6 Mistakes You’re Making Scheduling Your Catering Staff
In this blog post, we’ll explore the 6 Mistakes you’re making scheduling your catering staff.
Efficient staff scheduling is crucial for the smooth operation of any catering business. Proper scheduling not only ensures that events run seamlessly but also contributes to employee satisfaction and retention. However, many catering managers make common scheduling mistakes that can lead to operational inefficiencies, increased costs, and dissatisfied staff. In this blog post, we’ll explore the 6 Mistakes you’re making scheduling your catering staff, backed by industry trends and best practices to help you optimise your scheduling process using Roosted's comprehensive tools.
1. Not Knowing Your Workers' Availability
Availability is much more than just knowing what days they prefer. It’s also more than just asking them to mark their availability inside of a general calendar. Availability needs to be something that is constantly in motion because it can change monthly, weekly, and daily.
Why It Happens:
- Relying on static availability forms.
- Failing to update availability regularly or asking workers to input their availability in a way that’s not automated (like a spreadsheet or a calendar app)
Solution:
Implement a dynamic scheduling system where employees can update their availability in real-time. There’s a lot of ways to track workers’ availability, including apps like Roosted. We have found in our research that the best system is a combination of knowing when they’re generally available, but also giving them choices to work outside of those hours (because they change so often). The ideal solution should involve some deep automation with regards to availability and communication.
2. Not Knowing Where They Live
Imagine this: You’ve got a ton of servers scheduled for a busy day full of events, and several servers aren’t able to arrive or, worse, no-show at the last minute. Knowing where your staff physically resides may matter when determining who and when you staff people, especially if you’re trying to fill in for no-shows or cancellations.
Why It Happens:
- Lack of employee address information.
- Not considering commute times in last minute scheduling.
Solution:
Collect and maintain accurate address information for all employees within Roosted's platform. Use this data to optimise shift assignments based on proximity, reducing travel time and increasing reliability.
3. Not Tracking Their Performance History
Hospitality is a high turnover industry, especially catering by the very nature of the up & down business cycles. You need to know how your staff are performing with as much resolution as possible. Tracking performance metrics such as punctuality, task efficiency, and coworker feedback can provide valuable insights on who you need to promote, and who you need to let go of. Too many catering companies track these performance logs in their own heads, and you need a reliable, bias-free system that you can depend on.
Why It Happens:
- Absence of a performance tracking system (in someone’s head doesn’t count)
- Relying on anecdotal feedback instead of data on every shift over time
Solution:
There’s a lot of software out there for tracking performance. Here at Roosted, we use Lattice. It allows you to track performance, reviews, progression plans, and much more. However, it’s not built for tracking daily performance on various roles, specifically for a gig-type job like a catering company, so Lattice (and others) are probably the best fit for your internal office staff only. Roosted can track performance metrics shift-over-shift, and you can see how someone is trending. You can even see that someone, for example, is a better server than they are a bartender with our in-depth worker performance tracking.
4. Not Having Accurate Time Tracking Data
This is by far the most costly problem that we see in catering companies without proper catering scheduling software. Inaccurate time tracking can cause problems with wage and hour calculations, leading to delayed or incorrect payroll and invoicing. It also hampers accurate forecasting. Furthermore, many states and provinces have strict guidelines about paying accurately and on-time, with penalties for failing to do so. All it takes is one report from an angry employee to trigger an audit.
Why It Happens:
- Using outdated or non-customizable time tracking methods (like the wrong apps that don’t automatically adjust for every scenario)
- Relying on manual time sheets prone to errors (paper time sheets are a disaster waiting to happen)
Solution:
You need a digital time tracking solution. But which one? There’s time tracking systems offered by tons of companies, including payroll providers like ADP. Generally, they’ll all handle punching in and out by employees with a few options. However, catering companies need something more. Here’s the list of things that we would recommend every caterer look for in a catering time tracking system:
- Integrates with your or any payroll provider
- Specifically made for caterers to track time
- Understands that the job or wages of a person may change depending on what they were doing that moment…
- … or in that location
- … or for that client
- … or even all at the same time.
- Customization: Allows customization of all the things that caterers want like: legal digital signatures, ability to submit other information at punch time (questionnaires, selfies, parking reimbursements, etc), supervisor or client signoff.
5. Not Getting Updates Out to Workers / Bad Communication
When shifts are changing often, especially daily, effective communication is critical. This includes not just changes in shift times but also attaching necessary documents and updating real-time information.
Why It Happens:
- Lack of a centralised communication platform.
- Overreliance on outdated communication methods like email, phone calls, or Facebook
Solution:
Leverage Roosted's integrated communication tools to disseminate real-time updates and attach necessary documents. Does the Museum of Art always prefer staff park in the rear? Attach those instructions to the venue within Roosted, and your staff will always (and automatically) be reminded of this when working there. Attach Google Docs or upload anything you like for each event. Create a chat group for each event to communicate real-time updates on the big day, and stay productive on the Roosted platform.
6. Not Giving Them Agency/Letting Them Choose
Employees who feel they have control over their schedules are more likely to be satisfied and committed. Lack of agency can lead to burnout and higher turnover rates. Regardless of how much control you actually give them (for example, at Roosted you can customise specifically which events folks are able to sign up for or request).
Why It Happens:
- Strict scheduling policies with little flexibility.
- Limited tools for employees to adjust their schedules.
Solution:
Empower your staff by providing them with the ability to choose or swap shifts within a structured framework using Roosted. Our platform offers features that allow employees to request shift changes and manage their schedules, promoting a sense of ownership and flexibility.
Conclusion
Avoiding these 6 common scheduling mistakes can significantly improve your catering operations. Efficient scheduling not only enhances operational efficiency but also boosts employee satisfaction and retention. By leveraging Roosted's comprehensive scheduling, time-tracking, and HR tools, you can create a more harmonious and productive work environment.
Ready to optimise your staff scheduling?
Explore Roosted to streamline your operations and enhance your team’s performance. Don’t let scheduling mistakes hold your catering business back—take the first step towards better workforce management today!
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Data and Statistics
- According to a 2023 study by the National Restaurant Association, over 60% of catering businesses report that poor scheduling practices contribute to employee turnover.
- Efficient scheduling can reduce labour costs by up to 15%, as highlighted in a recent report by Hospitality Technology.
Examples/Case Studies
- Case Study: A Case Study in Staffing Attendance - A California Catering Company How Roosted improved staff performance and attendance by 90%.
- Example: By using Roosted, Elite Catering Services was able to automate shift reminders, resulting in a 30% decrease in no-shows.
By addressing these scheduling pitfalls with Roosted's advanced tools, you can enhance both your operational efficiency and employee satisfaction, setting your catering business up for sustained success.