Operations & Innovation
Rotas are stretched, overtime is rising and managers step in every day. The request for more staff is understandable. Sometimes it is exactly the right response. The question is whether additional capacity will resolve the problem, when it is needed and which skills it requires.
Treat workload as an operational issue that deserves careful assessment. A team struggling to cope needs support and clear decisions. A discussion focused solely on payroll costs overlooks the implications for guest experience, quality and continuity.
Photography: Louis Hansel / Unsplash
At a glance
- Compare demand and staffing at the same time.
- Distinguish capacity gaps from avoidable rework.
- Protect quality when improving productivity.
Compare demand and staffing at the same point in time
Average occupancy says little about pressure during a peak. A day with many departures and arrivals requires a different staffing pattern from one dominated by stayovers. Groups, events and specific service requirements also influence capacity needs.
Compare demand and staffing by relevant time period and activity. Look at hours worked alongside hours scheduled. Persistent overtime may indicate that the rota does not match demand or that the productivity assumption is unrealistic.
Understand where time is being lost
Ask team members which tasks regularly need repeating and where they wait for others. Observe handovers, preparation and the availability of supplies. Incomplete instructions or missing stock can cause repeated interruptions throughout the day.
Distinguish essential work, avoidable rework and service that is intentionally part of the concept. Personal attention is not inherently inefficient. The test is whether the organisation enables its people to deliver the agreed guest promise consistently.
Assess skills and practical flexibility
Additional team members offer limited relief if the necessary knowledge is missing or the same experienced colleague must handle every exception. Consider whether new starters are properly inducted, supervisors have time to coach and the mix of skills suits the complexity of the shift.
Cross-training can help, provided people are trained and pressure is not simply transferred elsewhere. Rota changes must respect existing agreements and applicable employment requirements. Any improvement needs to be workable for the people responsible for delivering it each day.
Choose deliberately between capacity and process changes
Additional staffing is appropriate when demand demonstrably exceeds available capacity and the operation is reasonably well organised. Redistributing hours may be appropriate when enough capacity exists but is available at the wrong times.
Process changes are a logical response to repeated errors, unclear handovers and duplicated work. Sometimes both are required: immediate relief to protect quality, followed by structural improvement. Analysis should never become a reason to postpone necessary support.
Set productivity targets with clear quality limits
Use measures appropriate to each department, such as hours per room cleaned or labour hours in relation to restaurant revenue. Define what is included. Comparisons lose meaning when hotels treat inspection, training and sickness differently.
Always follow a second set of indicators: guest complaints, quality checks, overtime, absence and turnover. A productivity gain is sound only when the operation works better without unacceptable consequences for guests and employees. Set targets against the hotel’s own starting position and service promise.
Start with one department and a short test period
Over two weeks, ask the department manager and Finance to establish a shared view of demand, hours and recurring time loss. Involve employees in the observations. Then select one scheduling or process adjustment and test it during representative shifts.
The GM confirms the priority and considers the implications for other departments. Agree in advance when additional capacity must be provided immediately and when an adjustment should be reversed. Evaluate the early results before extending the approach.
Bring workload back within management’s control
The Operational Reset connects capacity, collaboration, guest experience and performance. We identify where pressure arises and help management and teams put a workable improvement into practice.
Does the hotel still depend on extra effort to absorb the same recurring problems? Discuss with OpenYourHotel which first step would best support the operation.
