring, learning, scheduling, performance management, rewards and recognition and workplace social media collaboration. Our mission is to transform the workplace by providing managers and employees with tools that catalyze the innate human drive to make a difference—because happy, engaged employees and managers lead to exemplary customer service. PeopleMatter. The name says it all. PeopleMatter is headquartered in Charleston, S.C., and on the Web at www.peoplematter.com.

About The National Restaurant Association

Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 960,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to lead America's restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.

SOURCE PeopleMatter