Managers spent considerable numbers of days each year in interviews, drawing them away from branches and creating problems for the desk schedule. Normal vacancies created challenges for branch staff and managers to meet customer demand or to enjoy hard-earned vacation due to a lack of staff available to cover absences. A common cultural expectation of performance was difficult to define or enforce because new hires were traditionally only acclimated to a single location.

Through this innovation, a pool of subs are hired, leveraging the interview process to ultimately provide for multiple hires rather than just one. Subs voluntarily pick up shifts when vacancies occur, and in doing so are "auditioning" for future employment with various hiring supervisors. Managers provide feedback to the HR Director and the HR Director coaches new hires for performance improvement; when improvement doesn't occur, placement is avoided. When a regular vacancy occurs, subs request the job, with one being placed by the HR team, thereby eliminating the need for a redundant application/interview/background check process.

Average vacancy to staffing time dropped from 56 to 14 days. The new process improved the quality of hires through monitoring and feedback processes that were in place prior to graduation from the substitute pool and placement in regular positions. The Library substantially reduced managerial meeting time required to fill the most common branch vacancies for this position. We are also seeing far fewer union grievances as a result of corrective action taken after the probationary period; corrective action now takes place early in the employment cycle (prior to the probationary period ending.). There is no guarantee of minimum hours or placement, but most place within three months.