Over the next 12 months and six issues, we will discuss several hot topics that we hope will give you more confidence hiring personnel - from cleaning staff to CEOs. It’s OK to run experienced temporary staff – you’ll probably find a new permanent member of the team! Trends are altering with the continuing financial uncertainty. Businesses are now inclined “to wait and see”; owners are tending towards contract/temporary/relief staff, rather than commit to permanent. This allows properties to hire staff on an “as need basis”, flexibility in times of less certainty. Many employees register to take the temporary assignments as a way of seeing the real Australia.
What is the real cost of staffing your business - when you are forced to stop and take care of finding yet another employee? Is it worth the time it takes to fix a job description, place an ad, search, screen, interview, reference check and arrange travel for placing the right candidate to get to your possibly remote property! And with all due care taken, should it not work out for any reason… well they don’t make enough alcohol do they!
All recruitment companies have seen the changes, with many property owners now moving towards recruitment through an agency, limiting their responsibility and regaining more time to run their businesses! And when it does go wrong, it’s the responsibility of the agency to rectify the matter, and promptly!
It’s in the detail - not just numbers of rooms for some arbitrary judgment of general requirement but real detail that they would be responsible for. Do you need an individual or a couple, are there staff to be supervised, if there is a licensed restaurant on the property, how many covers, a copy of the menu, what PMS is being used, are there other amenities to care for, will the grounds need maintenance and many other duties not to mention - being able to adapt from housekeepers to chefs, to that early morning check out!
It’s just too expensive – it needn’t be, just work out your real costs and focus on running your business. In any case you must plan to take regular breaks from your business and I hope this highlights the value in seeking experienced help.
