In India, the month of October is not just another month; it holds a special significance. With festivals falling in October, such as Navratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, and Diwali, followed by a number of weddings, the hospitality sector prepares for the busiest month of the year. Demand for hotels, restaurants, banquet halls, catering services, and event venues skyrockets—not just for bookings, but also for service quality. 

For hospitality leaders, managers, and HR executives, the festive season presents both a great opportunity and a significant challenge. Revenues soar, and yet the guest experience can be severely compromised during the holidays if your team is understaffed or untrained, potentially damaging your brand for the long term. For these reasons, October is the perfect month to adjust and refine your staffing strategy before the November rush.

This October 2025 Hospitality Staffing Checklist provides a practical way to ensure your hospitality business has the right people, skills and processes to service all your guests during the festival rush.

1. Forecast Demand with Precision

While festivals are primary, guest behaviour tends to shift slightly every year. With reservations online, food delivery, wedding itineraries, and social media-driven events, demand may peak dramatically or unpredictably.

• Use the data from previous years to assess elevated demand. When analysing the daily foot traffic that occurred in October and November. Look at banquet bookings and catering orders along with occupancy rates.
• Take into consideration changes influencing demand. For example, Diwali 2025 is potentially high demand for more gourmet hampers, options for vegan menus, and eco-sustainable themes for weddings.
• Use technology: forecasting tools - AI-driven scheduling and demand forecasting tools will forecast staff utilisation down to the hour.

For attendees who are booked at a metro city or a religious destination, overstaffing is better than being understaffed.

2. Hire Seasonal and Temporary Workers Early

Due to simultaneous hiring by local caterers and five-star hotels, October causes a labour shortage in the hospitality industry. You may find yourself in a bind if you wait until mid-October.

• Commence hiring in September by determining your seasonal workforce requirements in advance and posting job openings.
• Reach out to talent pools by collaborating with training facilities, hospitality schools, or gig marketplaces that cater to the hospitality industry.
• Provide festival bonuses: Since many applicants weigh offers, providing benefits like transportation reimbursements or Diwali bonuses can help you land a job.
• Have 10–15% of your employees on standby at all times to cover last-minute absences.                  

Pro Tip: During festival season, the most stressful jobs are housekeeping, food runners, bartenders, and valet services; give these top priority when hiring new employees.

3. Upskill Your Core Team

Your permanent workforce sets the bar for service, even when you have temporary employees. Festivals attract a wide range of visitors, including international tourists, high-spending families, corporate groups, and non-resident Indians.

• Provide brief workshops on guest relations, dispute resolution, and service speed as refresher training.
• Cultural sensitivity: Educate employees on traditions related to vegetarian wedding menus, Diwali puja ceremonies, and Navratri fasting.
• Cross-training: Make sure a waiter can cover at the bar or a front desk executive can assist with concierge inquiries.
• Tech familiarity: Make sure all employees are at ease using any POS systems, banquet booking software, or digital check-ins that you use.

4. Audit Staffing Ratios

Ratios, not just headcount, are key to an effective team. Ask yourself: Do I have the appropriate number of individuals in the appropriate roles at the appropriate times?

• Front Desk: There should be at least one employee for every 25 check-ins.
• Buffets can be extended to one server per 15–20 guests, but for banquets and weddings, it is safe to have one server for every 10 guests during plated service.
• Housekeeping: Under typical circumstances, one attendant can clean 12 to 15 rooms per day; however, during festival peak hours, this workload should be decreased to preserve efficiency and quality.
• Kitchen Staff: Make sure there are enough prep cooks and dishwashers, not just chefs. These functions, which are frequently disregarded, maintain efficiency.

A checklist hack is to map out the busiest times (midday check-ins, evening banquets, late-night weddings) and allocate more staff to those times.

5. Strengthen Back-of-House Support

Although positions interacting with guests are important, back-of-house productivity determines whether service is smooth or disorganised.

• Inventory managers: Assign employees to keep an eye on the supply of linens, cutlery, glassware, and decorations for the holidays.
• Support for laundry: Festival weddings and other events generate a lot of linen turnover; think about outsourcing some of it.
• Logistics and transportation: In order to prevent delays from negatively impacting the visitor experience, drivers, valet attendants, and suppliers must be coordinated.
• Security personnel: Verify access control and crowd management procedures again when there are VIP visitors and heavy foot traffic.

6. Prepare for Emergencies

Even a minor malfunction can turn into a catastrophe during periods of high demand.

• Sick-leave backups: Keep backup personnel on hand for crucial positions such as front desk executives, banquet managers, and chefs.
• Tech downtime: Prepare manual systems in case the booking or point-of-sale software fails.
• First-aid preparedness: Accidents are more likely to occur in crowded areas. Make sure there is a first-aid team on hand at all times.
• Crisis training: Your employees should be prepared for anything from online guest complaints to fire drills.

October Advantage: Winning with Preparedness

The October festival rush presents the hospitality industry with both a challenge and an opportunity. Not only does a well-thought-out staffing plan guarantee seamless operations, but it also directly contributes to positive visitor experiences, repeat business, and enhanced brand recognition. Hospitality executives can turn the seasonal chaos into a display of excellence by predicting demand, hiring early, upskilling their core staff, and striking a balance between productivity and employee well-being.

Looking to get hired this festive season? From hotels to catering, thousands of hospitality jobs open up during October. Download Foodism Connect today and find the perfect role to shine in the festival rush!