Mike Dennis , head of production at Wonder , talks all things junior talent in events

ur business , like many others , has entered into a post-pandemic recruitment drive , but unlike other industries , as a B2B experience agency , we are noticing that the hardest roles to fill are junior-level positions .

The B2B background In the B2B events world , conferences , exhibitions and large trade shows took longer to return than consumer-facing activations , festivals and cultural events . Fewer events meant fewer roles available , with on-site roles often filled by senior people who both needed the work and could deliver with minimal supervision .

Transferable skills : helping to bridge the experience gap The pandemic wasn ’ t easy , but businesses should be looking for people who are open about what they did or didn ’ t do during this time .

I interviewed someone who spent six months behind a bar , another person who delivered the post , and a third candidate who worked on a building site . All of these examples exemplify physically demanding

“ The pandemic wasn ’ t easy , but businesses should be looking for people who are open about what they did or didn ’ t do during this time .”

Mike Dennis

roles that require you to be on your feet , talking to people , and moving around . These are transferable skills . But even more important is seeing that these individuals didn ’ t shy away from talking about what they had been doing .

WFH vs WFO : focusing on quality time and real value I am going to be controversial and say that for junior roles , I ’ m asking people to commit to being in the office as much as they are able . It ’ s interesting to note that this is really

matching what these candidates want . There are times when we work from home , but being in the office comes with its own set of benefits . Fundamentally , we have senior talent from whom I want to see juniors absorb knowledge . I want them to hear important conversations , to be around the right people and to be able to ask questions and show their personality .

As a junior at Wonder , I worked 52 events in my first year , so when I ’ m planning for anyone ’ s career progression , I have to take into consideration what I feel benefitted me the most .

Additionally , the benefits of being on-site are clear . Less experienced team members can shadow more senior staff , be flexibly available in a less rigorously predefined capacity , or be put on tasks where they can learn as they go . Even though this can be intimidating , it ’ s vital for people ’ s development to let them independently problem-solve , whilst making sure they ’ re supported and not overwhelmed .

The bottom line As the pandemic hangover extends into 2023 , the challenges for those recruiting new talent will continue to evolve . The key , for me , lies in recognising the symbiotic relationship between employer , employee and the work itself , and understanding what each of these has to learn and gain from the other . CN