Temporary crew doesn’t mean lowering the bar

Temporary crew doesn’t mean a lower bar. It means saying the bar clearly.

Hi y’all,

Back in June we ran a warehouse tour in Dallas-Fort Worth, hosted by local owner/operators. The last stretch was an open Q&A, and somebody asked the question every event company has dealt with: what do you do when the weekend’s work is bigger than your crew?

Beyond the seasonal swings, there are the random weekends when three jobs land at once, someone calls out, or you need more hands than you can justify on payroll year-round.

Watch Cam and Liz on how they fill those gaps, here:

Be specific about who you need. Cam Petty of Render Collective tried Bacon and Qwick and landed on Instawork, because she can get that detailed in the request: must lift 50 pounds, English required, black shirt and shorts, tennis shoes, no graphic tees. And she means it. Someone showed up in a graphic tee anyway, and Cam sent him home. Get that specific, and hold temporary crew to it once they’re onsite.

Get your crew leads ready, too. Five extra people doesn’t mean five people worth of productivity. They don’t know the SOPs your crew runs on or where anything goes, and they won’t move like someone who’s been with you two years. Your leads need to be ready with specific assignments, quick answers, and fast feedback. Otherwise, as Liz Curlin of Party! Dallas Rentals put it, twenty people without a strong leader end up being just as much of a waste as not having them there.

Don’t get skimpy with the headcount. Liz books more workers than she needs, because the number you request and the number who walk in are rarely the same. Someone won’t claim the shift. Someone will no-show. And if someone turns up with a bad attitude or won’t take direction, you need the cushion to send them home.

Tell people exactly what you need. Give them enough direction to be successful. Give yourself some cushion in the headcount. And don’t expect someone working their first shift with you to magically know what your longtime crew already does.

See you next Monday,

Mallory Mullen

Goodshuffle