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Scalable Workforce Planning: How a Swiss hospitality group manages staffing across over 170 locations

A leading hospitality company operates over 170 sites across Switzerland – from staff canteens and large-scale events to stadium catering. Despite having a strong internal pool of staff, one question remained: how can you run a cost-effective and flexible workforce strategy when demand fluctuates constantly?

The company has partnered with Coople since 2011. In 2021, this relationship evolved into a strategic partnership – with significant growth potential.

The challenge

In a highly dynamic environment shaped by seasonality, events and unpredictable absences, even a large internal pool has its limits. The business faced three key challenges:

  • Unpredictable staffing needs: Game days at the ZSC stadium and seasonal events regularly caused sudden peaks in demand.
  • Complex coordination: Managing internal and flexible staff across more than 170 sites required a centralised and transparent system.
  • Pressure to scale: Despite having 900 trained internal temps, capacity during peak periods wasn’t enough. The company needed a solution that could scale instantly and seamlessly.

The solution

The company implemented a three-layer workforce model designed to combine flexibility, cost-efficiency, and long-term planning:

  1. Core staff as the foundation
    Prioritising the 2,800 permanent employees ensures efficient use of fixed costs while boosting engagement across the core team.
  2. Internal pool for predictable peaks
    A pool of 900 trained internal temps is activated when demand can be planned in advance – ensuring both quality and reliability.
  3. Coople Pool for last-minute coverage
    Over 800,000 flexible Cooplers are available for last-minute gaps – with more than 7,000 saved as favourites, enabling rapid response and consistent quality.

The results:

220,000+ flexible hours worked:
Targeted use of Cooplers relieved pressure on the core team and ensured business continuity.
170+ sites centrally managed:
All shifts are coordinated through a single platform – giving every team full transparency.
Cost control through shift logic:
External workers are only added when internal capacity is maxed out – keeping costs lean and control in-house.
Consistent quality through favourites and training:
Frequent Cooplers reduce onboarding time and improve overall efficiency.
Seamless tech integration:
Connected systems mean no double data entry, no media gaps – just smooth, end-to-end workflows.
Quick onboarding with targeted training:
All relevant roles were up and running on the platform in no time.
Empowered teams:
Departments now manage their own shifts – flexibly, efficiently, and in line with on-site needs.

Conclusion

What’s known internally as the “onion model” is more than a flexible solution – it’s a scalable control system built for operational excellence. By combining core staff, an internal pool, and external favourites, the company has achieved agility, cost-efficiency and consistency – even under pressure.

“

Coople is the perfect fit for our workforce model. We always prioritise our core staff and internal temps, only bringing in additional help when it’s truly needed. That keeps our costs down and gives us maximum flexibility.