Core Transit Launches Operator Waitlist

Target Audience: As a new Transit Authority, we had to be creative to get employees to ‘Hop on Board and Steer into the Next Gen of Transit' to ensure we can deliver on our service promises to the community. Core Transit's Workforce Development campaign reflects our commitment to being a people-first organization. We had three target audiences for our workforce development campaign: 1) Existing Employees from the Merger 2) Seasonal Employees Seeking a Mountain Lifestyle 3) Local Residents Exploring a New Career Path

Strategy Objective:Put simply: To increase staffing by almost 50% & retain existing employees for our launch in August. How did we do it? -We created an inclusive, multicultural brand that represents the community and appeals to riders and employees alike. -We worked hand-in hand with HR, leadership, & driver committee to develop benefits that are newsworthy with a focus on what matters to operators — wage clarity, extra vacation time, free health insurance, & retirement. -Align recruitment efforts and internal communications with the external brand to be welcoming, accessible, dependable, & rewarding. -We believe that small gestures can make big impacts, so we eliminate tiered benefit structures & long waiting periods to show employees they are valued immediately & welcomed from different industries.

Situation Challenge: In November 2022, voters approved the formation of a brand-new regional transportation authority for Eagle County to take over the operation of an existing County-run service, along with a new dedicated funding stream. There was a desire from staff to allow for more common transportation-specific HR benefits and there was a desire from leadership to build a brand that focused on staff adoption as much as it did on community adoption. As a brand new ‘government startup' we had no mission, vision, or brand elements so we found ourselves building our new brand alongside a complete benefits package. Our theory: If we bring our HR Director along in the branding process, they could ensure alignment between our external brand perception and our internal culture.

Results Impact: Our staff and external HR Brand: We used our new brand as a north star when creating our outrageously beneficial benefits package and culture. As of December, we have a waitlist to become an operator for Core Transit. Alongside almost doubling our service frequency, we've hovered around 100% staffing since August, have reduced overtime needs to due low staffing and have a trip completion rate of over 99.5%. We no longer need large sign on/seasonal bonuses saving $250,000+ annually. Current & Non-Riders: Our annual ridership has surpassed pre-covid numbers & is now at historic all-time highs. Prior to the brand launch in July 2024, we were seeing a year-over-year ridership increase of about 20%. They are enjoying reliable service that is far more frequent (almost double).

Why Submit: We have not heard of any transit agency launching a waitlist to become an operator. What made our process special? We're glad you asked! -We focused on creating a multicultural brand from the start that spoke to staff & customers -Our core values of welcoming accessible, dependable & rewarding were the foundation of our benefits package -While we have very competitive base wages, staff love our 10% retirement match available on day 1 to all employees with no vesting, 100% health insurance premium covered for anyone who works 20+ hours/week & staff earn 4 weeks paid vacation annually in their first year. Why did we offer this? Because we believe those benefits are basic needs of any human being and when you treat your employees with compassion, they treat customers the same way.