NEW BPAA PROGRAM ADDRESSES HIRING AND RETENTION

A “BPAA Online Training Bonus” program has been unveiled by the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America to address the post-pandemic challenge of retaining both new hires and long-time staff members.

During the “Great Reflection,” employees left the workplace in droves as COVID-19 caused them to re-evaluate whether the businesses for which they worked and their roles were really making them happy. Regarding their jobs, many began pondering what was in it for them and whether it was enough.

In an effort to attract new talent, business owners acquiesced to calls for higher wages, more accommodating policies and better benefits. While effective in bringing new employees on board, those efforts did little to impact retention. “Short-timers” became the norm rather than the exception.

Thanks in part to Bowling University’s online, on-demand programming, bowling proprietors have become more skilled than ever at hiring. Now, the attention has turned to motivating team members to stay, and that’s where the “BPAA Online Training Bonus” comes in.

The program calls for each domestic BPAA-member center to receive a rebate of $10 for each course taken through the online programming. As an example, a smaller center with 16 team members (full-time and parttime) that completes the recommended onboarding new-hire courses for all team members and job-specific courses would complete a total of 280 courses and earn a rebate of $2,800. Under the same scenario, a larger center with 50 team members would complete 771 courses and earn $7,710.

“This is another example of BPAA listening to its members and responding in a way that will motivate both center owners and their employees,” said BPAA Executive Director Frank DeSocio. “Employee retention is the number-one challenge for business owners across the country, and bowling centers are not immune to the problem. Our education team has put together some great programming that directly addresses the challenge, and this bonus program should help get more views for that programming and have a positive impact on retention.”

Proprietors may use their rebates in any way they wish. Among the possibilities to further retention are gift cards for employees, team dinners or outings, cash bonuses, paid vacations or time off, or payments for completing the courses.

To participate in the program, member centers must enroll by scheduling a 15-minute activation call with a Bowling University team member. The program will launch March 1 and continue through 2023. Once a center registers, it will receive credit for courses already taken this year. Rebate checks will be issued quarterly in April, July, October and January, and there is no limit on how much a center may earn in rebates.

To enroll, go to bowlinguniversity.net.