Why General Manager Staffing Support Is The Secret Source

In the fast-paced world of restaurant management, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for success. General managers (GMs) are the backbone of any restaurant operation, juggling multiple responsibilities to ensure smooth operations and exceptional customer experiences. One area that organisations fall on is general manager staffing support. GMs often face staffing challenges – from hospitality recruitment and training to scheduling and retention.

Trends in the hospitality industry have always been mountain tops and molehills, mostly because of consumer demand. However, with strategic forward staffing planning, restaurant owners and operators can empower their GMs to excel and drive business growth.

Understanding Forward Staffing Planning

Forward staffing planning involves anticipating needs based on historical data, industry trends, and business forecasts. It goes beyond simply reacting to immediate staffing shortages or surpluses and instead focuses on proactive strategies to optimise staffing levels and maximise efficiency.

The Benefits of Forward Staffing Planning for General Managers

1. Improved Operational Efficiency: By forecasting staffing needs in advance, GMs can better allocate resources, schedule shifts effectively, and avoid understaffing or overstaffing situations. This leads to smoother operations, reduced wait times, and enhanced customer satisfaction.
2. Cost Savings: Forward staffing planning enables GMs to optimize labour costs by aligning staffing levels with business demand. By avoiding unnecessary overtime or excess labour hours, restaurants can reduce payroll expenses and improve profitability.
3. Enhanced Employee Satisfaction: By providing GMs with the planning tools and resources, restaurants can create more predictable schedules and minimize last-minute changes. This fosters a positive work environment, improves employee morale, and reduces turnover rates.
4. Strategic Talent Management: With forward staffing planning, GMs can identify potential staffing gaps or skill shortages in advance and take proactive steps to address them. This may include recruiting new talent, cross-training existing staff, or investing in employee development programs.
5. GM Engagement: Being a general manager can be a lonely role; involving them in strategic planning can not only support practical but mental support can be improved with better, stronger and clearer engagement. They will also have more substantial buy-in to the long-term strategy of the business, the by-product being stronger retention of GMs.

How To Give General Manager Staffing Support?

1. Invest in Technology: Provide GMs access to advanced scheduling software or workforce management tools that streamline the scheduling process, optimize labour forecasting, and provide real-time insights into staffing metrics.
2. Training and Development: Offer training programs or workshops to enhance GMs’ skills in workforce planning, data analysis, and labour management. Equip them with the knowledge and tools they need to implement forward staffing planning strategies effectively.
3. Collaborative Decision-Making: Foster open communication and collaboration between GMs, operations teams, and corporate leadership. Encourage GMs to provide input on staffing decisions based on their frontline experience and insights.
4. Regular Performance Reviews: Conduct regular performance reviews with GMs to evaluate their effectiveness in implementing forward staffing planning strategies. Provide constructive feedback and support to help them continually improve and refine their approach.

In Summary

Forward staffing planning is a powerful tool for empowering general managers and driving operational excellence in the restaurant industry. By providing GMs with the support, resources, and training they need to anticipate and manage staffing needs effectively, restaurant owners and operators can position their businesses for long-term success. Together, let’s support our GMs and pave the way for a brighter future in hospitality management.