As the end of summer nears, restaurant owners face the familiar challenge of transitioning operations when their seasonal staff, such as teenagers, college students, teachers, and even retirees, return to their regular routines.
According to data from the National Restaurant Association, the industry added 525,000 seasonal jobs this summer, marking the second consecutive year of significant hiring. Effectively managing this transition is crucial for maintaining service quality and operational efficiency.
Here are strategic tips to ensure a seamless shift.
Plan and Schedule with Intention
The key to managing the departure of summer staff lies in proactive and intentional scheduling. Start by building out schedules well in advance, considering the dates when seasonal workers will be leaving. Ask seasonal employees when they plan to depart with some lead time. This helps identify potential staffing gaps early and make informed decisions about hiring and training new employees.
Operators can promote workforce autonomy by giving employees a platform to swap shifts and request changes themselves. Pre-set rules and parameters ensure compliance, and positions can be set so shift swaps only occur between similar individuals.
Automate and Document Essential Tasks
Automation is a powerful tool in the restaurant industry, especially during transitional periods. Consider automating routine tasks such as inventory management, order processing, sales forecasting, and staff scheduling to reduce the burden on remaining staff and ensure that critical operations continue smoothly and profitably.
In addition to automation, document all essential workflows within a digital platform. Create detailed checklists for daily, weekly, and monthly tasks, ensuring no critical duties are overlooked. This documentation is a valuable resource, helping team members quickly understand their responsibilities.
Optimize the Hiring Process
To prepare for the departure of summer staff, it’s crucial to ramp up recruitment efforts well before the transition. Streamline this process by centralizing job postings, applicant reviews, interview schedules, candidate tracking, and communication with potential hires.
Create engaging and detailed job postings that attract the right candidates. Also, use applicant tracking systems to efficiently review applications and schedule interviews, saving time and ensuring top talent isn’t overlooked.
Automated communication tools can keep candidates informed throughout the hiring process, enhancing their experience and increasing the likelihood of securing new hires.
Training and Onboarding
Effective training and onboarding will ensure new employees are quickly brought up to speed, especially during times of transition and high turnover. Operators can look to build learning paths in multiple languages to elevate their team’s skills and drive consistency across every shift and location. Develop comprehensive training programs that cover all aspects of your restaurant’s operations, from customer service protocols to kitchen procedures. Use digital training modules and interactive tutorials to make the learning process engaging and accessible.
It’s important to track the progress of new hires, ensuring they complete all necessary training modules and are fully prepared to contribute to the team.
Use Technology Strategically
Restaurant software offers a range of tools that can enhance operational efficiency, particularly during periods of staff transition. Inventory management systems, for instance, help track stock levels and predict future needs, ensuring a restaurant never runs out of essential items.
Also, employee management software can help optimize labor costs by analyzing sales data and predicting busy periods. This enables operators to schedule staff more effectively, ensuring they have the right number of employees on hand to handle customer demand without overstaffing.
Stay Flexible and Adaptable
Ultimately, it’s important to remain flexible and adaptable during this transitional period. Be prepared to adjust strategies based on real-time feedback and changing circumstances. Encourage open communication with staff and be receptive to their suggestions and concerns. By fostering a collaborative and responsive work environment, operators can navigate the seasonal shift with greater ease and confidence.
Prioritize scheduling, automation, hiring, training, and overall management to ensure a restaurant continues to thrive even as the seasons change.
Katie Fairchild is the Chief Marketing Officer at Restaurant365.
