Organising an event can be stressful enough without having the worry of where to get reliable people to help throughout your function. Event staff are there to make your life easier not to give you sleepless nights! If this is your first event, then we’ve put together a few handy hints and tips to assist you, right from your initial enquiry through to working with event staff as part of your team.
- Compile a list of who you need
There are all sorts of event security staff for hire, from waiting for staff to ushers. So before you contact a staffing agency make a note of what areas you need staff for, what duties they’ll be carrying out, and what skills they need. This way your staffing agency can put together a team of people best suited to your needs.
- Be specific
This kind of follows on from the first point and although it may seem like you’re being ‘picky’ if you’re specifically in need of a male, blond, or German-speaking waiter, make it clear from the start and your staffing provider will have a better chance of giving you exactly what you want. - Remember skills can be taught, attitudes can’t
Okay, so you’ve requested the most experienced and skilled staff but that doesn’t mean they’ll be a pleasure to work with. Don’t dismiss the person with a positive, I can do it attitude as often they turn out to be the best workers. - Everyone is different
and this includes event staff! It’s unreasonable to expect the same from everyone since all people have their individual strengths and weaknesses. To work around this, it’s best to ask them what they’re good at and what experience they have. This way you can place them in a role which they’ll enjoy and excel at, enabling you to get the best out of your team. - Treat your event staff as you’d like to be treated
Although this sounds obvious it’s surprising how often this is overlooked. The staff you hire are going to be representing your company so in order to help your event run smoothly and be a success, it pays to be kind and nice to them. Get this right and the same people will be more than happy to return to you again, enabling you to build a consistent team of temporary staff. - Staff will ask questions
Even the most experienced event staff will understandably have questions they want to ask regarding your event and how you would like things done. The best way to deal with this is to have a briefing prior to the event to make sure everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet. For larger events, you might want to consider electing a supervisor or team leader to handle all questions.
So there you have it. 6 top things to know when hiring event staff. Don’t forget any staffing agency is there to help so if you’ve got any questions, fire away! Remember they’re the experts and will be able to offer guidance and advice to make sure your event is talked about for all the right reasons!
