Goodwill Houston

Goodwill Houston Creates $2.3M In New Revenue, Bolsters Productivity by 14% With On-Demand Labor

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“Veryable has been an incredible partner for flexible labor to help make sure our locations consistently have the manpower they need to help drive our revenue”

-Jim F. (VP Retail)

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Background

Since 1945, Goodwill Industries of Houston has been a cornerstone of the Greater Houston community, operating over 50 retail locations that receive and sell donated clothing, accessories, home goods, and more. These retail operations are not just stores—they are mission-driven engines: 95 cents of every dollar spent at Goodwill Houston supports job training and workforce programs that change lives.

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Over the decades, Goodwill Houston has built a reputation for both community impact and operational excellence. Yet, even well-established organizations can face disruptions that test their ability to serve both customers and their mission.

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Operational Challenges

In recent years, Goodwill Houston faced an unprecedented surge in donations, coinciding with a volatile labor market and pandemic-related operational disruptions. Donation volumes were higher—and far less predictable—than ever before, creating severe bottlenecks in processing and logistics.

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These challenges had cascading effects:

• Donated goods piled up, delaying processing and directly impacting revenue.
• Staffing gaps forced excessive overtime, leading to employee burnout and high turnover.
• Recruitment and hiring became a constant, unsustainable burden, further straining budgets and operational efficiency.

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To overcome these hurdles, Goodwill Houston realized that simply adding more full-time staff wasn’t enough. They needed a solution that allowed them to scale labor dynamically, in step with real-time demand fluctuations.

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The Veryable Solution

Goodwill partnered with Veryable, leveraging its on-demand labor marketplace to gain instant access to thousands of qualified and vetted local workers. Unlike traditional temporary staffing models, Veryable’s approach allows Goodwill to scale labor up or down in real time at zero cost to scale, ensuring headcount is always aligned with moment-to-moment shifts in donation volume.

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When donation demand spiked, Goodwill can post opportunities to Veryable’s network of over 58,000 Houston-area operators, typically receiving eight bids per post. Using live resumes, ratings, and skill profiles, Goodwill selects the best-fit operators who can hit the ground running, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity.

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This flexible labor strategy enables Goodwill to maintain operational continuity without relying on costly overtime or overstaffing—protecting both the bottom line and employee well-being.

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Application

Building on this approach, Goodwill created an on-demand labor pool that functions as a flexible extension of their full-time workforce, creating a sustainable, scalable hybrid labor strategy. This model allows Goodwill to:

• Scale labor up or down daily, aligning with fluctuating donation volumes.
• Support mission-critical programs without disruption.
• Reduce reliance on overtime while maintaining productivity and morale.

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By integrating on-demand labor into their core operations, Goodwill Houston not only addressed immediate operational bottlenecks but also built a blueprint for long-term workforce flexibility that can scale across locations and respond to future uncertainties.

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Key areas supported by Veryable Operators included:

• Retail: backroom associates, material handling, loading/unloading

• Outlets: bailing, material handling, loading/unloading

• Project-Based: after-hours trailer unloads, backroom clearing

• Transportation: driver helpers, loading/unloading

• Production: hanging, tagging, and pricing merchandise

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Results After 6 Months

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