Trapeze Blog Hybrid Bidding: Balancing Flexibility with Structure

By Kristi Urich Transit agencies across North America are continually evolving their workforce management strategies to better meet the needs of both employees and operations. One area where innovation is making a significant impact is in the bidding process—specifically, the adoption of hybrid bidding systems. By blending the flexibility of cafeteria-style bidding with the consistency of rostered schedules, hybrid bidding systems offer a balanced approach that benefits both employees and agencies.  The Traditional Bidding Systems: Cafeteria vs. Roster  Traditionally, transit agencies have used one of two primary bidding systems to assign work: cafeteria-style bidding or rostered schedules.  Cafeteria Bidding: In this system, employees bid on individual days or shifts, often with considerable flexibility. While it gives senior employees the ability to customize their workweek, it can be overwhelming for newer employees who must piece together a schedule. Cafeteria-style bidding can also lead to inefficiencies, such as unbid runs and unpredictable schedules.  Rostered Schedules: Rostered schedules offer more consistency by packaging an entire week of work into predefined shifts that employees bid on as a complete unit. This approach simplifies the process, particularly for newer or lower-seniority employees, and ensures that more shifts are filled in advance. However, rostered systems may lack the flexibility that some employees prefer.  Each system has its strengths and weaknesses, which is why many transit agencies are turning to a hybrid approach that combines the best of both worlds.  What Is a Hybrid Bidding System?  A hybrid bidding system blends the flexibility of cafeteria-style bidding with the structure and predictability of rostered schedules. It allows employees to have more control over their workweek while ensuring that the agency can efficiently manage its workforce and maintain high levels of service.  There are several examples of how hybrid rules can be applied to work:  Roster 4x10 and Cafeteria 5x8:  In many agencies, compressed workweeks of four 10-hour days are available only in rostered work packages to ensure compliance with minimum and maximum work assignment rules. Regular 8hr runs are still offered as cafeteria.  Pick Same Weekday Runs with Cafeteria Selection on Weekends: Employees select their days off and then choose a run they will operate every weekday. This creates consistency while allowing flexibility for Saturday and Sunday.  Cafeteria Pick for First 75-80% of Workforce, Then Roster Unbid Runs: Rostering the unbid runs makes it easier for operators to pick work that complies with work assignment rules and maintains a consistent schedule. This minimizes the number of operators forced to the board and reduces unbid runs. Agencies using a two-step bid process build in time between the cafeteria and roster picks to republish the available work.  Offer a Portion of Regular Runs as Rosters: Introducing a group of rostered regular runs as a pilot allows senior employees to choose either option. If the workforce prefers the roster selections and they are chosen quickly, the number of rosters offered in future sign-ups can be increased.  When introducing new bid types, such as 4x10 or rosters, consider the impacts on timekeeping, absences, accruals, and day-off quotas. Your system may need to be configured to support the new run types and bid units to ensure accuracy for payroll and compliance with your collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and work assignment rules.  In the second part of this series, we’ll dive deeper into the benefits of hybrid bidding systems, focusing on how they enhance employee satisfaction and operational performance. Stay tuned to learn how hybrid bidding can reshape workforce strategies for transit agencies.  CONNECT WITH US