Anyone who has worked in hospitality knows the feeling: a member of the team calls in sick, a busy Saturday suddenly gets even busier, or an unexpected event leaves a venue scrambling for extra hands.
In Manchester's hospitality community, that space to fill is sometimes known as a "disco shift", and it is a problem that a new Manchester-based platform will be making easier to deal with.
How FLEXSHFT Works
FLEXSHFT connects hospitality businesses with verified local professionals looking for flexible work, allowing businesses to offer individual shifts and choose who they want to work with rather than relying solely on a traditional staffing agency.
Businesses can view available professionals and their profiles, including their skills, experience, preferences, FlexScore, reviews and badges, giving them more information when deciding who is right for a particular shift.
There are no upfront fees for businesses, with FLEXSHFT charging a commission only when a completed shift takes place. Businesses joining as founding partners will also receive a discounted commission fee for their first three months.
For the people picking up the shifts, the platform offers a different kind of flexibility. Professionals can set their own rates and preferences, browse available work and choose shifts based on factors including pay, location and hours.
Sometimes, a temporary shift can lead to something more permanent. FLEXSHFT's 'Perfect Match' feature allows businesses to offer permanent roles to professionals who make a strong impression while working a shift, giving businesses another route to finding people who already understand their team and working environment.
Experience Behind the Idea
The idea behind FLEXSHFT comes from more than 20 years of experience in hospitality and tourism. Chairman Tim Gibson, who has held director level roles and board positions with hospitality and travel groups including Away Resorts and Haven, has seen first-hand how quickly staffing requirements can change.
Gibson said:
Hospitality is inherently difficult to predict. There are obvious seasonal peaks, but even with careful forecasting and well-planned rotas, the reality can look very different. Good weather can suddenly drive demand, bookings can be stronger than anticipated, people can call in sick, or you can simply have a much busier day than expected.
When that happens, managers can find themselves spending valuable time ringing around trying to find cover, while existing teams come under additional pressure.
For Gibson, the need for a more flexible approach became particularly apparent when he was involved in launching South Beach, a new restaurant concept at Haven's Devon Cliffs holiday park.
The restaurant was carefully staffed for its Easter opening, but quickly became far busier than anticipated. Then the weather changed.
Sunny conditions drove even more customers towards the restaurant's outdoor terraces overlooking Sandy Bay, creating a level of demand that the team had not anticipated.
Gibson said:
We had customers wanting to spend money with us and a team working incredibly hard to serve them, but we couldn't simply create additional trained people at short notice.
He added:
That's exactly the sort of moment when I wish FLEXSHFT had existed. If we'd been able to quickly identify verified local hospitality professionals who were available that day or over that weekend, we could have flexed the team alongside the demand.
That experience helped shape the thinking behind FLEXSHFT: hospitality businesses can plan carefully, but they also need the ability to respond when reality looks different from the plan.
Why Manchester
Manchester has been deliberately chosen as FLEXSHFT's first launch city.
Gibson said:
We were very deliberate about choosing Manchester. It gives us the opportunity to work with a large and incredibly diverse hospitality sector while also understanding the needs of the people using the platform.
The timing of the launch also coincides with the start of the new academic year. Manchester's large student population provides a significant pool of people looking for ways to earn alongside university, while their availability can vary around lectures, study and other commitments.
For students and others looking for additional income, FLEXSHFT offers the opportunity to pick up individual shifts that fit around their existing commitments, rather than committing to fixed working patterns.
While FLEXSHFT is launching with a focus on hospitality, the organisation also supports businesses looking for flexible professionals across other areas, including cleaning, delivery and warehouse teams.
Launch Date and Next Steps
FLEXSHFT will officially launch in Manchester on 2nd November 2026, with plans to expand into other UK cities following its Manchester launch. The company is currently inviting local businesses to register their interest.
Businesses can register their interest on the official FLEXSHFT website.
