Julia's Blog

Wait Staff for Hire: Where to Begin if You Have a Big Event?

Planning a major event is a serious endeavor and there is quite a bit to do before you can enjoy seeing the actual event come together. Fortunately, when it comes to hiring wait staff, the process is much easier than you’d think. Here are our top tips for choosing wait staff for hire.

Start Early
With major parties, the earlier you start planning the better the outcome. Giving yourself plenty of time to secure a venue, hire help, and see to other major details, helps ensure that you’re not stressing about planning the part close to the date. Plus, if you’re in a busy city, finding the venue and staff can be difficult if you’ve put off preparations until the last minute.

Set an RSVP Date
Giving your guests a time to RSVP not only gives them a deadline to finalize their schedule, but it also helps you gauge the number of people who will be attending your event. While you’ll definitely want to give yourself leeway for last-minute attendees, or sudden cancellations, having an estimated headcount will help you allow for seating and staff.

Be Flexible with Numbers
While you do want to have a reliable estimate events, large or small, don’t always come down to the numbers. When in doubt, assume that you will have a few extra guests. This helps ensure that you don’t run out of refreshments and that your staff is not struggling to meet an unexpected increase in demand.

Choose a Reputable Staffing Agency
Most large events require a large staff of waiters, servers, bartenders, etc. Working with an event staffing agency helps ensure that you are able to hire all of your staff quickly and easily. Plus, a good agency will have a full range of staff who are trained and professional.

When looking for an agency, make sure to take the time to check their reputation and their hiring practices. A reputable agency will have good reviews from prior clients and will be extremely selective in whom they hire. For instance, Julia Valler Staffing hires less than 10% of any given pool of applicants to ensure that they only work with the best and most reliable wait staff.

Ask for Help If Needed
Planning a major event can be exhausting. Fortunately, getting help might be easier than you think. For instance, many major hospitality staffing agencies have an experienced account executing that can help answer your questions. Whether you’re not sure of how many servers you need to hire, or need to rent a drink cart for an outdoor event, an experienced account executive will be able to advise you on the best, and most economical, course of action.
Whether you’re planning a corporate event, or a personal one, following the above tips can help ensure that you have the best wait staff for hire with minimal stress.

Hire Waitstaff