Viewpoint: It's time to embrace technology
The industry needs to think differently to create a reliable temporary workforce and react efficiently to peaks in demand, says Viktor Calabrò
If a hospitality business is willing to move towards a temporary staffing model, it will be able to reduce its full-time staffing costs. That means it can increase staffing levels during busy periods in order to maximise revenue and there are no issues of overstaffing when it's quieter.
Working on a temporary basis has benefits for workers, too, who increasingly want greater levels of flexibility. In fact, in the UK alone, there are currently more than four million temporary or ‘gig' workers who have embraced temporary work in order to find a better balance between work and personal commitments.
When it comes to hospitality, time and again it's customer service that enables certain businesses within the industry to stand out from the competition. When using a temporary workforce, that can present a challenge – how can businesses ensure they are getting the levels of service quality they need?
That's where technology comes in. While hospitality has welcomed the temporary workforce, the industry as a whole has yet to embrace tech staffing solutions. By utilising dedicated online platforms, companies can gain access to fully vetted flexible workers with the right skills and experience to maintain excellent customer service levels. They can also cut down the time and money spent on recruitment.
Instead of a time-consuming interview process, companies are now able to access platforms of skilled workers directly and view their ratings from similar employers.
It means hospitality professionals can make a fully informed decision when it comes to hiring, without taking significant time away from their day-to-day tasks.
Technology doesn't just enable hospitality businesses to maintain quality levels, however, it also allows them to react efficiently to the demands of the industry.
Whether it's staff sickness or a last-minute booking, hotels, bars and restaurants are under constant pressure to react quickly to ensure their staffing levels match demand. Having a core temporary team can only help with so much, especially when demand peaks.
With the aid of tech solutions, hospitality businesses can build up a pool of reliable workers beyond their core team who can be instantly called upon to step in and help maximise revenue – all without impacting customer service.
Viktor Calabrò is the founder of Coople
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