Rostering is one of the most important — and most challenging — parts of running a hospitality business. Get it wrong, and you risk overspending on wages, under-serving customers, or frustrating your team.

Get it right, and you’ll create smooth operations, happy staff, and stronger profit margins.

Effective rostering is about striking the right balance between controlling labor costs and supporting staff needs. By forecasting demand, setting cost targets, using the right tools, and maintaining fairness, you’ll create rosters that keep your team happy, customers satisfied, and your business profitable.

Hospitality businesses typically spend 25–40% of revenue on labor costs. With margins already tight, even small inefficiencies can eat into profits. At the same time, unfair or chaotic rosters lead to unhappy staff, high turnover, and poor service quality.

Effective rostering ensures you:

• Control labor costs without sacrificing service

• Meet peak customer demand with the right coverage

• Improve staff satisfaction by considering their availability and wellbeing

• Stay compliant with labor laws and award conditions

  Good rosters start with data.

  Look at:

• Sales history — Identify peak days and times.

• Events and seasons — School holidays, sports finals, or tourist surges can impact traffic.

• Booking trends — Pre-booked covers give a clear picture of staffing needs.

By forecasting demand, you can match staff levels to actual business needs instead of guessing.

Understand Your Labor Cost Percentage

Your roster should align with a target labor cost percentage (typically 25–40% of sales for restaurants and cafés).

To calculate:

• Estimate sales for the roster period.

• Multiply by your target percentage.

• Allocate that budget across shifts.

This ensures you don’t overspend before the week even begins.

Balance Staff Needs with Business Needs

A great roster isn’t just about numbers — it’s about people. Consider:

• Availability and preferences — Staff who feel considered are more engaged.

• Fair distribution — Rotate weekends and late shifts fairly.

• Skill levels — Balance experienced staff with juniors for both training and efficiency.

A roster that ignores staff needs may look efficient on paper but will cost you in turnover and absenteeism.

Use Rostering Software

Gone are the days of spreadsheets and last-minute phone calls. Modern rostering software like Deputy, Tanda, or When I Work can:

• Auto-calculate labor costs as you build shifts

• Sync with POS data to match rosters to sales

• Allow staff to swap shifts or set availability digitally

• Send automatic reminders for shifts

Digital rostering reduces admin time and helps you stay accurate.

Monitor and Adjust

Rostering is not set-and-forget. Review weekly:

• Did labor costs align with sales?

• Were peak times adequately staffed?

• Did staff raise concerns about fairness?

Continuous adjustments ensure your roster remains effective as business patterns change.