How to Hire Hospitality Staff in Australia: 2026 Guide

If you need to hire hospitality staff in Australia, the hard part is rarely finding people. It is finding the right person for a Saturday double, at the right level, paid correctly, with the RSA or food safety training your venue needs. This guide walks through the process restaurant, hotel and event managers use to fill shifts quickly without creating a compliance problem later.

It covers how to define the role, where to look, what to check before the first shift, how to work out pay under the award, and how to keep good casuals coming back.

Start with the shift, not the job title

"We need a waiter" can mean very different things. A silver service waiter for a hotel ballroom, a floor runner for a 200-cover brasserie and a cafe all-rounder who can jump on the machine are three different hires. Before you post anything, write down:

• The work: taking orders, running food, making coffee, mixing cocktails, prepping a section, turning rooms.
• The level: can they work unsupervised, or will a supervisor be standing next to them? This decides the award classification and the rate.
• The hours: date, start and finish times, and whether it is a one-off, a weekly pattern or a season.
• Must-haves: RSA for anyone serving alcohol, food safety training for food handlers, black pants and non-slip shoes, a manual car licence for a catering van.
• Nice-to-haves: your POS system, latte art, wine knowledge, a second language for hotel guests.

Ten minutes on this saves hours of messages with people who were never going to fit.

Choose how you will engage them

Most hospitality hiring in Australia falls into four patterns:

• Casual employees are the default for shifts that change week to week. They get a 25% casual loading instead of paid leave, and under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award they must be engaged for at least 2 consecutive hours each time.
• Part-time and full-time employees suit roles you know you need every week, like a sous chef or a front office supervisor.
• Labour hire agencies employ the worker and charge you an hourly rate that includes their margin, payroll tax, super and insurance. You pay more per hour but hand off payroll.
• Booking platforms like Yakka Hospitality let you find and book workers directly. You choose the person, agree the rate and pay them, so the hourly cost is closer to the wage itself.

Whatever the route, the law looks at the real working relationship. A waiter who works your rosters, wears your uniform and follows your instructions is almost always an employee, even if they have an ABN. If you are unsure, read the Fair Work guidance on employees and contractors before you start.

Where to find hospitality staff fast

The best source depends on how soon you need someone:

• Tonight or tomorrow: your own casual pool first, then an on-demand app where workers have already listed their roles and availability. On Yakka you can browse wait staff, bartenders, chefs and kitchen hands and message them straight away.
• This week: post a shift with clear details and a rate, and ask staff for referrals. Good hospitality workers usually know other good hospitality workers.
• This season: general job boards, hospitality schools and TAFE commercial cookery classes, plus a few trial shifts to build a bench before summer, Christmas and school holidays.

For events, read our guide to event staff hire, and for weddings our wait staff ratios for weddings.

Write a shift post people actually answer

Experienced hospitality workers skip vague posts. Compare these two:

• "Waitstaff needed, must be experienced, competitive pay."
• "Wait staff for a 90-guest plated wedding, Saturday 14 March, 4pm to 11pm. Three-course alternate drop, carrying three plates. RSA required, black and whites. $40.62 an hour casual plus super. Staff meal provided."

The second one tells a worker everything they need to say yes: date, hours, the type of service, the skill, the rate and the dress code. Include parking or public transport notes for late finishes, and say who they report to on arrival.

Check before the first shift

RSA and gaming

Anyone selling, serving or supplying alcohol needs a Responsible Service of Alcohol qualification that meets the rules in your state. Some states, like NSW, issue a photo competency card; Victoria requires a refresher every three years. Our RSA requirements by state guide explains the differences. Staff in gaming rooms need a separate gaming qualification in most states.

Food safety

Under Food Standard 3.2.2A, most food service businesses must make sure food handlers have completed food safety training and must appoint a certified food safety supervisor. Ask for the certificate and keep a copy.

Work rights

Check the visa conditions of anyone who is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident through the Department of Home Affairs VEVO service. Student visa holders can generally work up to 48 hours a fortnight while their course is in session.

Experience

Ask specific questions rather than "do you have experience?". How many covers was your busiest section? Which POS did you use? Can you carry three plates? How many coffees an hour have you made on a two-group machine? For skilled roles, run a short supervised trial.

A trial shift can only be unpaid if it is limited to the time needed to demonstrate the skill, and the person is supervised the whole time. A full Friday service is work and must be paid.

Pay correctly from day one

Underpayment is the most expensive hospitality hiring mistake, because it compounds every shift. The basics for venues covered by the Hospitality Industry (General) Award (MA000009):

• A level 1 casual (for example a food and beverage attendant grade 1) earns at least $33.05 an hour Monday to Friday, $39.66 on Saturday, $46.27 on Sunday and $66.10 on public holidays.
• A level 2 casual, which includes staff who mix and serve drinks or wait tables, earns at least $33.85 on weekdays and $40.62 on Saturday.
• From Monday to Friday, work between 7pm and midnight attracts an extra $2.95 an hour, and between midnight and 7am an extra $4.42 an hour.
• Super is payable at 12% of ordinary time earnings.

The full tables, including juniors, are in our hospitality award pay rates 2026 guide. Give every new employee the Fair Work Information Statement, and casuals the Casual Employment Information Statement as well.

Run a first shift that sets them up to succeed

• Send the address, start time, contact name, dress code and parking notes the day before.
• Spend ten minutes on the floor plan, table numbers, allergens on the menu, the POS and the emergency exits.
• Pair a new casual with a regular for the first hour.
• Record start and finish times so the timesheet matches the roster.
• Give feedback at the end, and tell them straight away if you want them back.

Keep the good ones

Casual staff choose venues as much as venues choose staff. The ones who get rebooked first are the ones who pay on time, roster fairly, feed staff on long shifts and say thank you. Keep a short list of your best casuals by role, rebook them before you post publicly, and send shift offers early for busy periods like Melbourne Cup, Christmas and New Year.

How hiring works on Yakka Hospitality

1. Post or search. Post a shift in the app, or browse workers by role, such as baristas, housekeepers, hotel receptionists and food runners.
2. Compare profiles. Check each worker's roles, experience, photos and certificates such as the RSA.
3. Agree the details. Chat in the app to confirm the shift, the rate and what to bring.
4. Book and rebook. Pay the worker directly, and save the people you would hire again.

Pay figures in this guide come from the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 (MA000009) rates that apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Restaurants and cafes are usually covered by the Restaurant Industry Award and registered clubs by the Clubs Award, which have their own rates. Always confirm the award that covers your business with the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Book your next shift on Yakka Hospitality

Yakka Hospitality connects venues with casual hospitality workers across Australia. Post the role, suburb, start time and rate in the app, or browse the worker directory and request a quote from the people you like. A Quick Post is always free, a full Post is A$25 with your first one free, and there is no fee per hire. See pricing or download the app to post your first shift.