Solving the Peaks and Troughs of Leisure Staffing
Relying on tourism, school holidays and of course an easing of covid restrictions, can be a tricky task to juggle for HR and Staffing managers in the leisure sectors.
It can be difficult to predict footfall and therefore staffing numbers in advance, not to mention what roles will be in most demand.
Having a staffing partner removes the headache of recruitment, payroll, timesheets, and HR, as you can rest assured that we’ve got everything taken care off.
We’ve been proud partners of Knowsley Estate since 2010, looking after their Safari Park and Hall’s recruitment, payroll, HR and top-up staffing requirements. Working with us has enabled Knowsley to control their staffing levels so they are never under or over staffed. It also means we have a bespoke recruitment process for whatever roles they need.
Not only that but our payroll team, take care of Knowsley’s timesheets, payroll admin and statutory duties.
Our approach to solving Knowsley’s staffing peaks and troughs varies throughout the year. You could call it The Four Seasons of Leisure Staffing and Recruitment! Read on to find out how those seasons look…
SPRING – RECRUITMENT
As a large estate there are multiple roles that are needed at any one time. From Ride Attendants to Janitors, and Prestige Hospitality to Chef-de-Partie, recruiting for such a vast number of roles can be challenging. You need to include different interview questions and training, as well look for unique experiences and qualifications.
In the spring, we start to recruit for any new positions and vacancies Knowsley Estate have. The Safari Park and the Hall both have their own tailored recruitment process, that includes specialist questions and information. We are able to adapt and include personalised branding, so the candidate journey is a clear and detailed process. We then hold 1-to-1 interviews with candidates to vet them on their experience and enthusiasm.
We ensure the new team are all ready for the busy school half-terms!
SUMMER – TOP UP STAFFING
July and August are where things get very busy for the Safari Park and Hall.
As summer school holidays start, the demand for staff increases at the Safari Park. We can prepare for this in advance, ensuring the new team are ready with good flexibility and availability.
However, hiring new staff can be a drain of resources when you know things will quieten down in a month when school return. Having Arc on hand to provide top-up staff on the busier days means Knowsley doesn’t have to commit to hiring for short periods of time. By utilising our casual team member pool Knowsley can access our experienced, trained, and dedicated workers temporarily and at short notice.
On the other hand, Knowsley Hall also see an increase in demand as their wedding season takes off. A few weeks prior to the start of summer, we will hold an internal recruitment day and induction so any of the new team are fully trained within the Hall’s practices and systems.
AUTUMN – CHRISTMAS PREP
As the summer tourist season calms down for the Park and the Hall sees a steady flow of weddings throughout September and October, most focus is shifted to Christmas Prep!
In October there’s a slight peak in staffing requirements for autumn half term, but as with summer this is easily managed with Top Up Team Members on call.
We also use this time to reflect over the summer and see if we can improve or potentially change the recruitment flow for the next Summer ahead- always looking forward is key!
WINTER – ENCHANTED!
Not only does Knowsley Hall play host to corporate and family Christmas parties, but the park hosts their Enchanted event! This is a guest opportunity to experience a real Christmas journey, offering real-life elves at Santa’s Grotto! One of our favourite roles to recruit for is the Christmas Elves! Luckily, our recruitment process is fully online so we can interview Santa’s very best in the north pole virtually!