When your workforce triples in summer, efficiency isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s survival.
That’s the reality for the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, which employs more than 2,400 staff—90% of them part-time—and swells to over 3,000 workers during peak seasons. To keep up, the nonprofit turned to UKG Ready, an HR and payroll suite it has been using (and evolving with) for more than a decade.
The result? A flexible, mobile-first platform that simplifies everything from job postings to pay access—while saving hundreds of staff hours annually.
Scaling for Summer Without the Paperwork Pile-Up
The YMCA’s HR team used to face a logistical maze each spring: recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and managing hundreds of part-time and seasonal employees across 16 North Texas branches. But with UKG Ready’s automation tools, they’ve dramatically streamlined that process.
“We save at least 30 minutes per employee just on onboarding,” said Susan Desilets, Associate VP of Human Resources at the YMCA. “That adds up to about 300 hours every summer.”
The system also allows managers to post jobs, track applicants in real time, and quickly onboard new hires or returning “boomerang” staff, all from one interface.
And because the YMCA operates on tight nonprofit budgets, these time savings translate into real dollars—dollars that can be reinvested into community programs rather than admin overhead.
HR Tech That Meets Workers Where They Are
Whether they’re lifeguards, camp counselors, or fitness instructors, YMCA employees can now clock in, request time off, select benefits, and check pay—all from their phones. The UKG Ready mobile app and internal hub serve as a one-stop-shop for HR essentials.
For the YMCA’s multigenerational workforce, that kind of accessibility matters.
“UKG gives our employees tools to succeed in their roles,” Desilets said. “We don’t just manage a company—we support a community.”
And for workers who live paycheck to paycheck or have variable schedules, the UKG Wallet feature provides something even more vital: financial peace of mind.
Employees can access earned wages ahead of payday, helping cover unexpected expenses. Desilets noted this has helped boost employee satisfaction and retention—key wins for a mission-driven employer.
Data-Driven Decision Making with Real Impact
Beyond operations, UKG Ready gives YMCA leadership real-time visibility into workforce and budget trends. That insight has translated into smarter planning—including a progressive wage hike.
“We used data in UKG to model scenarios for raising our minimum wage from $9.00 to $14.00 per hour,” Desilets said. “Without that visibility, we wouldn’t have had the confidence to make that investment.”
With grant and donor funding on the line, every dollar must be accounted for. UKG’s reporting and analytics tools help the Y plan for growth, staff wisely, and stay compliant with nonprofit requirements.
A Longstanding Tech Partnership That Keeps Evolving
The YMCA of Dallas is no newcomer to UKG. The organization has been refining its HR tech stack with UKG’s help for over 10 years—long enough to see firsthand how tools like UKG Ready and UKG Wallet can scale alongside its workforce needs.
“There is nothing more important than ensuring frontline workers feel supported,” said Chris Kiklas, VP of SMB Product Management at UKG. “With the efficiencies gained, the YMCA can focus on what really matters—uplifting its community.”
As demand for flexible work arrangements, digital-first systems, and financial wellness tools increases across sectors, the YMCA’s HR transformation offers a compelling roadmap—especially for nonprofits navigating seasonal hiring or organizations supporting a large part-time workforce.
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