What are the best practices for scheduling and staffing F&B teams?

1 Know your demand patterns

The first step to effective scheduling and staffing is to understand your demand patterns, which are influenced by factors such as seasonality, holidays, events, promotions, and customer preferences. You can use historical data, reservation systems, and market research to forecast your expected sales, covers, and peak hours. This will help you determine how many staff members you need, what skills and roles they should have, and how to distribute them across shifts and stations.

2 Use flexible and fair scheduling methods

The second step is to use flexible and fair scheduling methods that balance the needs of your business, your staff, and your customers. You can use software tools, such as online scheduling platforms, to automate and streamline the scheduling process, reduce errors, and improve communication. You can also implement strategies, such as cross-training, shift swapping, and on-call staffing, to increase your staff's versatility, engagement, and availability. Additionally, you should follow labor laws, respect your staff's preferences and requests, and avoid overstaffing or understaffing.

3 Monitor and adjust your performance

The third step is to monitor and adjust your performance, based on the actual outcomes of your scheduling and staffing decisions. You can use metrics, such as labor cost percentage, sales per labor hour, and customer feedback, to evaluate how well you are managing your labor and productivity. You can also use feedback from your staff, such as surveys, reviews, and suggestions, to identify any issues or opportunities for improvement. Based on your analysis, you can make adjustments to your schedule and staff plan, such as adding or reducing staff, reassigning roles, or changing shifts.

4 Train and motivate your staff

The fourth step is to train and motivate your staff, as they are the key to delivering high-quality service and creating loyal customers. You can provide ongoing training and coaching to your staff, to ensure they have the necessary skills, knowledge, and standards to perform their tasks. You can also motivate your staff by recognizing their achievements, rewarding their performance, and creating a positive and supportive work environment. By investing in your staff's development and satisfaction, you can reduce turnover, increase retention, and enhance productivity.

5 Optimize your processes and systems

The fifth step is to optimize your processes and systems, to support your scheduling and staffing goals and improve your operational efficiency. You can review and streamline your workflows, procedures, and policies, to eliminate waste, reduce errors, and increase speed. You can also leverage technology, such as point-of-sale systems, inventory management systems, and customer relationship management systems, to automate and simplify your tasks, collect and analyze data, and enhance your service quality.

6 Collaborate and communicate with your team

The final step is to collaborate and communicate with your team, to ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same objectives. You can communicate your expectations, goals, and feedback to your staff, using clear and consistent messages and channels. You can also encourage collaboration and teamwork among your staff, by fostering a culture of trust, respect, and accountability. By involving your staff in your scheduling and staffing decisions, you can increase their commitment, ownership, and performance.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?