The end of summer draws near, and with that comes a transition time for restaurants and their staff. Many students return to school and traffic often slows as consumers adjust to new habits and schedules. According to the National Restaurants Association, operators added 525,000 seasonal employees to their teams this year, and it can be challenging to manage temporary staff when the season comes to a close.
There are some steps that restaurants can take to make this transition as simple and seamless as possible this fall.
Focus on scheduling
As seasonal employees go back to school, some staff may be returning from travel or from a summer off. Adding and subtracting team members will require careful planning so that all shifts are covered, while labour is managed efficiently. Look at last year’s schedule to get an idea of predicted traffic and keep an eye on the weather to plan patio availability and allocate staff accordingly. Use technology wherever you can to automate scheduling, allow staff to make shift requests, and book time off to stay organized and efficient.
Hire where needed
If you have too many team members departing, you may need to hire this fall. Look carefully at where you can automate tasks and streamline operations, deciding on the number of positions you need to fill. Advertise the available positions, be descriptive in the postings, schedule expedient interviews, and train staff quickly to get them up to speed. If you don’t already have an organized onboarding system, develop a training plan that will get new candidates ready to hit the ground running.
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Handle departures efficiently
Continuing a relationship with your seasonal staff may mean you can hire them back next year. Develop an organized system for your departing employees so all required steps are tackled efficiently and easily for both sides. Automate your payroll so that side of the business is taken care of, conduct exit interviews to get feedback for improvement, and stay in touch with employees you want to return, making it clear that they were valued and appreciated. If you think you might need them again soon, over the holidays, for example, consider setting up a group chat or messaging channel so everyone stays on the same page.
Fall may mean seasonal employees leaving and new hires arriving, so create a strategy for a simple and seamless transition.
