A hospitality staffing agency connects hotels and other hospitality businesses with workers for temporary, casual, contract or additional staffing needs, depending on the provider. The agency may recruit and screen workers, manage employment administration and supply suitable people for available shifts.
The hotel still has its own responsibilities as the host business, including workplace safety, site-specific induction, supervision and operational requirements.
For a hotel manager, the main benefit is straightforward: external staffing can provide additional workforce capacity without requiring the hotel to recruit every temporary worker itself.
Hospitality staffing agency vs recruitment agency
The two services are related, but they are not necessarily the same.
A staffing agency generally supplies workers for temporary, casual, contract or short-term requirements. Depending on the arrangement, the staffing provider may employ the worker and assign them to the hotel.
A recruitment agency usually helps an employer find candidates for direct employment. The hotel then employs the successful candidate itself.
Some businesses offer both services, so it is worth asking how the arrangement works before engaging a provider. In particular, confirm who employs the worker, who handles payroll and which responsibilities remain with the hotel.
What roles can a hospitality staffing agency provide?
The roles available depend on the agency and its current workforce, but hospitality staffing can cover several areas of hotel operations.
Common examples include:
Housekeeping: room attendants, housemen, public area attendants and housekeeping supervisors
Front office: guest service agents, night auditors, duty managers and porters
Food and beverage: waitstaff, bartenders, baristas, bar hands and banquet staff
Kitchen: chefs, commis chefs and kitchen stewards
Operational support: general hands, maintenance support and other property-specific roles
For example, a hotel needing additional housekeeping capacity may use external room attendant staffing rather than recruiting casual workers for a short-term increase in room demand. Front office requirements can similarly involve guest service agents, while functions and busy service periods may require additional waitstaff or banquet workers.
The important point is that a staffing agency's role list should be checked against the provider's actual current offering rather than assumed from the general hospitality industry.
How does the staffing process work?
The process varies between providers, but a typical hotel staffing arrangement follows a fairly simple sequence.
1. The hotel explains what it needs
The hotel provides information such as the role, number of workers, shift requirements, location and any relevant experience or qualifications. The request could relate to a temporary gap, a busy period, an event or additional workforce capacity.
2. The provider checks its available workforce
The agency considers which workers are available and suitable for the requested role. Depending on its process, this can involve looking at previous experience, relevant skills, qualifications, availability and other role requirements.
3. The hotel confirms the arrangement
The provider and hotel agree on the workers, shift details and commercial terms. Some staffing platforms allow requests to be submitted online, while other providers use account managers, email or phone-based processes.
Response time can vary significantly. It depends on the role, location, notice given, shift requirements and whether suitable workers are available.
4. The worker attends the hotel
The worker arrives for the agreed shift and follows the hotel's operational procedures. The hotel remains responsible for the site-specific information, workplace arrangements and supervision appropriate to the work.
5. Hours and billing are managed
Depending on the employment arrangement, the staffing provider may handle payroll and employment administration for its workers, with the hotel receiving an invoice for the supplied labour. The exact process and pricing structure should be confirmed before the booking.
For a clearer explanation of the provider-side process, see how hospitality staffing works.
What does the agency screen and what remains the hotel's responsibility?
Screening varies between staffing providers. Depending on the role and the agency's process, checks may include:
Right to work in Australia
Relevant work history or references
Hospitality experience and role-specific skills
Licences, certificates or other requirements where applicable
Role-specific requirements such as RSA obligations for relevant licensed-venue work
Screening does not mean the hotel has no responsibilities once a worker arrives.
The hotel remains the host workplace. It may need to provide site-specific induction, explain emergency procedures and workplace rules, provide safe working conditions, manage access to the property and ensure workers receive appropriate supervision and instructions.
Before booking, a hotel should establish exactly which employment, safety, screening and administrative responsibilities sit with the staffing provider and which remain with the hotel.
How do pay and award obligations work?
This is an area where the details matter.
