Hiring reliable catering staff for your events can be a source of considerable headaches.

On top of that, labor shortages are “the No. 1 ranked priority for operators,” so it’s challenging to hire caterers. 

For catering providers and event managers, last-minute cancellations, no-shows, and staff who’ve never done this kind of work can wreak havoc on your business. 

Whether it’s a wedding, a corporate function, or a holiday party, having the right team is essential for a successful event.

A catering service faces many staffing hurdles. From sudden staff shortages to finding experienced workers who can handle the pressure, the struggle is real. But don't worry; there are many ways you can pave the way to a smoother hiring experience.

In this blog, we will provide tips on when, where, and how to hire catering professionals to make sure that any event is successful. You'll discover tools and tactics that will transform your hiring process from stressful to streamlined.

Key Takeaways

1. Defining roles early, estimating staff needs based on event size, and budgeting wisely can prevent last-minute stress and ensure smooth event execution.
2. Have a backup plan, as staff shortages and no-shows are common occurrences in catering. Use platforms to build a reliable bench of temporary workers and consider using hospitality hiring platforms like shiftNOW to fill gaps quickly.
3. Use gig apps and hospitality hiring platforms to find vetted candidates to simplify the hiring process, reduce risk, and find skilled staff fast.

7 Tips for Hiring Catering Servers

Having reliable staff for events your company is catering can be challenging. But when you focus on a few key areas, you can save both time and money. Here's how to make the process easier by:

• Defining clear roles
• Understanding the size of your event
• Balancing your budget

1. Clearly Define the Roles 

Understanding the specific roles you need will help you hire the right people for the job:

• Servers: Serve food and beverages, interact with guests, and ensure a pleasant dining experience for all.
• Bussers: Clear tables, refill drinks, and maintain a clean environment.
• Bartenders: Mix and serve drinks, manage the bar area, check IDs, and engage with guests.
• Event Captain (or Event Manager): Oversee the entire event, manage staff, and ensure everything runs smoothly.

When hiring catering servers, it’s essential to consider the size of your event and your budget. As a catering provider, your budget usually depends on your margins. Say you’re being paid $10K for an event, you’ve got to deduct some things from that:

• Event/venue hire, unless the client is paying separately for that 
• Food and drinks (again, unless this is being paid for separately)
• Operating costs 
• Insurances 
• Transportation 
• And staff. You may only have $2,000 for staff for the entire event, so you need to plan carefully how this will be used. Understaffing could cause problems. Having too many staff will eat into your profit margins. 

All of these factors will help you determine the number of staff required and the types of roles necessary. Here’s a closer look at how to navigate these considerations:

2. Plan for the Size of the Event

The size of your event directly impacts the number of catering staff you’ll need and the variety of roles required.

Scenario 1: A Large Wedding

Needs: For a large wedding with 200 guests, you’ll need a comprehensive team to handle the workload. This includes multiple catering servers to ensure timely service of food and beverages. You’ll also want bartenders to manage the bar area, bussers to keep the dining area clean, and an event captain or manager to oversee the entire event.

Pro Tip: Larger events require careful planning and more staff to ensure every guest is attended to promptly. Consider hiring additional staff for specific roles, such as dessert stations or late-night snack bars. Video profiles for hiring make this even easier, giving you a sense of how a waiter will perform on the night. 

Scenario 2: A Small Corporate Event

Needs: For example, for a small corporate event with 50 guests, the staffing requirements are more modest. You may only need a couple of servers, one bartender, and one busser. The focus here is on providing attentive service without overwhelming the guests with too many staff members.

Pro Tip: Smaller events allow for more personalized service. Ensure the staff-to-guest ratio is adequate to maintain high service standards without incurring unnecessary costs.

3. Clearly Define the Budget

Balancing quality and cost is critical for any event. As mentioned above, the amount a client pays for an event (when competing against others willing to undercut you) has to be split among various parties. Staffing is only part of the cost equation. 

Here’s how to manage your budget while ensuring high service standards:

Scenario 1: A Luxurious, No-expense-spared Wedding

Budget Considerations: For a high-end wedding with a substantial budget, you can afford to hire more experienced catering servers and waiters. You can also bring in professional bartenders and multiple coordinators to ensure a seamless event.

