Staffing Solutions
Staffing solutions for hospitality leaders
Retained search, flexible and seasonal staffing, and contract-to-hire for hotels, resorts, restaurants and private clubs, built by a Michelin-trained chef in Oswego, NY.
Chapter 01
Retained search for the chair that cannot stay empty
When the role is an executive chef, a culinary director or a general manager, the search itself has to be quiet. A retained engagement is confidential from the first conversation: the brief, the shortlist and the approach to each candidate stay inside a small circle until you decide otherwise.
Sean J. Lyons trained as a Michelin chef and has over 30 years in hospitality, so the discovery call is a conversation between two people who know what a brigade actually needs. We ask about your kitchen culture, your cost targets, your guests and the leader you wish you had last year. Then we go looking for that person, not for a résumé that happens to match a title.
Retained means dedicated resources and priority access to top-tier talent, with one consultative partner from discovery through placement. The people we approach are usually employed and doing well. That is exactly why the approach is discreet, and why it is made by someone who can speak to them as a peer.
A professional restaurant kitchen during afternoon prep, mise en place in small steel containers and a chef knife resting on a wooden board
Flexible and seasonal cover, without lowering the bar
Hospitality staffing needs can shift overnight. A line cook for one weekend service, banquet staff for a high-profile event, extra hands for peak season, cover for a last-minute gap: each of these is a short-term assignment, and each still has to meet your standard on the first shift.
We supply skilled culinary and front-of-house professionals who have been vetted before they arrive, so they step into an existing team instead of slowing it down. The aim is to keep you fully staffed on the nights that matter without a scramble through job boards.
Flexible assignments also work as a quiet audit. Managers get to see how someone handles a real service, which is useful information if a temporary placement turns into something longer.
Chapter 03
Contract-to-hire: see the work before you commit
A sous chef, a kitchen manager or a front-of-house lead can interview beautifully and still be the wrong fit for your pass. Contract-to-hire lets you assess skills, culture fit and performance in real time, on the job, while you keep operational flexibility.
Every candidate is thoroughly vetted before the contract begins, so they are ready to contribute immediately. You hire permanently only when it is the right fit, and the team that results tends to be more cohesive because the decision was made on evidence.
It is a low-risk blend of flexibility and long-term strategy, particularly for roles where a bad hire costs more in morale than in salary.
Where the talent goes: hotels, restaurants and private clubs
Hotel and resort operations: front desk, concierge and management professionals who understand the service values of luxury properties. Restaurant and culinary: skilled servers, bartenders and kitchen staff for everything from fine dining to high-volume banquets. Private club management: talent suited to the discretion, professionalism and personal attention that membership service requires.
Behind every placement sit the same four commitments. The Passive Talent Network, because the most qualified leaders are rarely active job seekers. The Meticulous Vetting Process, because discreet, dependable and distinctly experienced has to be earned. Leadership with Discipline, meaning F&B directors and executive chefs who balance culinary mastery with cost management and team development. And 30 Years of Insider Insight, rooted in a Michelin-trained career and decades of operational experience.
Sean J Lyons, Oswego, NY. Discreet. Dependable. Distinctly Experienced. Call (919) 590-7296.
Sector detail
Each sector has its own page
The three models above apply across the board, but the hiring pressures differ by venue. Read how we approach professional hotel staffing, the seasonal and executive mix in resort staffing, and the discretion that private club staffing demands. To learn more about the founder, see the about page.