Catalyst Brands is broadening its use of WorkJam’s AI workforce management platform, rolling it out across five retail banners: JCPenney, Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Lucky Brand, and Nautica.
The expansion aims to provide frontline associates, approximately 70,000 across North America, with enhanced operational tools and AI-driven HR support.
According to the business, the platform’s functionality includes shift swapping, time-off requests, training access, early wage access, and consolidated communications within a single mobile app.
WorkJam’s Target Audience Engine allows messaging and training to be customized by role, location, shift, and certification, enabling each brand to fine-tune feature use while maintaining consistent processes at scale.
A significant element of this rollout is the introduction of WorkJam’s AI Agent, which Catalyst Brands is launching across all five brands.
The AI Agent delivers conversational, on-demand HR support, providing associates with policy-based answers to questions concerning HR and benefits.
Catalyst Brands has future plans to extend the AI Agent’s capabilities over time to include operational queries.
The deployment builds on a preexisting partnership with JCPenney, where WorkJam has reportedly improved engagement and retention among store-level and supply-chain employees and increased employee referral activity.
The company is following a growing trend of major retailers in the US deploying AI tools to try to enhance their workforce.
Andre Joyner, EVP and chief human resources officer for Catalyst Brands said: “Serving millions of customers across our unmatched portfolio of iconic brands depends on creating a workforce that is connected, agile, and increasingly AI-enabled.
“Through our partnership with WorkJam, we’re embedding AI directly into the flow of work, giving associates faster access to needed information, reducing everyday friction, and creating more capacity for managers to lead their teams and serve customers.”
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