LevelUP
Creating stability for associates through continuous employment
The Challenge
EmployBridge, the largest industrial staffing company in the U.S., faced a persistent problem: associates were leaving because of gaps between job assignments, leading to high turnover, reduced associate lifetime value, and increased client churn. Associates described frustration at waiting “a week and a half before hearing about a new job.” For a business reliant on high fill rates and retention, these gaps represented both a human pain point and a significant financial loss.
The Approach
As CX Lead on the venture team, I mentored my project team on how to conduct research and design sprints–seeking to validate a new way to close assignment gaps for Associates. Methods and activities included:
Running historical data analysis to understand reassignment rates, tenure trends, and “gap days” across regional branches
Conducting pain point interviews with Associates to understand the impact of discontinuous work on various personas
Creating and testing value propositions (storyboards) and mobile app prototypes to get feedback on proactive messaging, concierge-style outreach, and programmatic nudges to improve trust and satisfaction
Establishing key metrics that matter: reassignment rate, gap days, fill rate, and associate lifetime value (LTV)
Designing a “Wizard of Oz” experimentation framework to proactively reassign associates before their current jobs end using a cohort model
Piloting gap pay framing tests to determine how compensation during transitions could influence retention
The Solution
Out of all the concepts and prototypes tested, EversStaff surfaced as the most desirable for Associates. Upon further iteration, we developed LevelUp – a proactive reassignment platform that:
Forecasts assignment start and end dates more accurately
Reassigns associates to new roles before their current ones end
Builds stronger engagement through ongoing communication and direct access to branch support
Tests and scales models like gap pay and limited job-choice tradeoffs to keep associates continuously employed
LevelUP ultimately creates a “perm-like” experience of stability for temporary workers while boosting client fulfillment and keeping hiring costs low.
Low-fidelity prototype we tested with 20+ Associates to validate solution messaging, feature prioritization, and identify any risks with the overall concept.
The Impact
The LevelUp pilots showed how a simple shift — shortening the amount of time between jobs — could create outsized results for both Associates and Employbridge’s clients. By addressing worker stability head-on, the venture unlocked measurable improvements in retention, client satisfaction, and revenue growth. Within the first year of launch, Accelerate outcomes included:
Reduced gap days: Pilots showed that proactive reassignment significantly shortened the time between assignments, leading to higher associate satisfaction
Lower turnover: Turnover dropped by up to 10% in early cohorts, keeping headcount steady
Financial upside: When scaled, LevelUp projected incremental weekly revenue of $24M–$46M from increased fill rates and associate utilization
Broader benefits: Associates gained stability, clients saw improved order fulfillment, and EmployBridge increased LTV, reduced CAC, and strengthened brand perception
A Portfolio Approach to Workforce Innovation
From transportation to training, each venture tackled a core workforce challenge — together reshaping how EmployBridge creates value for associates and employers alike.
The outcomes of this venture — alongside several other successfully funded projects I supported — played a role in strengthening the company’s position during its acquisition, ultimately contributing to a private equity deal that closed $100M above asking price. Across these initiatives, I served as either CX Lead or Entrepreneur in Residence, helping to ensure that each venture was grounded in customer insight and built for scale.
HITCH
EmployBridge Associates often struggled with transportation barriers that kept them from reaching job sites reliably, leading to absenteeism and lost wages. Hitch addressed this by pairing workers with ride-sharing options and pooled transportation solutions, ensuring reliable commutes while improving employer fill rates and retention.
NuOptio
Traditional staffing models often left gaps in matching workers with flexible, short-term assignments, frustrating associates who wanted choice and control. NuOptio introduced a gig-style marketplace where associates could browse and select available shifts, giving them flexibility while helping employers quickly fill urgent labor needs.
Rempli
Frontline managers lacked visibility into real-time workforce performance, making it difficult to track productivity, attendance, and engagement. Rempli solved this by providing a data-driven workforce management platform, giving employers actionable insights while empowering associates with clearer expectations and feedback loops.
TRAINR
Many industrial workers lacked access to upskilling opportunities that could help them advance into higher-paying, more stable roles. TRAINR delivered on-demand training modules tailored to associates’ roles and career goals, improving workforce readiness while creating a stronger talent pipeline for employers.