How to find the best event staffing agency for your company
Whether you’re hosting a sporting event, concert, tradeshow or conference, finding reliable workers with the right skills is crucial. With so many event jobs to fill and a competitive hiring market, event venues across the country are partnering with an event staffing agency or hospitality staffing agency to ensure they have workers who can create a memorable guest experience.
If you’ve never worked with a staffing agency before, ask them these questions to determine if their event staffing solutions are right for your company.
Questions to ask an event staffing agency about their staffing services
How much experience do you have in staffing for events?
No two staffing agencies are exactly alike, and neither are the staffing services they provide. As Staffing Industry Analysts notes, there are 27,000-plus staffing agencies operating in the U.S. and most of them only provide general labor staffing solutions. Without expertise and insight into the events industry, these staffing agencies likely can’t offer your company the appropriate number of quality applicants you’re looking for.
That’s why it’s best to partner with one of today’s specialized event staffing companies if you have live event jobs to fill. Their experts have years of experience hiring event workers for a variety of back of house jobs and front of house jobs. With the help of their hiring insights, you can rest assured that you have qualified workers for your key roles.
What makes your staffing agency the best option to find event staff?
In other words, what makes an event staffing agency stand out from the crowd? Reputation plays a pivotal role when evaluating staffing agencies that offer friendly and dependable event staff. An agency with a solid reputation will be in a better position to provide event staffing solutions or hospitality staffing solutions that are tailored to your specific needs.
That’s why we recommend asking staffing agencies for testimonials from other event companies who can vouch for the quality of their services. These success stories are a crucial benchmark when assessing your top choices for a staffing agency. After all, partnering with the wrong staffing agency can lead to bad hires which could impact the quality of your services.
Do you offer flexible staffing options as part of your event staffing services?
The ongoing shortage of event and hospitality workers is pushing venues to reconsider their hiring strategies to attract fresh applicants. With that in mind, staffing flexibility can support your company’s short- and long-term hiring goals while also benefiting candidates who want more control over their schedule.
An agency staffing for events can offer a wide range of flexible staffing arrangements. For example:
- Single event workers: Temporary workers are great for a single event, particularly as substitutes for workers on sick leave, vacation, or during busy seasons such as holidays.
- Multi-event workers: Multi-event workers can offer consistent support across multiple events, giving you valuable peace of mind.
- Long-term or temp-to-hire workers: Long-term event workers can help you maintain appropriate staffing levels for an entire season or extended periods. These workers have the potential to transition into full-time or permanent roles based on their performance.
How do you manage urgent event staffing needs?
From last-minute call-outs to unexpected venue changes, some situations may make it necessary to hire concession workers, cashiers, dishwashers and other event workers on short notice. An experienced agency staffing for events should be well-equipped to handle these urgent hiring needs.
They should also make available an extensive network of vetted candidates who are ready to work. Pair this with a presence in your local area and you receive a level of convenience that can save you from last-minute scrambling and ensure a positive experience for your guests.
How do you recruit workers for event staff jobs?
Changes in the events and hospitality hiring market and peak season activity can prolong your hiring process. That’s why it’s important to develop different methods of reaching out to a wide array of job seekers.
Fortunately, having access to a staffing agency’s expansive network is one of the most effective ways to expand your candidate pool. The right staffing agency will have a strong network of connections, ranging from schools and community groups to government institutions. This makes it easier to fill various open roles, whether you require bartender staffing, food service staffing, banquet staffing or other staffing needs.
How do you ensure your event workers follow safety rules and regulations?
Safety should always be the top priority at any live event or entertainment venue to ensure the well-being and enjoyment of all guests. Your staffing agency can serve as a valuable partner in your safety efforts in many ways. For example, they will be responsible for supplying basic Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) if necessary for the job.
The most effective event staffing agencies also have an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) and a mandatory safety assessment that all candidates must undergo before they’re made available to your company. These efforts are a strong indication of their commitment to creating a safe environment for your workers and your guests.
Could you tell us about your process for screening event workers?
Carefully screening all of your event workers is essential to protecting your guests and hosting a secure and enjoyable experience for all attendees. Another way an agency staffing for events can ensure safety and quality of service is by completing a thorough vetting process that confirms the skills and qualifications of all potential candidates.
With a comprehensive screening process, you can rest assured that the event workers you receive will put their best foot forward and fit in well with the rest of your team. This helps create a positive working environment, which can benefit retention rates in the long run.
Do you provide event staffing support for multiple locations?
If your event company serves multiple venues, the hiring process becomes even more complicated — especially if you’re operating in different cities or states. Fortunately, staffing agencies with a combination of local community presence and a national footprint can make hiring much easier.
These agencies have the resources and connections to staff for multiple locations quickly. Plus, they have teams of staffing experts who stay updated on the staffing trends in the areas you operate in. As a result, you’ll always have tailored staffing solutions and the right number of workers for each event venue you serve.
What other event staffing services do you provide?
An agency staffing for events is your partner through every step of the hiring process, offering a variety of services to reduce the burden of administrative tasks. This includes payroll processing, tax reporting and various other pre-employment duties.
Your event staffing agency or hospitality staffing agency can also manage the complex tasks of ensuring compliance and proper worker classification. Their team will verify that each worker is suitable for your company, reducing the risks that come with hiring event workers or workers for any other industry. With these tasks taken off your plate, you can focus on putting on an unforgettable event.
Can you help us create an event hiring plan for our company?
At times, you’ll need workers for a weekend event; in other cases, you’ll need workers for an entire season. A staffing agency that specializes in event staffing can help you develop a hiring plan to meet both your short- and long-term goals.
How do these event staffing plans work? The staffing agency’s experienced team has worked in the event industry for many years and can build a strategy based on your schedule and services, among other factors. In the end, you can feel confident that there’s a solid plan in place for all your upcoming events.
Need help hiring event workers? PeopleReady has you covered
Whether you’re looking to fill arena jobs, stadium jobs or other special event jobs, PeopleReady has event staffing solutions available now. Our teams help companies hire hospitality workers or event workers in hundreds of locations across the U.S., from concert halls to sports stadiums to hotels and resorts.
With our dedicated staffing experts and our JobStack app providing full support, you’ll benefit from a smooth recruiting and hiring process. We deliver qualified candidates for event staffing and hospitality staffing needs, whether you need to fill front of house or back of house roles. For example:
- Bartenders
- Banquet servers
- Concession workers
- Facilities services workers
- Parking attendants and ushers
- Prep cooks and line cooks
- And more!
