Learn from your summer peak: 4 valuable lessons for every staff planner

For many businesses, the summer months are both a blessing and a challenge. Hospitality venues run double shifts, festivals scale up with hundreds of temporary workers, and retail stores go all out to serve extra customers and tourists. 

That often turns your summer staffing into one giant puzzle. But hidden in that chaos are some truly valuable insights. Behind every last-minute cancellation, double shift, or kitchen meltdown lies a chance to learn — lessons that can help you plan future summer peaks more smoothly and improve your overall operations year-round. 

In this blog, we’ll share four clear takeaways from the summer hustle that you can apply in your business. 

1. Start preparing early 

When it comes to preparing for a busy summer, timing is everything. What we often see is that preparations only really begin when the rush is already underway. The student hiring starts in May, the schedule takes shape in June, and by July you’re stuck improvising from shift to shift. Not ideal. 

If you want real control over your summer peak, you need to start earlier — and learn from your current planning. Take a step back and review your summer, your year-round planning, and your numbers. Ask yourself: 

• How many people did you actually need on your busiest days? 
• Which moments fell apart due to lack of backup? 
• How many students dropped out or didn’t show up? 

These insights give you the foundation for smarter planning next year. For example: activate your student pool in February, draft the first schedules in March, and have your backup team ready in April. That way, you stay in control, keep an overview — and stay calm. 

👉 With CrewPlanner, you get full visibility into your scheduling history, performance, absences, and occupancy rates. 

2. Clear communication prevents panic 

Busy periods often come with sudden changes: shifts get swapped, staff call in sick, and customer bookings shift last-minute. The last thing you want is a team that’s left in the dark. That’s why communication should be a core part of your planning — not an afterthought. 

And no, we don’t mean yet another WhatsApp group or Google Sheet. Especially not when you’re dealing with dozens (or even hundreds) of temps, each with different shifts and availability. 

So what does work? 

• Automatic alerts for every change 
• One central hub for all key info 
• Staff having visibility into their own schedules and performance 

👉 In CrewPlanner, employees can share their availability, view their schedules, get real-time notifications about changes, and even respond to shift updates — all in the app. 

3. Flexibility should be structured, not improvised 

The weather, unexpected crowds, or staff dropping out — in summer, things can change in an instant. You don’t want to rely on Excel or your memory to fix it. That’s why flexibility should be a built-in part of your planning: 

• Build a pool of available staff 
• Enable your crew to respond to open shifts themselves 
• Plan standby roles for peak days 

👉 With CrewPlanner, you get real-time insight into who’s available, where the gaps are, and can quickly reassign shifts when needed. 

4. Give employees autonomy 

A common frustration for planners: “I get swamped with questions from students.” 
When do I work? Where do I sign my contract? Is my payslip correct? Can I pick up an extra shift? 

Give your team the tools to manage this themselves — to submit their availability, respond to open shifts, and help shape their own work rhythm. 

Young flex workers especially expect a digital, intuitive way to manage their schedule. A place where they can instantly see what shifts are available, when they’re working, and what’s confirmed. The more autonomy they have, the fewer fires you’ll need to put out. 

👉 CrewPlanner offers an easy-to-use app where staff can upload documents, sign contracts digitally, track their hours, and indicate their shift preferences. 

Survived the summer rush? Time to optimise. 

CrewPlanner helps you keep your staff planning clear and under control — even during the busiest seasons. 
Want to see how it works? 

Request your free demo and discover how CrewPlanner can help you sail through next summer.