30 years ago, ‘temps’ were used in administrative roles to answer phones when receptionists were sick, or to cover maternity leave or other temporary vacancies. The use of such temporary staff in hospitality was virtually unheard. These days, casual staffing solutions form an integral part of the industry.
Across industries non-permanent staffing options include contractors, freelancers, temps and consultants, but in hospitality it is primarily the temps who provide the flexibility and seasonal variation that can be essential to lean operations driven by increasingly tight margins.
While some operations use temp staff to adapt to highly fluctuating head count requirements – large events, seasonal uplift, or coverage when someone is sick or a new permanent staff member has yet to be found – others use them as a way to lower the risk of onboarding by testing out staff before committing to a permanent position.
Nonetheless the majority of demand for temporary staff comes from the events and entertainment industry, where conferences and exhibitions, private events, seasonal attractions such as horse racing, or festivals require dramatic increases in the number of staff on hand for short periods of time. The use of these temporary staff – often students and backpackers – releases venues from the obligation and costs associated with hiring, training, and providing administrative services for large numbers of casual staff who may not be needed on a regular or ongoing basis.
Industry trends point to the use of temporary staff continuing to increase in the near future, as hospitality businesses seek to maintain lean operations and minimal head counts. There is also an increasing number of cooks and chefs turning to temporary work as an alternative to the long hours often required by permanent positions in the industry, since most casual staffing work allows some ability to accept or reject shifts around other commitments, such as family.
It would have been inconceivable when I started Pinnacle People started some 25 years ago that we would have helped change the industry – back then hospo temps were only fill-ins and mainly only for events. Today hospitality temps work in all areas of hospitality from the kitchens in fine dining restaurants, to mines and gas sites to private homes of the rich and famous, and front of house temps work across all sectors of the industry covering front office, marketing and admin. The change has been a long time coming but it has arrived. A huge chunk of the hospo workforce choose to work as a temp, moving around the country (and indeed the world!) gaining exposure across many facets of our wonderful industry, carving out a nice career, and following the sun, the snow or the dollar.