Andrew Harrison, director of the Events Supplier and Services Association (ESSA), argues that attracting and retaining talent are two different issues that should be tackled separately, but
both require immediate action and collaboration at an industry level to solve...
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock this past year, you will be aware that the events
industry has a problem with talent.
We’re by no means alone – it seems no industry sector
has escaped the talent crunch – but the events industry was hit particularly hard by the
pandemic, compounding the skills shortage we were already experiencing pre-Covid.
With suppliers stretched to the absolute limit these past few months, the importance of
attracting and retaining talent has never been more important than it is now, and it’s high
on our agenda at ESSA.
It’s important to draw distinct lines between the two elements of attracting versus
retaining - they are two different beasts. I often think they get in the way of each other
and should be tackled separately.
Ultimately, we have a very basic equation we need to understand. Attract fewer people to
our industry than we retain over a sustained period, and we’re screwed.
So, what’s the
solution, and where does the biggest problem lie? I personally believe one issue is bigger
than the other, because it requires more time, energy and effort to solve.
The issue of attraction
Our industry is not an industry that young
children dream about working in. They aspire to roles like doctors,
nurses, police workers, hairdressers, sports professionals or retail workers. But even if we
could hope for kids, teenagers or young people to visualise joining as
an organiser, supplier, venue operative, where would they start?
To attract talent to our industry, we must first address the issue of the lack of formal
education and training before educational institutions take us seriously and even begin the
journey of putting our industry on the radar of young people.
I used to think this issue
couldn’t be fixed, but I do now.
It will require a very coordinated and selfless effort by the whole industry to want to turn
the ship around. A national approach that appreciates all elements and opportunities within
the industry and not just one stakeholder group or business trying to fix the problem for
themselves.
As part of the Events Industry Alliance (ESSA, AEO,
AEV), we recently launched our government manifesto with skills and training one of five
key areas. We are contributing to UK Events' work on developing
industry wide formal education and training to improve the pathways into our industry. On top of that, ESSA recently developed its first formal training and we opened our doors to
students for the first time with a free membership option – the aim being to supplement
their learning and help cement their desire to enter this exciting industry.
The lesser of two evils
Regarding retention, I believe this is the lesser of the two problems but the one
we live with daily and that stares us square in the face. It’s also the quicker solution to how
we keep going. Attraction will take years, decades even. Retention, we could start to make
fundamental and positive changes tomorrow.
So how do we meet this challenge of retention? It’s not rocket science – we need to invest
in our employees, prioritise welfare, compensate fairly, implement internal reward and
recognition programmes, provide growth opportunities for employees, practise efficient
and open communication, prioritise professional development, and offer flexibility around
working schedules and location.
The latter is arguably most important, but not always easy in our industry due to when
events are built, timings of certain events and where you must work.
I too often
hear people say things like, ‘this is the job, and you should be grateful’ or ‘you either get it
and stay, or you don’t and you leave’.
Maybe they should. But I also know that you are pushing water uphill if you think you’ll win
the battle of generational shift. The past two years has seen what previously would have
taken years with regards to a shift in how people view the
workplace and what they want from work. We can’t afford to have that ultimatum attitude
anymore and need to recognise that a good work-life balance is vital to attracting and
retaining the next generation of talent.
A recent study published by Gallup - State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report - looked
into workplace attitudes and engagement and concentrated on trying to define where the
missing workforce had gone, or were going, and what they wanted. The pandemic made
people prioritise meaningfulness, wellbeing and engagement over anything
else both personally and professionally. We can debate what meaningful means to us as
individuals until the cows come home.
However, the study also identified that in the UK, only 9 per cent of employees are currently
engaged on a level with their current employment that creates ‘stickiness’ through loyalty
or by gaining meaning from their work. That means 91 of the UK workforce is unsure about their
current commitment regarding who they work for and where they work.
The report also
highlights the gap between the reality of employees and the perception of industry leaders.
You’ve guessed it, it’s a chasm.
If we look inside our businesses, is this the reality? These stats depict an average across
many sectors and businesses, but is this the size of the problem we face?
Time to buckle up
So, what comes first attraction or retention? I often chase my tail on this
topic because it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation. The answer is actually both, but one
requires you to buckle in for the long haul.
From the top down, in the very governance of our industry, we need a strategy on how we
reduce the levels at which people leave versus how many we bring in. It starts with selfless
action to develop pathways for people to enter our industry. It requires buy-in without the
need for immediate reward.
Ending on a positive note, I believe 2022 has seen the most significant steps in our industry
in a coordinated movement towards creating a platform for us to succeed in the long
term. But as I said, buckle up. You must be in this for the long haul. No poster campaign or
catchy headlines needed.
