Scheduling Labor in a Restaurant
By David Scott Peters
Weekly Restaurant Tip
Know the Number of FTEs Per Shift
Have two FTEs more than you need to cover your shifts (and your butt). The trick to covering your shifts is having two FTEs (full-time equivalents) more than you need. To achieve this, you can either have extra people on your schedule or cross train your staff. It gives you flexibility in writing the schedule and allows you to hire the right person when it’s right instead of the first warm body that stands up straight in an interview. Hiring and firing and training are expensive parts of owning a business. When you do hire someone, you want it to be because you’re sure the right person for the job has walked in your door.
David Scott Peters is a restaurant expert, coach, trainer and speaker, specializing in systems for independent restaurant owners. He is the nationally acclaimed restaurant coach whose unique “SMART Systems” approach to boosting profits has earned him the title of, “The man who can walk into any restaurant in America and find $10,000 in undiscovered cash before he hits the back door – Guaranteed!” Visit www.TheRestaurantExpert.com for more.
