On-Demand Hospitality Staffing: Find Staff Fast

It’s getting more and more common in the era of quiet quitting: a staff member calls in sick at the last minute, and you’re stuck. You know the upcoming shift will be busy, but you don’t have the coverage you need, and you’re not sure who to call for help.

In this scenario, you can’t just post a job opening on an app and wait for help. That “strategy” will get you nowhere.

You need a functioning plan of attack and to prepare in advance to find staff fast when you need them.

This article will walk you through a strategy for finding pre-trained hospitality staff quickly without sacrificing reliability.

Key Takeaways

• On-demand hospitality staffing helps restaurants find pre-trained staff fast. So it’s easier to cover last-minute call-outs without sacrificing service quality.
• Using a vetted on-demand staffing app reduces hiring delays and agency costs. So managers have access to reliable, role-ready workers within hours.
• Building a bench of dependable gig workers creates a repeatable staffing system that improves shift coverage, consistency, and ROI during busy periods.

Why finding staff is harder than it should be

Look, the problem isn’t that there aren’t enough applicants for hourly roles. The problem is that you can’t get the people you need when you need them, now.

Why?

Because traditional hiring is slow.

You need to screen applicants, conduct interviews, weed out bad fits, and have a quick, easy onboarding system in place.

Onboarding can take days to weeks, depending on the role you’re trying to fill.

And after all that, you may still end up with an employee who’s simply not a good fit.

Plus, this process gets even more complex when you’re desperate. You may overlook red flags, hire the wrong person, and find yourself worse off than you were with the gaps in the first place.

Even if you turn to an agency, they can be expensive and inconsistent, with opaque pricing that eats into your revenues.

You need to be able to rely on pre-trained staff who can move in quickly.

What “pre-trained hospitality staff” actually means

What is pre-trained staff?

These are team members who have already gained experience in the hospitality field. Line cooks have actually been line cooks before and have worked in businesses like yours. Bartenders know how to make drinks. Servers are great with customers and can learn a menu and table chart quickly.

These are role-ready for common stations and workflows, both in the front of the house and the back.

With the right on-demand coverage agency, these workers are also vetted for proven on-shift behavior. They’re dependable, friendly, hard-working, and can keep pace with a busy shift. They show up on time, professional, and ready to work.

You should also trust that your pre-trained staff has a verifiable history of:

• Completed shifts
• Strong ratings
• Reliability metrics
• Role experience

The fastest way to find on-demand hospitality staff

Now, you’re wondering, where has this amazing, pre-trained, on-demand hospitality staff been hiding? And how can you gain access to them?

You’ll want to create an account on an on-demand hospitality staffing platform like shiftNOW to fill open shifts quickly.

These hospitality gig apps or staffing marketplaces allow you to fill urgent gaps with experienced, pre-trained workers in a matter of hours.

From there, you can build a bench of backup workers to call on whenever you need them, and they can accept the job and arrive on time.

How on-demand staffing platforms like shiftNOW work

Here’s how the platform works:

1. Once you create an account, you’ll simply post a shift with the role, start and end times, pay, and job requirements.
2. As applicants come in, you’ll review their qualifications using signals like ratings and reliability.
3. When you choose the candidate you’d like to hire, confirm the job with them and communicate the arrival details. Also, be sure to explain their first duties upon arrival.
4. Finally, you simply pay the team member through the platform, simplifying administrative duties on your end.

Then repeat this process as often as needed.

What to look for in an on-demand staffing app

Of course, not all on-demand staffing apps are the same. Some, as mentioned above, have opaque pricing. Some are not user-friendly. Some won’t have vetted staff members.

So when you’re ready to start shopping for the right hospitality app, here’s what to look for:

Vetting and screening. You want to make sure all of your candidates come pre-screened and have experience. Some platforms simply allow workers to sign up and start taking jobs. You can’t be sure what you’ll get with those.

Quality signals. Every candidate should have a page with ratings, reliability scores, on-time streaks, and role history, like a mini resume complete with references.

Profile depth. The candidate’s page should also include details about their experience and skills. It’s also nice to have a video profile, so you can get a sense of who you’ll be working with.

Speed to match. Any platform app that promises to offer last-minute coverage should also offer fast notifications and a quick acceptance flow.

Ease of use. You shouldn’t have to spend hours training to figure out a new app so you can get coverage. You need mobile-first posting, easy approvals, and simple messaging. Fast, easy, done.

Cost clarity. You need help boosting your revenues, not a platform that’s going to eat into them. It’s especially frustrating when a staffing agency isn’t clear about its pricing or how you’ll be charged. You should know what all the fees are up front.

