Workforce Optimisation
Your roster should be a profitability tool — not just a staff schedule.
Labour is typically the largest controllable cost in any hospitality business. Covered Hospitality Services analyses your rosters, wage spend, sales data and team structure to identify exactly where you're losing money — and builds a practical plan to fix it. Delivered remotely, worldwide.
What does a 2% labour improvement look like?
A venue turning over $2 million per year that improves its labour percentage by just 2% saves $40,000 annually. That's not a theoretical number — it's the kind of result that comes from better rostering, tighter shift structures and smarter use of casual versus full-time staff.
What CHS analyses
Labour % and total wage spend
Benchmarked against your revenue and venue type to identify where your labour percentage sits relative to industry standards.
Rosters and shift overlap
Identifying unnecessary overlap, overstaffing during slow periods and gaps during peak trade that drive overtime.
Sales vs labour by day and daypart
Mapping your actual revenue against your labour spend hour by hour to find where you're paying for staff you don't need.
Revenue per labour hour
A clear productivity metric that shows how efficiently your team converts hours worked into revenue generated.
Full-time vs casual mix
Reviewing whether your current employment mix is optimised for your trading patterns and penalty rate exposure.
Management and team structure
Assessing whether your management layers and team hierarchy are appropriate for your venue size and revenue.
Overtime and penalty exposure
Identifying roster patterns that are generating avoidable overtime and weekend penalty costs.
Peak and off-peak staffing levels
Ensuring you're staffed to trade — not staffed to habit — across your busiest and quietest periods.
Role duplication and accountability
Spotting where roles overlap, where accountability is unclear and where consolidation can reduce headcount without reducing service.
Productivity improvement opportunities
Practical changes to workflows, station setup and service sequencing that allow your team to do more with the same hours.
What you receive
Workforce Optimisation Packages
Workforce Health Check
From $750A focused diagnostic review of your current labour spend, roster structure and workforce productivity. Identifies your key cost drivers and delivers clear, prioritised recommendations you can act on immediately.
- Labour % benchmarking against your venue type
- Roster and shift structure review
- Key findings and recommendations report
- Estimated savings opportunities
- Delivered within 5–7 business days
Workforce Optimisation
From $2,500A comprehensive workforce analysis covering every aspect of your labour model. Shazon reviews your actual roster, payroll and sales data before building a restructured staffing model, optimised roster framework and 90-day implementation plan.
- Full labour and roster analysis
- Sales vs labour mapping by day and daypart
- Recommended staffing structure
- Optimised roster framework
- Labour cost targets
- Estimated savings opportunities
- 90-day action plan
- Follow-up call included
Workforce Transformation
Custom pricingFor larger operators and multi-site businesses that need a deeper engagement. Includes management restructuring, KPI frameworks, SOP development and hands-on implementation support across your entire operation.
- Everything in Workforce Optimisation
- Management structure review and restructure
- KPI frameworks for management and team
- SOP development for workforce processes
- Multi-site labour modelling
- Implementation support and check-ins
- Custom scope and timeline
Delivered remotely, worldwide
Workforce optimisation doesn't require an on-site visit. CHS works with your roster, payroll and POS sales data — all of which can be shared securely online. Whether you're in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or operating internationally, the analysis and recommendations are the same. What matters is your data, not your postcode.
Ready to turn your roster into a profit lever?
Book a free 20-minute Workforce Health Check — no obligation, no jargon.
Frequently asked questions
What data do I need to share?
For the most accurate analysis, you'll need to share your current rosters, payroll reports (or wage summary by week), and POS sales data broken down by day and ideally by hour. A recent P&L is also helpful. All data is handled confidentially.
How much can I realistically save?
Savings vary by venue, but a 1–3% improvement in labour percentage is a realistic target for most operations. On $2M annual revenue, that's $20,000–$60,000 per year. The Workforce Health Check will give you a specific estimate based on your actual numbers.
Will this affect my team negatively?
Workforce optimisation is about smarter rostering and better structure — not simply cutting staff. In most cases, the changes improve working conditions by reducing unnecessary overtime, clarifying roles and ensuring staff are rostered when trade actually supports them.
Can this be done remotely?
Yes. All workforce optimisation engagements are delivered remotely using your roster, payroll and sales data. There's no need for an on-site visit. CHS works with venues across Australia and internationally.
How is this different from an HR consultant?
This is a commercial, operations-focused service — not HR. The focus is on labour cost, roster efficiency, productivity and profitability. CHS doesn't handle employment law, disputes or HR policy. The goal is to make your workforce a competitive advantage, not a compliance exercise.