5 Common FEC Challenges + How Workforce.com Solves Them

• Keeping young applicants interested, matching skills and demand to schedules, and staying on top of compliance requirements are three main areas for FECs. 
• Workforce management software helps operators tackle these pain points by streamlining recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, and record-keeping.

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Family entertainment centers (FECs) exist to provide guests with fun and memorable experiences. However, behind the scenes, operators face significant workforce challenges, including seasonal hiring surges, managing younger Gen Z staff, and navigating complex compliance regulations. 

Successful FECs are not just those with the most prominent attractions, most elaborate party packages, or most comprehensive membership programs. What sets successful FECs apart is how they use the right software solution to attract talent, optimize labor, and stay compliant. With clear dashboards and real-time insights, managers can make faster, smarter decisions that directly impact operations.

In a recent webinar, Workforce.com teamed up with ROLLER to unpack how technology can ease these workforce challenges and set FECs up for sustainable growth. 

Here, we have highlighted five ways workforce management software can help FECs run smoothly, engage their staff, and stay profitable. 

Streamlining recruitment

“The guest experience starts long before people actually walk through the doors. It starts when you’re choosing your staff,” says Travis Kohlmeyer, General Manager at Workforce.com US. 

Whether you run a single-location center or manage multiple venues, staffing challenges are remarkably similar. Labor is one of the most significant expenses in an FEC, and managers spend a considerable amount of time recruiting and managing staff. 

This is where workforce management technology can make all the difference. The right tools help FECs establish a fast, simple, and user-friendly recruitment process that today’s applicants expect. 

“Younger generations expect speed. If you’re taking too long, you’re probably going to lose them to a faster employer,” Travis explains. Having mobile-first applications and quick automated follow-ups helps ensure strong applicants don’t drop out midway through the process.

Technology also streamlines applicant screening. AI-powered forms can highlight red flags and surface good fits early on by asking make-or-break questions upfront, such as, “Are you available to work weekends?” or “Do you have reliable transportation?”

But beyond screening, the right software can also culture an applicant’s motivation and availability. “You want to give them the opportunity to say what works best for them and make sure that what’s aligned with what the business needs is key,” Travis says.

For FECs, this means capturing information such as which shift works best for the applicant, the number of hours per week they want to work, and which days they’re most available. Gathering this information upfront not only improves hiring decisions but also feeds directly into scheduling down the line.Workforce.com’s applicant tracking system enables FECs to attract candidates more quickly, filter for cultural and operational fit, and transition from onboarding to scheduling with minimal administrative effort.

Going mobile for onboarding

Onboarding is not just about filing out new hire paperwork. It’s about making sure new employees feel equipped from day one. 

“The goal of onboarding is not just to get people hired. You want them to be ready, excited, and confident when they’re coming in. And dealing with mountains of paperwork can really take away from that experience,” Travis says. 

A seamless onboarding process can make or break it for FECs, and the right technology is key.

“It’s important to make onboarding mobile-friendly. Kids are already on their phones and a lot of them don’t even have laptops. So it’s important to make sure that they can access it on their phones.” Travis explains. “Think bite-sized pieces of onboarding information, digital-first formats, QR codes, welcome videos, and key rules and procedures. Being able to access that on their phone is a good way to start off.”

Workforce.com has a paperless onboarding software with real-time tracking, so managers can see exactly where each new hire is in the process. New staff can complete forms, submit paperwork, and input personal information before their first day, all from their mobile device. With these self-service tools, the admin is out of the way early, and operators can focus on getting staff up and running from day one. 

Download Free Template: Onboarding Checklist

Scheduling smarter

Scheduling is one of the most complex and time-consuming tasks for FEC operators. Workforce management software can simplify the process and help managers build fair, compliant, and cost-effective schedules.

Advance scheduling
With the employee scheduling system, creating shifts in advance becomes so much easier. 

“We definitely recommend building schedules two weeks out to reduce errors,” Travis says. “Doing so will help minimize last-minute changes, improve attendance reliability, and allow staff members to communicate if changes are needed. In plenty of US cities, things like Fair Workweek or predictability pay come in, where if you change somebody’s schedule within too short a time span, you actually get fined.”

Schedule templates

Utilizing schedule templates is another way the right software can save time and reduce errors.

“Managers don’t have to reinvent the wheel every week or month, depending on schedule length,” Travis advises. “Use templates for baseline staff, which can be done in minutes. This ensures consistency, avoids coverage gaps, improves compliance, and helps managers build schedules more easily.”

