Question:
How can I seamlessly transition from summer staffing to nonseasonal staff?
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Answer:
Don’t just think about minding the gap; you have to look at the bigger picture. That’s where a succession plan comes in.
Have you ever had a call out at your property, and all of a sudden, you need a prep cook or a line cook? You might take that trainee in the dish room to fill the hole in the schedule. This way you always have someone on deck to move into missing spaces on a daily basis, but also during shifts in seasonal labor. You also start to build a hierarchy, plotting out that staffer’s potential career path.
The employee starts to see that management cares. And how many of us have trouble keeping our employees? They are going down the street to the competition because they don’t see a promotion or increase in salary coming. Building that succession plan helps year-round across your entire staff, but it also helps you anticipate shifts in seasonal staffing.
Money also works, but you have to use it wisely. We have offered a retention or sign-on bonus to stay or start a week or two earlier while phasing in and out seasonal staff. Use these tools to keep your staff with you, motivated and engaged, and to help them grow in their careers.
—Lynne Eddy
Associate Professor, Business Management
The Culinary Institute of America