Flexible Staffing for Restaurants

Have you ever jumped in to do dishes or stepped in as a busser at your restaurant because a member of your staff decided not to show up that day? Despite doing everything possible to interview and hire the most reliable people, the term “no call, no show” is common in the food and beverage industry for a reason, and turnover will inevitably haunt any manager’s dreams.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates an annualized employee turnover rate of 73.8% in hospitality, making it the second highest industry rate next to technology. Your time is valuable, so why should you be spending it looking for cooks and bartenders every week?

Staffing your restaurant through uncertain times can be challenging. You don’t want to add employees to your roster who you don’t need or can’t afford to pay if things slow down. But there are tools available that offer flexible staffing to help you take your schedule day by day based on your current needs. 

What is Flexible Staffing?

On-demand hospitality staffing is a solution that provides managers access to workers when they need them, whether that’s in a few days or a few hours. The same way that we can order food through an app that is delivered to our door, an executive chef can get a prep cook to show up and work for the day. Just as we become used to everyday conveniences through an app, you can also rely on technology to solve your staffing problems. 

Flexible staffing options give restaurants access to temporary workers to fulfill staffing needs on a shift by shift basis. Flexible staffing platforms match contract workers who have experience in a specific industry with companies who need additional support.

When to Use On-Demand Staffing

There’s a variety of ways to utilize flexible staffing in the restaurant industry, whether it’s part of your everyday operations or only utilized in a pinch, you have access to thousands of professionals at your fingertips. 

• Last Minute Call Outs: Gone are the days of managers having to step in! Technology allows you to connect with talented professionals with only a few clicks.
• Surge in Business: Many businesses face fluctuations in demand based on seasons, holidays, and special events. This leaves them with more staff on the payroll than needed. Avoid that problem by only getting extra staff when you need them.
• Recruiting: Whether you’re between hires or actively recruiting, utilizing flexible staffing allows you to fill the gaps without missing a beat. Plus, the person that fills the shift might just be the person you’re looking to hire. 

No matter the staffing need, staying flexible enables you to address it with ease.

What Roles are Best for Flexible Staffing?

As a restaurant there are some roles that just don’t make sense to fill with temporary labor. You want your servers to know your menu and POS system and your bartenders to know your drink menu. Back-of-house (BOH) is where flexible staffing can really shine. 

The following are roles that work great for flexible labor solutions: 

• Event Chef
• Line Cook
• Prep Cook
• Food Assembly
• Dishwasher

Additionally, if your restaurant also does events or catering orders, flexible labor can be a great solution to get additional support and keep your restaurant running smoothly. Here are some additional roles that work well with flexible staffing:

• Banquet Captain
• Banquet Server
• Busser
• Banquet Setup
• General Labor

Ghost Kitchens and Delivery Staffing

If you’re looking to make the most of delivery apps, flexible staffing could be an answer. Any cook will tell you that preparation is vital, and that rings true for growing delivery orders, as well. Keeping a pulse on what is being ordered to-go on a weekly basis will allow a ghost kitchen to be prepared ahead of time. You can put cold meals, sauces, even utensils and napkins together before service or days in advance. Each of these items may take only seconds to assemble but those seconds can make a huge difference. 

With a new way of maximizing revenue, you’ll also likely need to have enough kitchen staff to fill orders. Utilizing an on-demand staffing platform like Qwick ensures you’ve got a number of talented food and beverage Professionals available in minutes. 

Flexible Scheduling Designed for the Hospitality Industry

Qwick offers flexible, on-demand staffing that’s especially helpful when there’s little budget to hire new staff, or current staff could easily get sick or call out. Our digital on-demand staffing platform matches restaurants with experienced, vetted food and beverage professionals in minutes.

The software allows restaurants to have access to flexible scheduling and budgeting by setting their own shift rates, while still being able to ensure they're never caught short-handed. 

If you’re feeling the pain of high staff turnover or lengthy interview, hiring, and training processes without time to waste, try Qwick! You can easily hire professionals—with no fee. 

Revel Systems restaurants can utilize Qwick services for up to three shifts per month with no mark-up fee. Create a free account with promo code: LIGHT