Planning staff Requirement

THE STAFF REQUIREMENT CALCULATION

The staff number and organization of an outlet depends on its type and size. The service design and the standards to be maintained determine the skill levels of the staff.  But the number is always about the number of covers to be served. This is also known as the “staff ratio”.

*The calculation is only for basic understanding

Points to keep in mind whole staffing an outlet are as follows:

Kitchen efficiency

Service design and its complexity

Equipment and modern techniques used

The staff requirement for an existing outlet can be calculated by the formula given below:

        Total covers forecast per shift  = Number of staff required /Average productivity per shift

Total Covers Forecast: This figure can be achieved by analyzing the past sales records or guest flow reports. This number may not be accurate all the time. But with experience and practice, we can predict a very close to the actual figure.

Average Productivity: This can be measured by analyzing sales per waiter over a given period or a shift. The other commonly practiced method is to calculate the covers served by a waiter over some time.

                 Total covers served in a shift  = Average productivity per shift / Number of waiters in a shift

The above formula might not be effective for a new outlet and fresh requirement. The reason is that average productivity cannot be calculated for a newly established outlet. So, the best way to conclude on staff requirements is to follow the standard guidelines.          

The general guideline for specialty restaurant is, for every 30 covers, tow stewards and one supervisor are required, again these numbers are greatly influenced by the complexity of the service design.

A 50- cover coffee shop operation requires only three stewards and one supervisor per shift. Because the services offered here are more casual and fewer staff members are required per shift. The objectives of a service professional while staffing are as follows:

To minimize staffing as low as possible.

To maintain restaurant standard high.

Minimizing staff turnover by providing a better work area.

To maintain a friendly and cooperative attitude among all the staff members.