The hospitality industry strives to deliver exceptional guest experiences, which requires a skilled and adaptable workforce. When building a team you can trust, properties face two choices: direct hiring or working with temporary hospitality staff. Both options have distinct advantages and potential drawbacks that can significantly impact operations, costs, and guest satisfaction. Curious about which model might benefit your property? Here’s what you need to know:
Direct Hire: Building a Permanent Workforce
Direct hiring is the more traditional way of recruiting employees to join a company’s payroll permanently. These workers typically receive comprehensive benefits, including healthcare, paid time off, and job security, which fosters loyalty and long-term engagement.
One key advantage of direct hire in the hospitality industry is consistency. Full-time employees become deeply familiar with the company’s standards, culture, and processes, which often translates into exceptional service quality. Direct hires will likely invest in their roles by developing expertise and establishing strong relationships with colleagues and guests.
However, direct hiring can be quite costly. Recruitment processes are often lengthy, requiring significant advertising, interviewing, and onboarding investment. Additionally, fixed costs such as salaries and benefits persist, even during low-demand periods.
Temporary Contract Workers: Flexibility and Scalability
Temporary contract workers, often sourced through staffing agencies, provide flexibility for hotels facing fluctuating demand. With this hiring strategy, departments can quickly scale their workforce up or down during peak seasons (such as summer, holidays, or significant events).
This approach can be incredibly beneficial for the property, especially during increased demand or to cover a permanent employee’s leave of absence. Your brand can avoid long-term commitments, as contractors are compensated only for hours worked and do not receive benefits. Temporary workers can also bring specialized skills for short-term projects, such as managing events or implementing new systems.
However, relying on temporary workers can come with drawbacks if you’re not mindful of your staffing agency. Short-term contractors often require more training to meet the company’s service standards, which can affect operational efficiency. Moreover, a lack of familiarity with the workplace culture or team dynamics might lead to inconsistent guest experiences.
Although many staffing agencies focus on throughput, Hospitality Taskforce takes a different approach to sourcing temporary workers. We require each candidate to have a minimum of 10 years in their field and a demonstrated track record of excellence. Our contractors are elite and won’t need extensive training. We trust each one to contribute valuable skills and expertise to the property while seamlessly integrating with the permanent team.
Choosing the Right Strategy
The decision between direct hire and temporary contract workers will depend on your property’s specific needs. While direct hires are needed to ensure a reliable core team and fully staffed departments, temporary contractors can accommodate seasonal or event-driven labor needs and provide extra coverage while full-time employees are on extended leave.
If you want to work with the best temporary hospitality staff, we’d love to connect you with top-tier candidates. The first step is to contact our team or submit a request for proposal. We look forward to hearing from you and learning more about your needs!