Pro Tip: Invest in staff with specific skills, such as wine service or specialty cocktails. Their expertise can enhance the guest experience and justify the higher expense.

Scenario 2: A Charity Gala with Limited Funds

Budget Considerations: For a charity gala with a limited budget, cost management is crucial. You need to strike a balance between quality and affordability.

Pro Tip: Use a mix of experienced servers and entry-level staff. One way to do this is using a temp to hire approach. Experienced staff can handle more complex tasks. Entry-level staff can assist with basic duties, such as bussing tables and serving drinks. This approach helps manage costs without compromising on service quality.

Always consider the size of your event and balance your budget. 

This way, you can strategically hire catering staff that meets your specific needs. For example, you might bring in a food truck or two. You may serve food buffet style. With this approach (as long as the cost is factored in and the client is satisfied), you don’t need a private chef, which in turn reduces catering costs.

Implementing these tips will enable you to deliver exceptional service, regardless of the event's size or budget constraints.

4. Catering Always Needs a Backup

Catering is like running a theatre production because no matter what, the show must go on. This means that having a backup staffing plan is crucial. It will ensure events run smoothly, even in the face of unexpected challenges.

Seasonal Peaks

During the holiday season, Google and now AI-based searches for “catering servers near me” skyrockets as families celebrate and businesses host parties. This surge in activity can overwhelm your regular staff, leading longer to wait times and a drop in service quality. 

Hiring temporary seasonal catering staff is essential to manage this increased workload. It will also help you maintain high service standards.

Review which were your busiest seasons during the previous year. Using this knowledge, you can plan to fulfill staffing needs during anticipated peak times in the year ahead. Use your bookings as a guide. 

Special Events

Special events often require additional staff to meet the unique demands of each occasion. These include gatherings like weddings and corporate functions. These events can vary greatly in size and complexity, requiring more specialized skills. 

It’s a good idea to bring in temporary staff with expertise in specific roles. These include bartenders for a wedding or coordinators for a corporate function. They can help you provide a seamless service.

Staff Absences

Unexpected staff absences due to illness or emergencies can disrupt your carefully planned event. To avoid such disruptions, it’s crucial to have a pool of reliable temporary workers ready to step in for last-minute staffing. 

Having an emergency staffing plan that includes a list of dependable temporary workers enables you to fill any gaps in your team quickly.

5. Where to Hire Catering Staff

The most common ways to hire for catering include gig apps, social media, and job postings. Each of these channels offers different advantages and disadvantages that may vary depending on your hiring needs. 

It's essential to match your hiring source with your event timeline, staffing urgency, and required skill levels.

Gig Apps

If you need event staff fast or want flexibility for one-off events, gig apps are a convenient option.

Pros: Quick access to a large pool of catering servers for hire, flexibility, and immediate availability.

Cons: Quality can vary, and some workers lack experience. Fortunately, many platforms like shiftNOW vet workers to ensure a higher level of quality and trust.

Job Boards 

For more control over hiring and the ability to thoroughly vet candidates, job boards are a reliable option.

Pros: Targeted search for experienced and reliable event staff, more control over the selection process.

Cons: Requires time and may necessitate planning. Best suited for long-term or repeat hires.

Social Media

Tapping into your personal or professional network can bring quick leads, especially for local events.

Pros: You can use social connections for references and reach thousands of potential event servers.

Cons: Reach and response quality vary. May require additional screening or interviews to determine if candidates are a good fit.

Local Culinary Schools

Looking for workers with technical training or a passion for food service? Culinary schools are a great resource.

Pros: Access to skilled, motivated workers looking for experience. Great for events that require technical skills, such as plating or food preparation.

Cons: May need coordination with the school's schedule and academic calendar.

6. How to Make Candidate Selection More Efficient

Finding the right candidates quickly can make all the difference for your events. Here's how you can streamline the process and ensure you select the best fit for your team.

Start with a thorough application review. Use gig apps like shiftNOW to browse detailed candidate profiles, which is easy as ABC. Look for relevant experience, specific skills, and certifications that match the roles you need to fill.

