“They're coming here to work, they want to be here, they signed up for the shift.”
The operation
Chartwells runs the food service at the Cintas Center, Xavier University's arena and banquet venue in Cincinnati. Samantha coordinates the catering and events: plated dinners, receptions and game-day concessions.
The challenge
Two full-time employees, seven or eight on-call staff and a few students cover a normal week. They do not cover a 600-guest plated dinner or a thousand fans on the concourse, and once classes start the students can rarely work.
“Especially with school starting, I don't really rely on the students a whole lot. I'll ask them, but they normally can't work it.”
Four things, each in their own words.
“It's super easy for me to just go in, copy a past one, change the date and time and just repost it… and I'm done in like less than two minutes.”
Samantha Ackroyd · Catering & Events CoordinatorShe copies a past event, changes the date and time, and posts it. With her old agency she typed each post again or pasted it in from a Word document.
+15“I just put all the information in one blurb, post it and people sign up and we're ready to go.”
Samantha Ackroyd · Catering & Events CoordinatorUpshifters are vetted local workers on W-2 payroll, not students, so it does not matter when classes start.
“I like the fact that I can favorite them and so then when I put out a request they're the first people that can respond, because we've gotten to know them really well.”
Samantha Ackroyd · Catering & Events CoordinatorXavier uses Upshift across campus, so the same people work the dining hall, the kitchen and her banquets. 82% of shifts went to people who had worked at Xavier before.
“They always come in uniform… They always normally know what they're doing, or if they don't, they still jump right in.”
Samantha Ackroyd · Catering & Events CoordinatorWith agencies she used before, staff "would be anywhere besides where we needed them at the event." Upshifters arrive ready and ask when they are unsure.
✓✓✓✓Upshift has definitely been the best… I really like our Upshift people… It's easy to use, I enjoy using it.
On a 15-minute call we look at your event calendar and show you how posting works. Vetted local workers on W-2 payroll, not students.
