1 minute read
Moving onto bigger, better and more exciting activities
BY ERIN JOHNSTON,
HRIA, EVENTS DIVISION PRESIDENT
The last quarter of 2021 sees many of the states that were experiencing lock downs start to open up.
New life is breathing into retail, hospitality and EVENTS! I know I am speaking on behalf of our events members when I say this is an exciting time for us all.
Along with the excitement, I am sure you are all experiencing a level of apprehension as to what the future holds in the new COVID normal world. Will we go into more snap lockdowns and have to deal with more postponements and cancellations? Will it ease on slowly or will we be hit like a freight train with work? Will we be able to meet the demand? And my biggest one- will we be able to get good staff?
Recruitment of key people and labour will continue to be the biggest hurdle for our industry in the coming 6-12 months. There is a real shortage of people resources out there in the world and I feel all industries will struggle with this.
The recruitment market will be so competitive as we all vie to attract and retain staff. The newly reformed events committee has identified this as a real issues facing our industry and is currently working on some recruitment strategies and extra support for our members in how to attract and retain good people. Offering our team members something intangible that connects with them will be the key to attraction and retention.
Where you can go local to sporting clubs, universities and schools to attract candidates. Make sure you are offering upskilling opportunities and a career pathway for candidates that are looking for a career, not just a job.
Bunker down for the next 6–12 months and don’t fall into the trap of taking on more than you and your team can physically handle, burnout is a real risk and we can never make up for what we have lost in the last 12–18 months so we just need to focus on the future.
