It would be nice to have a full time team of your own, but most event people aren't in a position to keep a long list of workers on the payroll. Instead, we're forced to employ people who don't work for just you.
They may work for another caterer, event planner or for someone in a totally different industry. But regardless of where they spend the rest of their week, your team members have a lot on their minds.
They have to:
Whatever the case, your team is made up of people who don't report to just you. And if you're going to get the best out of them, they need to know exactly what you need and expect.
Great communication is critical for effective temporary staff management. Here are three simple keys to make sure you're doing it right.
Verbal communication is a key element in getting what you want out of your temporary staff.
Visual learners understand expectations that they can clearly see. Auditory learners understand instructions that are given orally. Just as there are strengths and weaknesses in learning styles, so too are their strengths and weaknesses in a person's ability to communicate.
Some business owners are able to convey their wishes clearly in a face-to-face conversation. Others rely on visual reminders, such as bullet points and lists, to clearly express themselves to their staff members.
Having a face to face discussion with temporary staff members can not only help you to understand the quality of work that a specific member will be able to provide, but can also help them to understand that you are depending on them to follow through and work hard for your company.
Communicating clear expectations in writing is easier now than it was a decade ago. As we now rely on computer technology more and more for a convenient avenue of communication, the phrase "in writing" has become a term that we often use without a second thought.
Rarely does one sit down with a pen and paper to write out by hand their requirements for a job description or special event, but typing a few lines of instruction into a properly formatted email is both an appropriate and effective way of ensuring your temporary staff members are well informed.
To get the best results from your temporary staff members, it's important to view them as valuable members of your team instead than temporary helpers that come and go. It’s tempting to put less time and effort into temporary staff management, but that approach will never produce the results you want.
Everyone wants to feel wanted and valued and that they are a meaningful contributor to the team. As a result, communicating your expectations goes beyond cold conversations and impersonal emails. If you want your message to stick and your expectations to be met, then become a leader who invests in your people, and not just a manager who directs them.
Becoming an effective leader and communicator comes naturally to some, and is a skill that others must constantly develop. However, the effort you put in will reap huge dividends and can go a long way toward the success of your business.
