The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the events landscape, forcing many business owners to close their doors, drastically reduce their workforce, and/or switch the focus to virtual and hybrid event formats – requiring a different skill set from employees. Whether you’re one of the lucky companies that has work coming in or you’re future proofing your business for the copious number of outstanding bids and pitches (sound familiar?) – engaging freelance and contract workers through an expert recruitment partner could be the answer for skills or staff shortages.

The last global economic downturn was the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Staffing data captured in the US during the recovery period showed a new workforce trend. While employers initially picked up temporary workers to bridge gaps created by layoffs, they did not revert to hiring similar numbers of permanent employees as expected. A study by CareerBuilder showed an annual growth rate of 6-7% in contract and temporary workers up to 7 years after the slump.

During the covid chaos in 2020 we had a glut of extremely experienced event professionals looking to take on any roles they could get, many open to freelance and contract work for the first time. Event employers could basically take their pick- except that not many had jobs or projects for them to work on.

Since the dust has settled and events have started up again, the workforce has further evolved and 2021 is now presenting us with a complex candidate driven market.

On the one hand we have many skilled event producers and technicians who have reassessed their lifestyle and are opting to freelance to obtain a better work/life balance rather than resume full-time employment. However there has also been a huge number of experienced event professionals who have transferred their skills to different industries leaving a shortage of skilled talent in the events industry. That, combined with event employer’s preferences to take on staff on a short-term/project basis rather than commit to permanent employees, has led to the demand for freelancers outweighing the diminishing supply.

THE MONDAY GROUP has seen this increased demand for skilled contract workers in the Events Industry firsthand. A large portion of our clients’ business is pitch and project work- often with short leads, tight turnarounds and stiff competition.

“The Covid 19 crisis has our clients operating with a bare-bones staff, limiting their ability to respond to opportunities quickly. Many clients also have multiple pending bids out and depending on the outcome of these, may need to start work on projects with little time to prepare or organise resources. We have had many clients reaching out to us as they are finding their own traditional freelance network unavailable.” 

Jonathan Lamm, Managing Director

Foreseeing this situation, THE MONDAY GROUP has ramped up our Temp and Contract offering in addition to our executive search and permanent placement recruitment services. With hundreds of talented and qualified candidates registered in our database, here are 5 reasons to choose THE MONDAY GROUP for your short-term staffing needs:

1. Top Talent

THE MONDAY GROUP is constantly mapping the top talent in the Events industry. However, we have now also been uncovering returning event talent from international shores – that are unknown in local market. We offer you immediate access to the best of the best, with hundreds of qualified and experienced temps and freelancers in our database.

2. Save Time

Save valuable time by having an expert efficiently running your recruitment campaigns in the background, to deliver quality hires fast, freeing up you and your team to focus on bringing in revenue and delivering high-quality work to your clients.

3. Save Money

Hiring staff has many hidden costs including countless lost man-hours associated with you managing job advertising, reviewing applicants, interviewing, reference checking and contracting new hires. Using an expert recruitment agency means they have the talent you want on tap, hassle free.

4. Reduce Stress and Staff Turnover

Overworked and under-resourced teams are at high risk of stress, low morale and burnout leading to increased staff turnover and reduced productivity. Outsourcing your temporary employees means you can rest easy at night, knowing your business is fully resourced and all the necessary payroll and legislative requirements are off your books.

5. Flex your Workforce

Engaging an expert recruitment partner allows you to quickly hire skilled professionals to cover peak periods without committing to a full-time hire. If a key employee suddenly moves on from your business or takes extended leave, hiring a temp can help to bridge the skills gap and ensure deadlines are met.

Should you wish to hire one of our freelancers or contractors on a permanent basis it is an easy process for us to facilitate that transition.

THE MONDAY GROUP is a boutique recruitment agency specialising in the Events, Experiential Marketing, Hotel & Hospitality industries. We offer permanent, temporary and contract recruitment solutions, as well as executive search services.

Call THE MONDAY GROUP on 1300 358 072 to make an enquiry or set up a free consultation to discuss your hiring needs.