What qualifies HBR to provide these services?

HBR has provided a recruitment service to the hospitality industry for more than 28 years, placing staff in permanent positions at prestigious establishments in the Western Cape. Our flexi staffing services started in 1991 and we still provide the same service to our very first client, the Cape Sun hotel, a client without interruption, for 18 years. Our office personnel are dedicated professionals from the hospitality industry with a combined total in excess of 85 years of service to the hospitality industry, filling your personnel requirements with the best staff available. Our modern computerised offices are situated in the centre of town, close to our clients.

Why should I not do it myself?

Cost and quality. We are in existence purely because all we do is recruitment which entails sourcing, screening, interviewing, referencing and the administration of personnel, everyday. The industry has different personnel needs at different times of the year which we can fulfill because we’re continually recruiting. The transient nature of the staff in the industry also leads to a high personnel turnover, putting demands on human resource departments throughout the year. You can operate with a much smaller human resources department if a large portion of the personnel used by your establishment are employed by HBR. We do all the disciplinary hearings and we go to the CCMA as the staff are employed by HBR.

Which departments does HBR provide staff for and to what level?

We are able to provide you with staff for all of your departments : housekeeping, F & B, front of house, back of house, kitchens, stewarding. From a steward to a general manager.

I’m interested in flexi staff, where do I start?

Our experienced operations staff will sit down with your management to analyse your requirements and identify the cultural fit required. Once this has taken place and the number of staff required for the various job titles has been established, we source the staff from our large database and advertising. They are put through training, by HBR in conjunction with your management, to orientate and induct them into your standards and procedures. Once this has taken place, they are ready to operate.

How does the process work after the original phase?

Orders are placed by your designated managers with our recruitment department via telephone, fax or e-mail. Our recruiters match your order with available staff with the appropriate skills. The staff are instructed where to go, what date and time to report, who to report to and the dress code.

Who tells the staff when to work?

Your management provides us with rosters for the next week, by Friday. Our recruiters match your order with available staff, with the appropriate skills and then will e-mail a duty roster to your management containing the names of the staff that have been matched to your order.

How am I and my management involved?

All we request from you and your managers is to treat our staff with dignity and respect and to abide by the present labour legislation. Any staff not required on your premises for whatever reason must be sent to our offices and an explanation provided to us so we know how to process the situation. Your managers manage the staff on a daily basis as if they were employed by you. They will compile duty rosters and keep us informed of each individual’s performance. Time sheets must be completed at the end of each shift and signed by the staff member and the manager. At the end of the wage period, the managers must sign off the time sheets so they can be collected and processed by HBR.    

How can I control the quality of the staff sent to me?

We will do it for you. We will provide you with a one-page CV of each staff member and allow you to interview a selection of staff e.g. if you want 5 new people in your restaurant, we will send you the CVs of 10 people from whom you can select your 5 as originally required, after interviewing them. We only employ experienced staff with good references from previous employers. We sometimes allow good students from our training school to work after consultation with our clients.     

How can I retain staff and minimise staffing turnover?

We have found that if staff are treated fairly and with dignity and are led by strong goal-oriented management they are happier, more productive, are absent less often and contribute to the team effort resulting in satisfied guests and management.

What are HBR’s office hours?

HBR’s office is open from 08:30am to 05:00pm Monday to Friday. We are closed on weekends and public holidays.

What happens if I have staffing challenges after HBR’s office hours?

As well as the directors being available telephonically 24/7, we have a standby line which is available 24/7 to help you resolve any staffing challenges you may encounter. The standby line can help you with absent staff, staff shortages or how to handle a situation.

If I feel the staff need training, what do I do?

HBR remains in contact with your management to ensure the staff are operating at the required quality levels. We also do in-service audits where all aspects of service are checked and training needs identified. We will address the training needs either at the end of a shift for small training interventions or our trainer will arrange a date
and time either on your premises or at our training school in town for more in-depth interventions.

Who pays for the training?

The standard training is provided by HBR at no cost to you.

Am I assisted in any way by HBR management?

One of our contract managers will be allocated to you and will ensure your requirements are met. Should your usage of HBR staff exceed 10 000 hours per month, an on-site contract manager will be allocated to your establishment to administrate, evaluate, train and ensure staff uniforms and appearances are presentable.

Who is responsible for staff discipline?  

To ensure your management stay in the driving seat with the staff, we request your management to discuss all minor infringements with the staff member e.g. late-coming, dress code, attitude and appearance. Repeat offences and serious offences must be reported to us immediately and we will take charge of the situation. All staffing incidents must be reported to HBR and an HBR incident report completed. We will decide on appropriate action based on our disciplinary code and conduct a counseling session or disciplinary hearing depending on the offense.

What do I do if I don’t require an HBR staff member anymore?

We will remove the staff member and if required, provide a replacement.

How do I control my costs on staffing?

Your managers must roster cost-effectively and all staffing orders to HBR must be directed through one of your senior managers to prevent duplication of orders and unnecessary staff usage.

When and how are staff paid?

We pay our staff weekly on Mondays to ensure we have minimal absenteeism.

Who pays for uniforms?

Our waitrons and barpersons wear standard black and white uniforms unless you require them to wear your branded and designed uniforms. This can be discussed and a solution provided for your particular situation.

Who provides transport?

We expect our staff to get to and from work themselves for all shifts starting or ending between 06:00 am and 06:00pm. If no transport is provided for shifts starting and ending between 06:00pm and 06:00am and transport is not readily available, we are able to offer a minibus taxi service with a reliable provider at cost.

How much does everything cost?

Once we have established your needs and expectancies, we will be able to provide you costing for the various job titles. Factors that influence pricing are staff transport, uniforms, staff meals and legislation.

How do I get billed?

After receipt of the weekly timesheets on a Monday, our invoicing clerk will compile an itemized invoice containing the names, dates, hours worked and the related costs per staff member. The invoices will be e-mailed to your accounts department by the Wednesday. Our invoices are due on presentation and we require payment within a week of presentation.  

How does HBR keep informed of events at my establishment?

Our operations management will keep in touch with your management virtually on a daily basis and will conduct on-site visits at times convenient to you, but at least once per week. The directors will meet with you and your management in the first week of each month to discuss staffing issues as well as training and seasonal planning.