Trapeze Blog Cracking the Code to Simplify Bidding: Tech-Driven Tools and Mentorship

By Kristi Urich Another piece of the puzzle involves leveraging modern tools and mentoring to make the entire bidding process smoother and less stressful. We’ve discussed how rostering can provide much-needed relief for both new and experienced employees. Here, we’ll explore the role of technology and mentorship in reducing bidding anxiety.   While details of a bid are important, presenting them in a manageable way is key. Lists must be concise to be simple to follow. The challenge of being both detailed and concise often leads to the use of multiple documents to support a bid. Operators may need to look at a short report to see what is bid or unbid. However, to understand the work details—such as start and end times and locations, layovers, paid or unpaid breaks, and trip details—they may need to consult additional reports or individual paddles for the runs. Cross-referencing this information is difficult and time-consuming. Interpreting the unfamiliar data and formats is hard, especially since these reports are only used a few times a year during the bid process.   Implementing digital bidding tools can simplify this process by providing the necessary data at employees’ fingertips. They can quickly use filters to see only the remaining unbid work, organized by garage or line. Sort features allow employees to find work based on start or end time or highest pay. With a single click, users can drill into the paddle to view trip details, layovers, and any spread time. Employees can create a “bid request” based on their preferences and monitor in real-time if their chosen work is no longer available, adjusting as needed.   Even if you’re not ready to replace the paper-based or in-person live bid system, providing digital self-service tools with real-time updates allows employees to research unbid work quickly and conveniently without manually tying all the report data together. While the patchwork wall may remain, reprinting unbid run summaries a few times a day can help employees easily verify what’s left and reduce the effort required to pick work.   Slow It Down   As the bid progresses, two factors make it increasingly difficult to pick work, especially for cafeteria bids. Unbid work becomes harder to find and creating a full week schedule that meets work assignment rules, maintains consistency, and is desirable becomes more challenging. Additionally, employees’ familiarity with runs, anticipating senior employees’ picks and the ability to quickly digest bid data decreases due to their lack of experience with the process. While the bid window must remain finite to ensure completion, allowing more time between bids can help employees evaluate their options with less anxiety. Here are several ways to build in time:   Pause the process for first-year employees: Review the seniority list and identify employees with one year or less experience. Depending on how the bid times are assigned, consider a long pause, possibly starting the bids times for this group on a new day to give them a partial day or evening to review the remaining unbid work.   Pace the Process: As bids progress it gets harder to pick work, so make bid windows longer with each day.  For example, Day 1 may have three-minute windows, which gradually extends so that by Day 4 when less senior employees are bidding and selecting work is more challenging, allow 10 to 15 minutes.    Take a Break: If pacing the process extends the bid too long, keep the window short (3 to 5 minutes) but build in a break every hour. This way, employees can review the remaining unbid work during the interval. When their time comes, they’ll know there are only 10 to 15 people ahead of them, giving them more confidence in prioritizing their preferences when looking at the remaining unbid work.   Mentoring Provides Mental and Emotional Support   Bidding is high stakes. The impact on an individual’s work-life balance and caregiving responsibilities is significant. Having a senior mentor who proactively helps new employees find work that fits their needs can be life-changing (literally). Replace the “come ask me if you need anything” attitude with a proactive “I’d like to talk about what’s important to you and help you find the best options.” This approach not only leads to better outcomes for the employee but also makes them feel supported and understood.   Engage the employee well in advance, near the start of the bid, to review the process and familiarize them with the resources available and how to monitor bid progress. Discuss whether they will bid in person or remotely and develop strategies for each scenario. Connect with the employee the day before their bid to review their options and refine their list of preferences. If the employee will be live bidding, ensure the mentor is available in real-time or arrange for support from a union representative or another senior employee.   After the employee is notified of their awarded work, the mentor can help them review the details, discuss any additional training needed, and provide strategies to make the first day less stressful. This might include encouraging the employee to drive the route in their personal vehicle or riding along with the current operator before the new schedule starts. The mentor can also discuss strategies for handling personal schedule conflicts or caregiving duties, putting the employee at ease and reducing absenteeism.   Everyone Benefits   It’s not just new employees who benefit from improved bidding tools and processes. Even experienced transit workers can find value in a simplified bidding process, paired days off, and shorter days with less unpaid spread time. Self-service digital tools streamline the overall process, making it more efficient for everyone involved. Bid administrators and union representatives can feel more confident that employees are getting the best possible results.   As transit agencies face ongoing workforce challenges, making the job easier and more attractive for newcomers is critical to long-term success. By improving the bidding process, transit agencies can ease the onboarding process for new employees and enhance overall workforce satisfaction and efficiency. This leads to a more engaged, less stressed workforce that is better equipped to meet the demands of the job.   CONNECT WITH US