Cornell Helps Hospitality Managers Optimize Staffing Levels

The interactive tool, 'Workforce Staffing Optimizer,' developed by Gary Thompson, is available at no charge on the center's website, http://hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/tools/.

'The goal of this optimizer is to help managers find the mix of different types of employees that will give the best possible service at the least possible cost, including providing guidance about when, who, and how many people to hire,' said Thompson, a professor at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. 'In developing this tool, I particularly addressed the challenges faced by managers of steeply seasonal operations, where the mix of full- and part-time employees makes it especially hard to optimize staffing levels.'

The tool works as follows: managers specify the number of full-time-equivalent employees needed to meet forecast customer demand. Then the user inputs such information as employee types (usually full- and part-time or contract workers), productivity, attrition rates, and hiring and termination costs. The optimizer then allows the user to create, evaluate, and save different scenarios of various employee mixes. The tool even includes a sample scenario so that users can see how the optimizer works without entering data.

Meet and interact with Dr. Thompson, an active member of the executive education faculty at the School of Hotel Administration, when he presents sessions in the Professional Development Program: http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/execed/pdp.

Thanks to the support of the partners listed below, all Cornell Hospitality Reports and Tools are made available free of charge from the center's website, www.chr.cornell.edu.

About the Center for Hospitality Research
A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of the center's 61 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly (formerly the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly). To learn more about center and its projects, visit www.chr.cornell.edu.

Center partners and sponsors: AIG Global Real Estate Investment, American Airlines Admirals Club, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, Denihan Hospitality Group, Expedia, Inc., Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, HVS International, JohnsonDiversey, Inc., LRP Publications, Marriott International, Inc., Marsh's Hospitality Practice, Mobil Travel Guide, Nestlé, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Proskauer Rose LLP, Smith Travel Research, Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc., SynXis (a Sabre Holdings Corporation), Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Thayer Group of Companies, Travelport, WATG, and WhiteSand Consulting.

Center friends: 4Hoteliers.com • American Tescor, LLC • Caribbean Hotel and Restaurant Buyers Guide • Cody Kramer Imports • Cruise Industry News • DK Shifflet & Associates • ehotelier.com • Estrela Marketing Solutions • EyeforTravel • Fireman's Fund Insurance Company • Gerencia de Hoteles & Restaurantes • Global Hospitality Resources • Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) • hospitalityInside.com • hospitalitynet.org • Hotel Asia Pacific • Hotel China • HotelExecutive.com • Hotel Interactive • Hotel Resource • International CHRIE • International Hotel and Restaurant Association • International Hotel Conference • iPerceptions • KPMG Japan/Global Management Directions • Lodging Hospitality • Lodging Magazine • MindFolio • PKF Hospitality Research • The Resort Trades • RealShare Hotel Investment & Finance Summit • RestaurantEdge.com • Shibata Publishing Co. • The Lodging Conference • TravelCLICK • UniFocus • WageWatch, Inc. • WIWIH.COM

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