Written by Molly Fast
Anyone who works in the event space knows your staffing needs fluctuate during your event season. Regardless of if your event season means one event or upwards of 20, you likely need to pull in some extra help. And to make sure you have the right people in the right place at the right time, that extra help may come in the form of temporary staff to round out your staffing plan.
One of the six core values that guides the work we do at Event 360 is Great People: we hire the best people we can, foster their passion and empower them to make decisions.
There are a few reasons why I believe we’ve been so successful in retaining our temporary staff year over year:
- Treat them like part of the family. We consider our teammates here at Event 360 as family. So whether you’re staffing your first event or your 50th, you’ll be treated like any other Event 360 family member. At Event 360 we like to work hard and play hard!
- While their stay with us may be temporary, we don’t look at our temporary staff as temporary employees. We look at them as an extension of our entire team. As such, we give them responsibilities that are vital to the success of each event. They don’t only do grunt work, as those are tasks shared among everyone out on event. Instead, we work to find each employee’s strengths- temporary or regular- and find a position that helps them utilize them.
- A great way to get your foot in the door (at any company) is to become a temporary employee. What better way to showcase your talents? When it comes to filling a vacancy, we often look at our temporary staff. Having already seen them in action makes it easier to know when someone will be a good fit when a position does come available.
- Seek their feedback. The perspective from a pair of fresh eyes is extremely valuable. You would be surprised how many problems are more easily solved by someone who isn’t limited by “the way we’ve always done it.”
- As with any employee at Event 360, we find ways to show our appreciation. Whether it’s a pat on the back or a mention in a post-event company-wide email, we make sure to cheer loudly and celebrate the successes of our temporary staff just as we would with our regular staff.
We’re also quite fortunate that our events are a platform for making the world a better place. And because most of our events are tied to a cause which can draw people in as well. It’s a meaningful way for people to honor a loved one. Equip your staff to be successful, making sure they are knowledgeable about the cause they are representing.
Each employee- temporary or regular- makes a huge contribution to the success of our events and plays an important role at Event 360. We have been fortunate enough to build strong relationships with some of our temporary staff so that they plan their other temporary work around our event season. We are extremely grateful for this and do not take their commitment lightly.
Sound off in the comment section below to tell us how you retain your temporary staff. And click here to learn more about us.
Molly Fast has been working in the event space since 2002 after personally being impacted by cancer when her mother and father were both diagnosed within five years of each other. It was during this time that Molly realized the impact a positive attitude, kindness and devoting your time to making the world a better place has on living a very full life. When she’s not taking photos in Santa Monica, where she lives with her husband and their black lab Clancy, Molly can be found wandering around Ireland. You can learn more about Molly on Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn and her favorite social media tool, Instagram.