Move on to the interview process. Conducting interviews allows you to assess a candidate's personality, work ethic, and reliability firsthand. 

Prepare questions that delve into their previous experience, specific skills, and their ability to handle high-pressure situations. This helps you gauge whether they will be a good fit for your team and the job's demands.

Don't skip reference checks. Reviewing ratings and feedback from previous employers on gig apps can provide valuable insights into a candidate's past performance. Look for comments on their reliability, work ethic, and skills. 

If previous employers consistently praise a candidate for their punctuality and professionalism, it's a good indicator that they'll be dependable servers for catering events.

Consider offering trial shifts. This allows you to observe a candidate's real-world performance and how well they fit with your existing staff. Use gig apps to arrange these trial shifts and gather immediate feedback from your team. 

If a candidate excels during a trial shift, you can feel confident in offering them a more permanent role. Specialized apps like shiftNOW offer these types of opportunities to test candidates.

Pro Tip: Retaining high-quality staff is just as important as hiring them. Create a positive work environment where employees feel valued and supported. 

Offer competitive compensation to attract and keep top talent. Highlight future opportunities within your company, such as the potential for permanent positions or advancement.

7. How shiftNOW Subscriptions Solve Catering Staffing Problems

Figuring out how to hire the right catering staff can be daunting, but shiftNOW makes it easier with its flexible subscription plans and advanced features designed to address common staffing challenges. Whether you’re a seasonal business, an event venue, or a restaurant, shiftNOW offers a range of solutions to meet your specific needs. 

Subscriptions give you priority access to top-rated workers, predictable costs, and faster fill times. All of this is ideal for businesses that rely on consistent staffing.

Vetted Professionals

Every member of shiftNOW's temporary workforce undergoes a thorough vetting process to ensure they meet the highest standards of professionalism and expertise. This includes experience validation and skill-based ratings.

Customized Solutions

Whether you need a bartender for a wedding or a line cook for a corporate event, shiftNOW has you covered. You can filter talent by role, location, and availability, making it easy to find the right match for every event type.

Flexibility & Convenience

Whether you need last-minute coverage or are planning for a future event, shiftNOW provides a seamless process to efficiently fill your staffing needs. The platform also allows you to schedule, communicate with, and rate workers all in one place.

No Full-Time Placement Fees

Want to hire your Shifter full-time? shiftNOW makes it easy to bring on the talent you love permanently. This is ideal for businesses looking to build long-term team continuity without the traditional overhead of recruitment agencies.

Test out shiftNOW today and experience hassle-free staffing for your next event!

Simplify your hiring process and ensure your events run smoothly with the right team in place. shiftNOW is here to make staffing simple, efficient, and effective. Give it a try and see the difference it can make for your business.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

How far in advance should I hire catering staff for my event?

It’s best to start hiring at least 4–6 weeks before your event, especially during peak seasons like holidays or wedding season. This allows time for vetting candidates, conducting trial shifts if needed, and building a reliable team. Platforms like shiftNOW can also help with last-minute needs if you're in a pinch.

What qualifications should I look for when hiring catering servers?

Look for candidates with prior experience in events or restaurants, strong communication skills, and the ability to remain calm under pressure. For specialized roles, such as bartenders or event captains, verify certifications (like TIPS or ServSafe) and reviews from past employers.

Can I hire catering staff just for one day or a single event?

Yes! Many staffing platforms, including shiftNOW, offer on-demand hiring for one-off events. This is ideal for weddings, galas, or private parties where you need professional help but don’t require full-time employees.

What's the typical staff-to-guest ratio for catering events?

The typical ratio is one event server for every 15-25 guests, depending on the service style. For formal plated dinners, aim for one server per 15-20 guests. For buffet-style events, one server per 25-30 guests usually works. Bartenders typically serve 50-75 guests at a time.

How can I reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations from catering staff?

Build relationships with reliable workers through repeat bookings and fair pay. Utilize platforms like shiftNOW that enable you to rate and favorite high-performing team members. Send event reminders 24-48 hours before the shift, and always maintain a backup list of available wait staff you can call on short notice.

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