Managing no-shows with shift swapping

With the right system, staff can trade shifts directly, cutting down on back-and-forth and saving managers valuable time.

“Enable self-service shift swaps. If you can, let staff swap shifts themselves, but always have manager approval. It reduces time managers spend resolving conflicts, and increases accountability, especially for young staff. They can say, ‘Hey, I can’t work in ten days. It’s on me to figure out a swap,’” Travis explains.

Efficient swaps reduce the need for last-minute overtime, which can quickly inflate labor costs. This kind of flexibility is especially valuable for FECs that rely heavily on young and part-time workers. It keeps operations smooth while giving employees the autonomy they expect.

Scheduling based on skills and demand

Aside from ensuring the correct number of employees are present in every shift, it’s also crucial to have a balance of skill or seniority level in every schedule. 

“With casual young staff, you don’t want too many juniors in one shift,” Travis explains. “You always want to have managers or supervisors designated, plus one to two experienced staff, depending on how many people are scheduled. The right system helps ensure that this balance is maintained.” 

And that balance is what guests feel on the floor. Customers don’t think about scheduling decisions. They just expect the arcade machines to run smoothly, the mini golf course to flow smoothly, and kiosks to move quickly. Getting the mix of supervisors, experienced staff, and juniors right translates directly into a smoother customer experience.

Another key factor in employee scheduling for FECs is demand. Managers must also take a look at key indicators such as sales, foot traffic, party bookings, and even how inventory management impacts areas like concessions or redemption counters to determine the right staffing level for a shift.

“If you can integrate your point-of-sale (POS) system, like ROLLER, into Workforce.com, you can forecast wage percent of revenue, a stat you can act on before labor is deployed,” Travis says. 

With scheduling features designed for frontline industries like FECs, Workforce.com makes it easier to plan ahead, meet compliance obligations, and ensure profitability.

Ensuring compliance

Compliance is especially complex for FECs, given the mix of youth labor laws and safety requirements.

“First off, youth labor laws are easy to miss. You need to know applicable labor laws and automate compliance, Travis says. “For example, in Chicago, minors under 18 can only work three hours on a school day and eight hours on a non-school day. During the school year, they can only work until 7 or 8 PM. So if school ends at 5 PM, you can’t even schedule them for more than two hours. If you don’t track this, it’s going to be a massive hit.” 

That’s why safeguards should be built directly into scheduling systems, preventing managers from unconsciously breaching labor limits.

Also read: Child Labor Laws by State + Federal 

Compliance also extends to staff qualifications. “It’s important to make sure that things like first aid, CPR, food handling, and lifeguard permits are lodged into the system with reminders and expiration dates,” Travis explains. Keeping certifications current not only protects guests but also shields operators from liability.

Digital record-keeping is another game-changer. “If there’s a safety incident, you don’t want to be digging through filing cabinets,” Travis says. “Having data online means alerts, updates, and easy audit readiness.”

Keeping qualifications up to date doesn’t just prevent fines. It ensures a safer environment, which is at the heart of the customer experience.

Future-proofing your workforce

With the right technology, FECs can do more than manage staff day-to-day. They can adapt quickly to generational shifts and emerging trends.

Today’s frontline workforce in FECs is primarily composed of young people. Efficiency and mobile-saviness are non-negotiables for this generation. Beyond clear rules, they expect intuitive systems that allow them to communicate with teammates, request time off, view employment details, and check schedules directly from their phones.

Having the right platform in place helps operators adapt to these expectations and build a workplace that younger employees actually want to be part of.

Technology is also about looking ahead. With AI becoming more than just a buzzword, truly effective workforce management systems will integrate smart tools, from predictive scheduling to automated compliance checks, to help operators stay competitive in an industry that never stands still. In fact, Workforce.com has been applying AI for many years, even before it became the hype and dominated headlines.  

Also read: What to Look for in Payroll Software (Especially for Hourly Teams)

Why FECs choose Workforce.com

Family entertainment centers face unique operational challenges. Workforce.com is built with these realities in mind. It’s an all-in-one platform that brings together hiring, onboarding, scheduling, compliance, and payroll in one place, allowing operators to spend less time on administration and more time focusing on growth.Curious how it works in practice? Book a demo with our team to see how Workforce.com helps FECs run better every day.