The following examples are real stories from testimonials we collected during our Summer Stories campaign.
Meet Gary W., a retiree reentering the workforce to earn a bit of extra money. He wanted the freedom to enjoy the relaxation that comes with retirement while still having the opportunity to work and make some additional income.
Meet Kathleen Crail, who was looking for a job that would provide her with flexible time arrangements and diverse employment opportunities. By getting to choose where and when she worked, she was able to gain experience, learn new skills, and evaluate different work environments—all on her own time.
Both Gary and Kathleen enjoy the benefits of flexible scheduling, which is not exclusive to one type of work or a specific industry. Adopting a flexible scheduling model has proven to increase employee morale, loyalty, and mental health. It has also led to increases in employee recruitment, retention, and brand reputation.
Let’s dive in and discuss what this type of scheduling is and what it offers to both employees and employers.
What is Flexible Scheduling?
In a nutshell, flexible scheduling is a system that provides workers with more flexible options compared to the traditional 9-to-5, five-days-a-week arrangement. You’ve likely worked a job that offered a flexible arrangement without even realizing it!
Some examples of flexible scheduling commonly found in restaurants and hotels include:
- Part-time work: The definition of part-time work varies by state, but typically, if you work less than 30 hours a week, you’re considered part-time. This type of schedule allows you to balance multiple jobs, be home in time for the kids, or earn money after school.
- Job sharing: When one full-time position is shared between two part-time workers.
- Seasonal work: Jobs that are available only during a particular season (e.g., summer, holidays, sports events).
- Split shifts: When an employer divides an employee’s workday into two separate shifts with an unpaid break in between that is longer than an average break (e.g., Shift 1: 7 AM-11 AM; Shift 2: 3 PM-7 PM).
- Compressed work weeks: When employees work longer than a typical 8-hour shift, allowing them to work four 10-hour days and enjoy a three-day weekend every week.
These types of shifts give workers the ability to tailor their schedules to the needs of their lives. As more people adopt the mindset that working long hours doesn’t equal increased productivity, a larger group is opting for jobs that allow them to have a rich personal life while supplementing their career. Flexible scheduling offers that, and more.
What Are the Benefits of Flexible Scheduling?
For Employees
Imagine you work as a freelance artist but want to find a way to earn money easily between submissions. You want to experiment with different work environments, learn new skills, and don’t want to be tied to one job. So, you find the app, StaffNow, and see a job posting for a hotel hiring a bartender for Saturday night at $22/hour. You pick up the shift, work for six hours that night, earn $132 before taxes, and finish your art piece the next day. All in a day’s work.
What’s great about having the option to control your own schedule is that you can easily balance multiple jobs. You can arrange your shifts so that you work one job on certain days and another job on different days. You earn two different incomes without any scheduling conflicts, allowing you the freedom to do different things while earning a living.
In this freelance scenario, picking up a bartending shift likely took place at night, leaving the entire beginning and middle of the day free for other activities. Flexible scheduling offers a unique work-life balance where you can choose the hours you work and the hours you reserve for personal time.
For Employers
As an employer, we understand you need to think beyond just personal interests. What’s good for business drives scheduling decisions for workers. Consider the following perks of implementing flexible scheduling options in your business.
Work-life balance is the business trend of the 2020s. In our post-COVID world, people value their time more than in pre-pandemic days. To keep up with relevant hiring trends and maintain your competitive advantage, offering options beyond a set schedule is essential to staying current.
One of the most prominent struggles in the hospitality industry post-pandemic is the ongoing labor shortage. To attract talent, you need to present benefits that keep up with or exceed those of your competitors.
Flexible options are one way to retain and attract new candidates, broadening your applicant pool overall. By offering schedules that allow people to remain grounded in their personal lives, you may find your selection includes working parents, college or high school students, people re-entering the workforce, and employees looking for side hustles.
In the hotel and restaurant industries, another essential piece of the puzzle is matching the number of staff to busy or slow periods. Offering split shifts, job sharing, or seasonal work options can help provide a cushion for busier times.
As a whole, flexibility in scheduling is something that employees are seeking. If you don’t have the time, money, or resources to implement something new or change your current methods but need more staff during certain times, we know someone who can help.
LGC Offers Flexible Solutions
Did you know that flexible scheduling is one of LGC’s specialties? As a staffing company with over 20 years of experience matching applicants with employers in the hospitality industry, we know you value your time. We understand that time is money, both in business and in family life. That’s why you’re in control of your own time when you work with LGC.
As an employee, you get to choose when you work. If you want to work once this week and four times the next, that’s entirely up to you. If you want to work a shift as a banquet server this week and as a bartender next week, you can do that. The incredible thing about giving you control over your career is that you get to create your own experience.
As a client with LGC, we know how frustrating call-offs and short staffing can be. That’s why we are experts in finding people who want to work, filling those vacancies fast. Our team of recruiters is equipped to fill last-minute staffing orders in record time, ensuring you have the team you need for your business to succeed.
If you’re ready to take control of your career, download the StaffNow app, apply today, or give us a call, and we’ll take care of you. If you’re looking for a staffing company you can rely on when it gets down to the wire, give us a call, and we’ll find the perfect solution for you.
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About LGC
Since 2003 LGC has been building connections between businesses with staffing needs and job seekers looking for new opportunities. Our range of solutions includes temporary and permanent placements (and everything in between) for a variety of industries. With offices located nationwide, we can tap into a dynamic pool of talented professionals. We have a passion for creating partnerships that last and work hard every day to ensure both clients and candidates reach their employment goals.