FRONT OFFICE

PAYROLL MANAGEMENT PROCESS

Submitted by: Jason E. Ford, Front Office Manager
The Inverness Hotel & Golf Club

Category: Recruiting & Retention

Best Practice
The process of creating a weekly department schedule can be time
consuming. It is difficult to juggle various financial guidelines as well as
ensure optimum staffing level to properly serve guests.

To try to improve this process, we first created a dynamic Excel

spreadsheet that allowed us to structure workweeks around guest
transactions. For the front office, we defined “transaction” as simply the
time it takes to check a conference guest in and/or out of the hotel.

Then, we shaped the model to fit within the parameters set forth by the
annual budget. We established a “base staff” that represents the number
of employees needed if only one conferee was staying in the hotel.
Working from this starting point, we added team members to shifts
based on certain criteria. For example, one employee would be
scheduled for a
Figure #1 Monday Tuesday
3PM shift, but if
Date: 3-Feb 4-Feb
there were more
Check-Ins: 138 75
than 90 check-ins
Check-Outs: 14 38
on a particular day,
a second employee would be added. More than 120 check-ins would
result in yet a third employee added to that shift.
Next, we produced a scheduling outline. Based upon the number of
transactions and budget guidelines, our spreadsheet can generate a
Figure #2 document that will assist the manager to
Tue Wed Thu Fri create weekly schedules. (Notice, for
1 1 1 1 instance, in Figure 2 that more employees
1 1 1 1 should be scheduled on Wednesday and
0 1 1 0 Thursday for the particular week
0 0 0 0 represented.)

Finally, once the schedule is entered, the manager can monitor several
financial statistics. First, the manager can ensure Figure #3
that the new schedule fits within budget Budget Scheduled
parameters. Second, he/she can compare what $1,016.40 $939.17
was scheduled to daily payroll logs. Third, the $424.00 $420.00
$595.00 $438.75
manager can collect and compare data regarding
$560.00 $216.00
accuracy of budget, forecast, schedule, and $1,309.25 $1,043.12
actual payroll expenses to validate still more $560.00 $1,533.03
precise predictions for the future.

Highlights

• Increases conference guest satisfaction by ensuring appropriate

staffing levels.
• Minimizes guest wait times during check-in/check-out.
• Maximizes payroll dollars.
• Allows easy comparisons of budget, forecast, schedule, and actual
payroll dollars.
• Collects data for future front office scheduling.

Reason
In an effort to better manage budgeted, forecast, scheduled, and actual
payroll dollars over a given period, our model data allows a team
member to (1) enter information relating to forecasted transactions; (2)
outline how many employees are needed per shift based on budget; (3)
schedule staff according to clear departmental guidelines; and (4)
monitor scheduled payroll dollars as compared to actual dollars spent.
This model allows management to maximize the number of employees
per shift, and at the same time, increase overall guest satisfaction.
Results
The creation of the weekly schedule has become easier and more
systematic. Managers have more control over payroll dollars and are
able to maximize guest service levels while staying within financial
guidelines. Conference attendees tend to arrive in large numbers on the
same day, so payroll dollars allocated for the front office can be used
most effectively by reducing guest time spent waiting in line.

Additionally, though Excel spreadsheets can sometimes seem

overwhelming when they contain numerous formulas and worksheets,
we took care to draft our model in a very user-friendly fashion. Different
departments are color-coded to allow for easier data scanning as well as
more flexible initial set-up.

Lessons
The most important lesson from this model is its proactive nature when it
comes to scheduling. The model eliminates last minute scrambling to fill
shifts, monitors payroll dollars, reduces overtime, and integrates
scheduling and budgeting processes. Essentially, this model takes the
“gut feeling” out of these managerial functions and provides a more
stable foundation for front office operations.

Final Comments

In a conference hotel, such as the Inverness, it is critical to exceed the

conferee expectations. By having staff on duty at peak times, we are
better positioned to achieve this primary goal.