Many hotel roles may fall under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020, but award coverage depends on the work, classification and employment circumstances. An enterprise agreement or another workplace instrument may also apply. Fair Work explains that awards have specific coverage provisions, so hotels should not assume that every hospitality worker is covered by the same award.
The agency's quoted rate may incorporate wages, superannuation, insurance and other employment or administration costs, depending on the provider's pricing model. It should not be assumed that every agency includes the same costs in its hourly rate.
For that reason, hotels comparing agency staffing with direct employment should look at the overall employment cost and ask what the quoted agency rate includes.
Staffing agency vs hiring directly
Hiring directly | Using a staffing agency | |
Recruitment | Hotel manages advertising, selection and hiring | Provider may maintain a pool of available workers |
Workforce access | Built around the hotel's own recruitment and workforce | Additional workers can be requested when required |
Employment relationship | Hotel employs the worker | Employment arrangement depends on the provider |
Payroll | Hotel manages employee payroll | Provider may manage payroll where it employs the worker |
Workforce need | Ongoing roles and planned staffing capacity | Temporary, variable or additional workforce requirements |
Hotel responsibilities | Hotel manages its employee and workplace obligations | Hotel still has responsibilities as the host workplace |
Neither model suits every staffing situation. Direct employment can make sense where a hotel needs an ongoing employment relationship and predictable workforce capacity. External staffing can be useful when workforce requirements change or additional workers are needed for a particular period.
When might a hotel use a staffing agency?
Hotels may consider external staffing when their normal workforce cannot comfortably cover operational demand.
Common situations include:
An employee is unexpectedly unavailable and there is no suitable internal replacement
Occupancy increases and housekeeping requirements rise
A conference, wedding or other function requires additional service staff
Seasonal demand creates a temporary increase in labour requirements
A hotel is recruiting for an ongoing role but needs workforce support in the meantime
A property needs additional workers without making every requirement a permanent hire
The value depends on the hotel's circumstances. A staffing arrangement can provide flexibility, but the cost, availability, role requirements and responsibilities should be assessed before booking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a hospitality staffing agency and a recruitment agency?
A staffing agency generally supplies workers for temporary, casual, contract or additional workforce requirements. A recruitment agency generally helps an employer find candidates for direct employment. Some providers offer both services, so hotels should confirm the employment model before engaging them.
Is a hospitality staffing agency the same as a labour hire company?
Not necessarily. "Hospitality staffing agency" describes the type of staffing service, while labour hire describes an arrangement where a business employs workers and supplies them to a host business. Fair Work describes labour-hire employees as being employed by the labour-hire employer and sent to work for the host.
How quickly can a staffing agency fill a hotel shift?
There is no standard industry timeframe. Availability depends on the role, location, notice period, required skills and the provider's available workforce. Hotels should ask the provider about its current availability rather than rely on a general turnaround promise.
Do staffing agency workers cost more than direct hires?
The agency's hourly rate can be higher than an employee's base hourly wage because the quoted amount may include wages and other employment, insurance, administration and provider costs. The comparison should therefore be based on the hotel's overall cost of employing and managing the worker, not the base wage alone.
Who is responsible for paying labour-hire workers?
Where the labour-hire provider employs the worker, the provider is responsible for the worker's pay and employment entitlements. The exact workplace instrument and any applicable protected pay requirements still need to be considered for the particular arrangement.
Choosing a hospitality staffing provider
Before engaging an agency, a hotel should establish more than just the hourly rate. Ask which roles it can currently supply, how workers are screened, who employs the workers, how payroll and entitlements are handled, what the hotel needs to provide on site, and how the provider manages role-specific requirements.
For hotels looking for additional operational staff, available roles can include waitstaff for food and beverage service, as well as housekeeping and front-office positions.
A hospitality staffing agency can give a hotel access to additional workers without requiring the hotel to recruit each person directly. If you are assessing external staffing, review the InfyWorx process and the roles currently available before deciding which staffing model fits your operation.