You need patience and due diligence to hire an event hospitality staffing agency. To achieve the best results, you must work with a trusted staffing company, set clear expectations, check references, and confirm the company’s service scalability.
The hospitality industry took a significant crunch in the past year as employees and hosts struggled to contend with covid-19 regulations. It was a challenge for companies that thrive on face-to-face interaction.
As the world comes back to normal with people celebrating life’s special moments again, occupying hotels, and attending events, business owners need to hire hospitality and event staff to meet customers’ needs.
Partnering with a knowledgeable hospitality and event staffing company is a great way to hire employees quickly without worrying about all the formalities of the hiring process.
Your staff is the face of your business. Thus, you must ensure the event staffing agency can meet all your needs and form a long-term relationship. Otherwise, poor staffing can damage your reputation.
That is why you need to learn how to hire a reputable event hospitality staffing company.
The following are simple and actionable steps to identify and partner with an event staffing agency that is just the one and maximize the partnership.
1. Hire a hospitality staffing agency you can trust
Trust is a crucial factor in hiring a hospitality staffing company. Think about it; you’re practically trusting them with an aspect of your customer experience.
Do not hire a company if you’re not confident that the staffing agency can deliver an excellent customer experience.
But, how do you know if you can trust a hospitality staffing company?
One way is to hire one based on recommendation. For example, if you have a colleague or friend who has had great results working with a staffing company, ask them to refer the company to you.
Checking their reputation is another way. A hospitality staffing company with a track record of success is not hard to find. Thanks to the internet.
Go online and search for the name of the company/agency. Then, read reviews about the company on trusted sites. And do not stick to star rating alone; read what people say about them.
Protip: Search for the founders and have a look at their background. If they have a degree of professional experience in hospitality, chances are they understand what they are doing.
Aside from that, you can also check the company’s website. If they truly understand the essence of a customer experience, you will notice it on their website.
If you feel like they probably aren’t being transparent enough on the website, follow your instinct.
Read testimonials on the website or social platforms and even contact one of their past clients to verify the originality of their reviews and clear doubts further.
2. Make sure you share similar values
Beyond the hospitality staffing company having an excellent reputation, you also want to be sure you share similar values.
So, ask the staffing company the right questions
What are the essential qualities of a hospitality staff? What do your customers see in a bartender that makes them tick? Did your previous server have a trait that puts your customers off?
You want to ask these questions to be sure the hospitality staffing agency shares your idea of what a great customer experience looks like
Sharing similar values with the hospitality staffing agency helps you maximize the full potential of the partnership. After all, you do not want to be in the market for another agency next week.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to agree on everything. But too many disagreements can hurt the partnership long-term.
At VIP Hospitality Staffing, our mission is to provide hardworking, friendly, polished, and professional staff for your team’s success.
3. Set clear expectations from the onset
Do you know how they say that “high achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation”? It applies precisely in hiring a hospitality staffing agency.
It’s your customers’ satisfaction we’re talking about, after all. So naturally, high expectations should be the least.
But how do you hire a hospitality staffing agency that meets your expectations?
First, have a meeting and set clear expectations from the onset.
You probably have had some bad experiences with staffing companies in the past.
Leverage the experience to describe:
- The quality of staff you want (level of education, experience, language preference, etc.)
- Employees’ references
- When you need the service (It is wise to book the company around 1-2 weeks before your event)
- The duration of service (Temporary or permanent)
- Method of payment
Can you think of other essential things you want the hiring agency to provide?
List them and communicate clearly with the agency.
That is how you work with a hiring agency and keep them accountable.
4. Compare prices
You don’t want to rush hiring a hospitality staffing company, especially if you work on a budget.
In terms of service offerings and prices, there is no universal template for how staffing companies charge. But, typically, they charge around 20 to 100% of the employees’ wage.
Imagine you hire the service of a bartender whose wage is $30/hr. If the staffing agency charges 50% of the employee wage, you will pay them $15/hour or $45/hr in total.
Some hospitality staffing companies would also charge additional fees, including:
- Service fees: The money you pay for filling the position.
- Buyout fees: The money you pay to transfer a temporary staff to a permanent schedule.
So, chat with the agency and compare its fees with other staffing service providers. That way, you can rest assured of working within a budget while also getting excellent service.
5. Draw up a legal agreement
So you and the staffing company now understand what is required on both sides to have a great relationship. But don’t leave it as a verbal agreement- have a legal agreement drawn up. This is business!
You already know how a legal agreement works.
But, in this case, you must demand two separate contracts
Firstly, you want the hospitality staffing agency to sign an agreement that clearly understands their roles and service delivery.
For example, will they be hiring two mid-level bilingual receptionists based in Atlanta? Please put it in ink.
Secondly, the company must provide all employment-related legal details for your signature. Talk about things like payroll taxes, worker classification, and so on. The legal documents must comply with the appropriate laws.
In doing that, you should also understand which legal requirements are your responsibility.
For instance, the staffing firm is responsible for taxes and compliance if they hire temporary or temp-to-hire staff for you.
On the other hand, you are responsible for all legal-related requirements concerning a permanent staff hired through the staffing agency.
Lastly, ensure that the contract provides a dual indemnification clause that protects you and the staffing company from issues that may arise.
6. Check if their service is scalable
Suppose you’re at a cross-road about two outstanding staffing agencies. You may want to consider the agency whose services are scalable.
A staffing agency with scalable services uses technology to deliver its services to fit different demands.
What does a scalable staffing company mean?
Imagine you want to hire a cook and test the candidates’ knowledge in a short test. Then, you can run it through the staffing firm instead of spending another budget to set up the assessment.
The firm identifies candidates and tests them via its digital interface so that you can get the best candidate.
Thus, the staffing firm’s service is scalable, and you can rest assured that they will always meet your demands as you grow.
Conclusion
Leveraging the services of a hospitality staffing company requires research. You should also set clear expectations about what the staffing company delivers.
Lastly, consider their price and how their services can scale with your business.
At Tapuz, we know that exceptional service is the lifeblood of any successful team.
So, we created a training program and implemented standard policies to allow our staff members limitless opportunities for success, both in their careers with us and outside jobs.
Click here to request more information about our staff services or call 866.847.8764