Ability to rebook. One of the greatest things about a last-minute coverage app is that you’ll be able to build a bench of workers to have as backup. If you can’t build that bench, don’t work with that platform.

Fill shifts with gig workers without service quality dropping

Now you know what to look for in a reliable, on-demand coverage app. But you have work to do on your end as well. That way, you can make sure you get the most out of any candidate you bring in, even for a day.

Here are the steps to ensuring you get top-quality work out of your gig workers:

Step 1: Create a 5-minute micro onboarding checklist that includes the worker’s station, your menu highlights for the shift, and any side work you expect to be done.

Step 2: Assign a single point of contact as a mentor and a buddy for the first 20 minutes of the shift. That way, your leaders can correct any mistakes in real time and guide your gig worker through the right way to do things.

Step 3: Set clear expectations. Ensure your gig worker understands the shift's pace, when they’ll take breaks, and how to escalate any issues that may arise. When you set expectations from the beginning, you prepare your temporary employee for success.

Step 4: Once your employee has left at the end of their shift, return to the platform and leave a rating and a review. This helps you build your bench over time and helps other managers make informed decisions.

Build a bench of dependable workers

About that bench…

A bench of dependable on-demand workers is your team of backups. Any time one of your core staff members calls out, you’ll be able to return to your bench to fill that role quickly and efficiently.

Here’s how to build your bench:

Create three tiers. This should include your favorites, the people you’d love to have come back anytime, and your reliable backups. These are the workers who did a decent job, but didn’t necessarily stand out for excellent service. Finally, you’ll have your emergency-only tier. These are the workers who can come in and get the job done, but if you could choose from the other two tiers first, you would.

Once you have your tiers in place, continue to rebook your proven workers. This allows them to gain more experience in your business and build relationships with your other staff and regulars. They’ll grow even stronger over time, and you’ll dramatically reduce variability.

Maintain a ready-to-go roster for weekends, events, and call-outs, and repeat your process regularly.

Cost and ROI of on-demand hospitality staffing

One of the biggest factors in calling in help from an on-demand coverage platform is the cost. Are you getting a good return on your investment? How can you tell?

To answer these questions, you’ll have to measure your metrics over time.

First, you can compare the cost of running the app, offering bonuses for last-minute coverage, and paying hourly with what it would cost you in overtime, comps, lost reservations, and manager time.

If you’re spending more on the latter, the app will definitely be worth it.

Think about it: even if you offer bonuses for emergency situations, you’ll likely end up ahead because you won’t lose business and pay overtime. During urgent shifts or high-revenue periods, the app can actually save and make you money.

Plus, once you build a consistent bench and apply clear pay bands to the process, your spending will become predictable, so you won’t be losing money unexpectedly. It will simply be business as usual.

Common mistakes that slow down last-minute staffing

Of course, no one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. There will surely be at least a small learning curve as you get started making your on-demand staffing app work for you. But to save you time and energy, here are the most common mistakes that slow down last-minute staffing:

Don’t post vague shifts without requirements. If you want experienced, pre-trained gig workers to fill gaps fast, you need to set expectations from the start. That means clarity and details.

Don’t wait. When you know you need coverage, post as soon as you can. The more time you give applicants, the more likely you’ll have your pick of quality workers.

Don’t choose speed over fit. Posting early gives you time to find the right match. When you’re desperate, you’re more likely to choose someone who doesn’t make sense for the role.

Don’t forget to track where breakdowns happen most often. This helps you decide whether to adjust scheduling, hire more core staff, or make other changes to prevent recurring emergencies.

Closing

In the end, the fastest staffing is not a one-time fix. It’s a repeatable system.

Build your core team of dependable leaders you can rely on.

Build your bench full of backups who are willing to come in when you need coverage.

Set expectations and be clear with all your employees, permanent and temporary.

With a vetted pool and a strong bench, you can quickly cover gaps and get gig workers onboarded and ready to work.

With this approach, you can trust that service quality will remain steady and revenues will keep rising.

shiftNOW can help. Request a demo today and see what’s possible.

FAQs

How fast can I find temporary hospitality staff for tonight?

Once you’re set up on a last-minute coverage app like shiftNOW, you’ll be able to fill schedule gaps in a matter of hours.

Is an on-demand staffing app better than an agency for restaurants?

In most cases, yes. An on-demand staffing app is often better than an agency because you can get coverage quickly. For longer-term placements, an agency may be a better fit.

How do I screen gig workers quickly for hospitality roles?

Use a consistent template of questions and expectations, and confirm them with each worker. It also helps to use a trusted platform that pre-screens candidates.

What is the best way to keep the same workers coming back?

Encourage your best workers to return by setting clear expectations, paying fair wages, and following through on commitments.

‍