This paper examines the human resources challenges facing Castle's Family Restaurant, a small chain of eight casual dining establishments in Northern California employing approximately 300–340 workers. It identifies the operational inefficiencies created by a single combined HR/operations manager who must travel between all locations to handle payroll, scheduling, and employee management manually. The paper then conducts an HRIS needs assessment, defining what a Human Resource Information System is, evaluating which features are most relevant to the restaurant's high-turnover, variable-hours environment, and recommending a targeted implementation strategy that reduces administrative travel and consolidates payroll functions while preserving necessary hands-on oversight.
Castle's Family Restaurant is a relatively small chain of eight restaurants in the Northern California area, employing approximately 300–340 people. The restaurant is not a franchise, and there is a single, combined HR/operations manager overseeing all eight locations. The restaurants are casual establishments designed primarily to serve families for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, generating profit by serving a high volume of customers in a short period of time. Employees include servers, cooks, managers, and support staff such as busboys and cleaning personnel. Approximately 40% of employees work part time, and the workforce tends to be relatively short-term in tenure.
Keeping a tight rein on unnecessary expenditures is essential for Castle's, as it is for most enterprises in the hospitality industry. Profit margins are razor thin, particularly during slow periods of the year. There is also the constant risk of food spoilage and the ongoing need to train new workers in a volatile, high-turnover employment sector. Worker schedules and total hours change very quickly from week to week, depending on employee availability and the time of year.
The cost of gasoline has been increasing nationwide, and in California it is particularly prohibitive. Because HR functions are consolidated under a single manager, that individual must travel considerable distances to reach all eight locations. Conducting payroll individually using an Excel spreadsheet and printing payroll checks from a single source is costly in terms of both time and resources, as the manager must travel to each location to handle scheduling, recruiting, hiring, and answering employee questions.
Some hands-on management will always be necessary — facilities must be inspected for cleanliness, operations must adhere to ethical and legal standards (a recurring concern in the hospitality sector), and staff motivation must be maintained given the transient nature of much of the workforce. Because all restaurants share the same name, a poor customer experience at one Castle's location reflects on the entire chain, making a degree of direct supervision unavoidable. Nevertheless, the volume of routine administrative tasks currently performed in person should be shifted to a more technologically forward, modern approach.
Of the essential functions of management, the controlling function is the one most readily addressed by a Human Resource Information System, and implementing such a system is essential to reducing expenditures. A Human Resource Information System (HRIS) is a software or online solution for the data entry, data tracking, and data management needs of the human resources, payroll, management, and accounting functions within a business (Heathfield, 2010). An HRIS would enable the HR manager to oversee these operations across all locations in a unified fashion. Since every restaurant is relatively similar in its operations and HR needs, all eight locations could operate using the same approach to these business elements, with all such functions consolidated through a single HRIS platform.
An HRIS can track a variety of workplace needs, including — most critically for Castle's — complete integration with payroll and other company financial software and accounting systems, as well as the management of records regarding employee attendance, hours, and disciplinary information (Heathfield, 2011). Key variables such as employees' fluctuating hours and the seasonal labor demands of the restaurant could be easily tabulated using an HRIS. If all restaurants were equipped with the software, the HR manager could oversee such elements virtually from a central office.
It should be noted that not every function an HRIS can provide is necessary for Castle's. For example, high-potential employee identification and extended applicant tracking, interviewing, and selection processes are not priorities for a casual restaurant environment (Heathfield, 2010). Employees rarely remain at Castle's for long periods, and when performance is rewarded, it is typically through customer tips rather than formal HR-administered bonuses. Workers in this setting are also less likely to need self-service access to benefits management or formal performance reviews, which are features more relevant to white-collar office environments.
"Terminal-based implementation plan to reduce travel"
It should be noted, however, that an HRIS does not eliminate the need for hands-on management. The HR manager will still need to visit locations periodically to verify that employees are working efficiently and adhering to legal and company-wide policies. An HRIS can make employment manuals instantly accessible to individual location managers as stored PDF files, but compliance with chain-wide standards must still be verified in person. Useful guidance on selecting appropriate HRIS tools for small businesses is available through professional HR organizations.
Implementing an HRIS at Castle's Family Restaurant represents a practical, targeted solution to the administrative burdens created by managing eight locations through a single HR/operations manager. By focusing on payroll integration, scheduling, attendance tracking, and centralized record management — and by equipping each location with a terminal for data entry — the chain can significantly reduce unnecessary travel and administrative costs. The HR manager's visits can then be refocused on quality improvement and compliance oversight rather than routine paperwork. As with any human resource management initiative, technology serves as a tool to support managerial judgment, not replace it; the HR manager remains essential to the health and ethical operation of the Castle's chain.
Heathfield, S. (2010). Human Resources Information System (HRIS). About.com. Retrieved May 16, 2011, from
Heathfield, S. (2011). Human Resources Information System (HRIS). About.com. Retrieved May 16, 2011, from
You’re 92% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 1 section.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.