How to Handle Seasonal Hiring Surges in Event Staffing

Just when you think you’ve got your team in place, a seasonal hiring surge hits, and suddenly, you’re scrambling to fill shifts. Sound familiar? Well, You’re not alone. When demand spikes, finding reliable event staff can feel almost impossible. More often than not, your job postings go unanswered, last-minute cancellations happen, and your team is stretched too thin. The stress is real, but the right strategies can make all the difference!

In today’s guide, we provide practical, actionable strategies for how you can recruit, onboard, and retain top event staff, ensuring every event runs smoothly, even during peak demand.

How to Handle Seasonal Hiring Surges in Event Staffing

Whether you're gearing up for a hiring rush or already struggling to fill positions, you’ll surely get an idea of how to handle seasonal hiring surges or, if not, improve your current strategies in this post. 

Keep reading to learn more!

1. Start Recruitment Early and Plan Strategically 

Hiring surges can be unpredictable, making early planning seem impossible. But starting early doesn’t mean predicting the rush months in advance; it can also mean acting the moment demand starts rising. The sooner you begin, the more time you have to secure top talent before they’re booked elsewhere. 

In addition to starting recruitment as early as possible. Make sure to write and post clear job descriptions. Avoid vague listings and be specific about work-related details, including qualifications, necessary certifications, work hours, dress codes, payment terms, specific responsibilities, and so on. 

To attract more candidates, post your job openings on multiple platforms. Use event staffing job boards like Indeed and tap into Facebook gig worker groups to reach a wider audience. The more visibility your job gets, the faster you’ll find the right candidates. However, casting a wide net also means more applications to sort through. To avoid wasting time on unqualified candidates, be as specific as possible, as discussed above.

2. Tap Into Your Talent Pool

A talent pool is a collection of reliable staff you worked with before and contains their information such as their names, contact details like phone numbers and emails, past experiences, and availability.

Let’s assume you already have a talent pool established from your previous event gigs. Before jumping into hiring new staff, take a moment to check your talent pool and select any qualified staff from your past team. Send them job invites and provide them with specific details about the job. To make your job offer more attractive, consider offering a rehiring bonus. 

Having your former employees join your event team makes the seasonal hiring surges more manageable. They are already experienced at event work and can begin working in their positions with minimal training time and investment. It, therefore, saves you precious time and money and enables you to have a better, longer-lasting work relationship with them.

3. Don’t be Scared to Hire Newbies 

Along with experienced professionals, you may also want to look into hiring newbies, especially when you need to fill positions fast. In case you missed it, approximately two-thirds of the individuals who started jobs after the pandemic were newbies to the events industry. 

Newbie event talents don’t just fill roles; they can offer invaluable contributions that enhance your event. For one, they bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that can help set your event apart and make it more memorable. Their enthusiasm to learn and take on diverse tasks makes them not only versatile but also quick to adapt to different responsibilities.

4. Seek Help From Staffing Agencies 

Partnering with staffing agencies during seasonal hiring surges comes with an added cost, but they can be a dependable ally if you are really short on time. These agencies have already taken care of the initial parts of the recruitment process, offering pre-vetted candidates that save you significant time and effort. But how can you start working with a staffing agency? Let’s break it down.

First, select an event-specific agency, which can offer staff that are experienced in event work. Because you are doing events, you require workers who know the industry and can learn fast. Second, negotiate bulk hiring rates, particularly if you require 10 or more workers. Third, request proof of experience. Some agencies might send less experienced workers. Ensure they're qualified for the job. Lastly, ask for a contingency plan. Even the best team can experience last-minute no-shows. Make sure the agency has the ability to provide substitute workers without disrupting your event.

5. Ask for Recommendations From Staff and Connections

Need reliable staff but short on time for extensive screenings, interviews, and background checks? Your existing staff and connections may be the key to finding the right people quickly and effectively. As a report notes, “referrals boost the odds of a successful job match by 2.6% to 6.6%”. Recommendations from staff and connections are already pre-vetted, making them a great shortcut to finding trustworthy candidates.

Make it easy for your current staff to refer people. Provide a simple Google Form or a message template they can forward to their network. This reduces the effort involved and encourages more referrals. To encourage them to refer more people, consider incentivizing high-quality referrals. 

Don’t limit your search to just your internal team. Look for professional recommendations by posting hiring calls in event planner networks such as LinkedIn, Slack groups, and industry forums. You can also offer small referral bonuses to boost engagement.

Apart from your team and professional networks, do not ignore vendors, security teams, and suppliers. They are likely to have close connections with different event staff and could offer good referrals based on their direct experiences.

6. Fast-Track Screening and Training

Fast hiring doesn’t mean cutting corners on essential steps like screening and training. These two steps are vital to ensure that you’re selecting candidates who are the best fit for the job. 

Start by pre-screening applications with a simple form. Use online forms to gather key details such as name, contact info, work experience, certifications, and availability. This will help you quickly sort through applicants without feeling overwhelmed.

Next, conduct short 5 to 10-minute video interviews. These are much more efficient than in-person interviews and give you a chance to assess whether the candidates are a good fit. Ask questions like: "Have you worked at live events before?", "How do you handle high-pressure situations?" and "Can you commit to all assigned shifts?" Keep the interview brief but focused. This way, you can quickly get a sense of their experience and reliability without wasting anyone’s time.

Following the initial screening, conduct a brief virtual training session. You can send out a pre-event video or have a virtual meeting. Keep it to the basics, including the event schedule, layout, primary responsibilities for each role, and how to address typical guest issues. 

7. Onboard Fast but Effectively 

A smooth onboarding process can be a real game changer in getting the ball rolling with event staffing. It eliminates confusion, prevents no-shows, and reduces first-day errors. 

To onboard fast but effectively, send an outline of event details to your staff prior to the event. This should include details such as: 

• Shift schedule
• Meeting location 
• Check-in instructions
• Dress code 
• Necessary equipment
• Emergency contact
• Supervisor information

After that, make a backup list. Always keep additional staff members on standby to replace last-minute dropouts. It's an easy precaution that can save you from panicking. Finally, do a final check-in 24 hours ahead of the event.

8. Retain Top Seasonal Staff for Future Events

Good seasonal employees can become long-term hires if you make them feel engaged and valued. After the event, make sure to send a personal thank-you message whether via text or email. "Thank you for your hard work" works wonders in demonstrating appreciation.

If your budget is flexible, give feedback and bonuses to your best performers. Rewarding your best workers not only encourages them but also creates loyalty. A little bonus or first in line for future event booking are excellent methods of keeping your best workers champing at the bit to come back.

To make sure you can reach your top staff more easily and quickly, keep your database updated. Rate their reliability, skills, and overall performance. This will make future hiring decisions easier and ensure you’re always choosing the best fit for your events.

Finally, follow up for the next gig. About a week before your next event, reach out to your past staff before looking for new hires. This keeps them in the loop and shows them they’re a priority.

Handle Seasonal Hiring Surges Like a Pro With StaffConnect

When hiring surges hit, the pressure can feel overwhelming. But with StaffConnect, you don’t have to navigate it alone!

StaffConnect is an innovative platform that makes recruitment effortless. With features like live chat, a centralized communication hub, and automatic reminders, your team stays organized and empowered to make informed hiring decisions quickly. The centralized database for candidate files makes reviewing applications smoother and more efficient, saving you valuable time.

But StaffConnect doesn’t just stop at recruitment. It offers essential tools for staff management, including GPS check-in/check-out, event scheduling, payroll processing, and much more. Book your free demo today to learn more!