CREWING
OCTOBER | SECTOR FOCUS
REACHING THE
RECRUITMENT PINNACLE?
Heath Freeman, director,
Pinnacle crew, says recruiting in
the crewing industry is rife with
challenges, and Brexit could
worsen the situation
People who come to work in
crewing often come from two
different routes. Many of our
English recruits see the job as
a stepping stone to get further
into the events industry. Perhaps
for a career in sound, lighting
or production. And, it is a good
route to that end, providing
quick experience during which
you can put your head down and
work hard and also network.
Many of our non-English staff
see the job as a quick way to
earn good money in a relatively
short period of time. They enjoy
the flexibility it provides, and
the chance to see some exciting
events up close.
Brexit will without a doubt
impact on our sector heavily.
We’ve already seen big drop offs
in the numbers of Europeans
applying for work. I quizzed a
variety of people from countries
including Romania, Portugal,
Italy, and asked if they can tell
friends to come over? They
say they’re going to Germany
and Italy now. It’s more easily
accessible, the work is good, the
currency strong.
I think we’ll find there’s a lot
more choice for Europeans, who
are certainly thinking twice.
South African employees have
dried up completely as they can’t
get a working visa anymore. We
have a totally open policy if the
person is physically fit, and of
the right temperament, and can
converse effectively in English.
It’s been an exceptionally busy
summer for crewing however,
and recruitment is an area that
has been squeezed due to lack
of supply. To compound this
fact, we’ve also seen lead times
getting shorter and shorter,
wh ich often causes panic.
Nowadays, we often recruit
Crewing, in 2018, is facing staff shortages, and
Brexit is only likely to make things worse
twice a week due to the demand,
and a lot of that is down to
a smaller labour pool or one
that’s diluted by more crewing
companies.
In the crewing industry it is
about personality traits, and we
attract lot of technical people
historically, from Italy and Spain
and Portugal, Romania etc, and
get a lot of sound, aspiring sound
technicians, who have studied
event management.
We get a lot of people who are
technically astute but often they
have a lot of other commitments,
so if they get a gig as a DJ, they
go for that. We can train them up
to work effectively in corporate
events, and our staff often have a
lot of experience.
If you’re friendly, happy, and
have a can do attitude that’s
important, but also going above
and beyond is welcomed by
clients. They want people who
ask what needs doing.
This is a job where people are
often expected to put lives on
hold, and work unsociable hours,
and work at different venues. It
takes a certain type of person
to be a crew member, but the
romantic idea of events industry
is enduring.
HOW TO MAKE IT IN EVENTS
Gallowglass run down six key
qualities important for in event
staff
1. Interpersonal skills
Whatever your role in events,
the likelihood is that you
will be working as part of a
team to ensure an event runs
smoothly and successfully. So,
developing good interpersonal
skills is vital as this will not
only enable you to work well
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