Temporary staff can be a constant boon - when treated well, says Robert Walton.
What with company events, weddings and anniversaries, we party professionally from March through to December. The only time we have to get our own staff together is at the beginning of the year.
So it was only a couple of weeks ago that we held our annual staff bash.
What surprised me about our party was that 55 of us sat down to the meal. It was a surprise because we have only 19 full-time members of staff. The other guests were what I'd call our regular temps.
The restaurant at Trunkwell is open from Thursday to Saturday but, essentially, functions are our business. We're booked solidly almost every weekend throughout the year, and during the week for a couple of months in summer. Events range from a party for 160 through to a fun day for 2,000, and the staffing we need rises and falls accordingly.
I'm no expert on managing a temporary workforce, but I have had a lot of experience. My philosophy is to give people a chance, treat them well and, if they're good, invite them back.
What amazes me are the stories some of our temps come back with about other employers. Considering the extent to which this industry relies on a flexible temporary labour force, we are not great at treating people well.
I have to confess that I've been guilty of sending someone to stand in a corner while the rest of us got on with the job, because they were worse than useless. For the most part, it is because an agency has been making up the numbers - for "experienced silver-service waiter" read "I carried my own tray in the college canteen a few times".
In a couple of months' time, we are all going to be out there hiring temps for the season. I know I've got 35 people who will be keen to come back to Trunkwell. Some have been with us for eight years. One started work here as a 16-year-old and is now training to be a barrister, but she still likes coming back and waiting table.
It's not for the money. We pay well, but we also make sure our team has a good time. When we host parties at which we sell tables (not private events), they work until end of service, then go off and change into their party gear so they can join the rest of the guests.
As an owner-managed operation, we are free to look after our people. In the corporate world, it seems that too many company executives are focused on the profit margin rather than the people who work for them - that's what we hear from our temps.
I'd rather we all treated temps with the respect we give full-time members of staff. Otherwise, the whole industry stands in danger of losing a vital pool of people.
Robert Walton owns Trunkwell Mansion House, including Langan's Marquee, and the Elm Tree pub, both in Beech Hill, Berkshire. He is also events director for the Restaurant Association and a member of its national committee.