STAFFING: Calculating staff requirement

Time and motion study

Time and motion study is helpful in calculating staffing level for a department

Concept: This is the study to calculate about a specific TASK, in which it is being identified that on an average how long it takes to perform the specified task.

To do a time and motion study, several staff members perform the same task-one by one against the timer, than their movements are compared and analyzed for on an average duration to perform the task. The best practices derived from this study are then used as a specific plan to perform that task, so that the resulting performance will be more standardized, adapted and implemented.

To do time and motion study, different methods which can be used by Executive housekeeper are as follows:

1.       Pathway chart
2.       Process chart
3.       Operation chart
4.       Cyclography
5.       Chrono-cyclography

Productivity Standard

Concept: It determines the quantity of work to be done by the department employees. Productivity standards must be determined in order to staff the department within the limitation with the hotel operating budget plans.

After determining the information from time and motion study and retaining the need of maintaining performance standard, Executive Housekeeper can easily develop the productivity standards for department/ employees. There are certain factors that influence the productivity standards, which vary from property to property, and some of those important factors are as follows:

·       Type of the property;

·       Surface to clean and standard of cleanliness to maintain;

·       Accessibility of work area from service areas;

·       Frequency of cleaning;

·       Amount of traffic in the work areas;

·       Type of cleaning supplies and equipment available; etc.

Standard operating manuals

Job procedures specify the procedure, equipment required, safety factors to be refer while performing specific task.  Updating job procedures is necessary, as and when changes in equipment, cleaning materials, and so on, occur. They are commonly known as ‘SOP’s’ or standard operating procedures. SOPs’ help in standardizing the job; identifying training required for performing  the job; compiling work schedules  and staffing for the department.

 

STAFFING

FINDING THE RIGHT STAFF: to find the ideal staff is to determine what work needs to be done and what skills the candidate needs to accomplish this work. These functions and skills are defined in two separate documents: a job description and a job specification.

Job Description: The job description is a written description of the job to be performed in a job position. This is done by developing a sequence of individual tasks that may be grouped and then assigned to a single person. The grouping of such tasks leads to the creation of the position and job description.

Job specification: The job specification refers to the minimum human qualities or traits required to perform in a job position.

While determining staff strength, it must be remembered that each property will have its individual requirements. The factors to be considered here are:

1.       The type of hotel it is

2.       The location of the hotel

3.       Traditions and customs of the locality

4.       The size of the hotel (in terms of the number of rooms)

5.       The occupancy rate of the hotel

6.       Management needs

7.       Company policies

8.       The quantity of work to be done

9.       The quality of work expected, that is, the standards to be met

10.   The time needed to do the work

11.   The frequency with which the work needs to be done

12.   The time when the work area is available

13.   The amount of guest traffic in the area

 

Thumb rule for developing a staffing guide: Depending upon the time and motion study, the productivity standard for manning housekeeping staff is:

 Executive housekeeper                      1                           only for a hotel over 300 rooms

Asst. Housekeeper                              1                           1:150-300 rooms

Floor supervisor                                  1:30/ rooms       (for morning shift)

                                                            1:60/ rooms      (for an evening shift)

                                                            1/shift                 (night shift)

Public area supervisor                         1/shift/ 10,000 sq. ft.

Linen/uniform room supervisor          1

Linen/uniform room helper                 1

Room Attendant                                   1:14-16 rooms (for morning shift)

                                                             1:50 rooms (for evening shift)

Housemen                                            1:60 rooms

Desk attendant                                     1/shift

Horticulturist                                       1

Gardener                                              1/4500 sq.ft. of landscaped area

Procedure for developing a staffing guide

To develop the staffing guide of room attendant for 500 room’s property, number of employees and labour cost is to calculate:

1.       TO CALCULATE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

Productivity standard of a room attendant in a shift is to clean 16 (maximum) guestrooms.       

 

No. of rooms in a property	Productivity standard (16/ morning shift)	Number of GRAs’ required (for morning shift)	Number of relievers required (1:6 GRA)	TOTAL no. of GRAs’ required for morning shift
500	500/16=31.25	31	31/6=5.16	36
450	450/16=28.12	28	28/6=4.66≈5	33
425	425/16-26.56	27	27/6=4.5≈5	32

2.       TO CALCULATE LABOUR COST:

Step 1: Determine the labour hours

In morning shift, productivity standard for guestroom attendants is 30 minutes (0.5 hours).

No. of rooms in a property (to clean)	Productivity standard for GRA	Labour hours/ day
500	.5 hrs (30 min.)	250 hrs
450	.5 hrs (30 min.)	225 hrs
425	.5 hrs (30 min.)	213 hrs

The actual number of room attendants scheduled by the executive housekeeper will finally depend on the number of full-time and part-time room attendants available to her.

 

Step 2: Determine the labour cost

LABOUR COST=LABOUR HOURS/DAY x AVERAGE RATE OF GRA/ DAY

 Assume, average hourly rate for room attendants is Rs 10 (for 31 GRAs)

So for a property having 500 rooms, where Labour hours of GRAs = 250 hrs (from step 1), per day labour cost will be:

250 hrs x Rs 10 = Rs. 2500

The staffing guide table should be completed for all positions and all occupancy levels in a similar way, taking productivity standards for the various positions into account.

  

DUTY ROSTERS

Duty rosters specify the allotment of jobs, hours of duty, and days off for each member of the staff. To make for an even share of duties, the roster should be rotated every five weeks. Duty rosters must be simple in format, easy to interpret, clearly written, and displayed on the staff notice board at least a week in advance.

 Types of duty roaster

Most hotels operate 24 hours a day and these hours are covered in three shifts. Each shift’s duration is 9 hrs. and these shifts are normally scheduled to overlap by an hour with the next shift to facilitate handovers and takeovers.

1. Straight Shift: This type of shift extends for a period of 9 hrs with a break of 1 hour. For example the morning shift and evening are both straight shifts.
2. Night Shift/Graveyard Shift: A standard shift is actually a type of straight shift that normally starts from 10 p.m. and concludes at 7 a.m.
3. Break Shift/Split Shift/Staggered shift: This type of shift is split into two sessions that add up to a regular shift of 9-10 hours. This includes a break of 3-6 hours.
4. Rotating Shift: An employee may be given a particular shift for a week or two, and then changed over to the next shift. This rotation is done to ensure that all employees get a fair share of all the shifts.
5. Swing shift-the swing shift runs from 4:00 in the afternoon until midnight. Variations may run from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM, 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM, and so forth

Advantages of a duty roster: Planning a duty roster in advance helps to ensure:

·       The exact number of staff required to be on duty at any given occupancy.

·       That staff working hours are as per their employment contract.

·       Regular off-days are availed for enhancing productivity.

·       Knowledge of which employees are present on the premises in instances of emergencies.

·       Accuracy in attendance and payroll reports.

 

Steps in making a roster

The steps in making up a duty roster are as follows:

·       Ascertain occupancy levels and events expected in the hotel.

·       Ascertain spread of duty hours to be scheduled in the roaster. It includes time for briefing, debriefing, breaks and movement time.

·       Ascertain the type of shift-straight shift, break shift, rotating shift, or any other alternative scheduling-to be used.

·       Ascertain the number of full-time and part-time staff on the payroll.

·       Ascertain the number of labour hours per day and per week required for various positions. Incorporate coffee breaks and mealtime allowances in the roster.

·       Ascertain that each employee gets a weekly off day after 6 working days. Provide for compensatory offs. Schedule one reliever per 6 employees.

• Ascertain closed days and restricted holidays, and any contingency planning that may be needed.