Feature
Recruit, retain,
support
At the AEV Conference at Manchester Central, a panel of event
profs discussed the ongoing challenge of managing talent and
supporting employees – EN caught up with them to learn more
R
ecruitment and retention is a
much discussed topic in the
exhibition industry. Finding talented
professionals is an ongoing challenge
for a sector growing as rapidly as ours,
and many companies are having to
tackle issues around their evolving
company culture.
Flexible and remote working might
seem like distant dreams to some in the
events industry, which clearly has its
own set of unique working conditions,
but we can do more to make sure our
employees feel supported, autonomous
and challenged in their roles.
At the AEV Conference, a panel
comprised of Raj Pragji, HR director
at the QEII Centre, Cheryl Busby,
HR director at Clarion Events, Clare
Lawrence, business manager at
Hays Marketing and Vicki Cockman,
workplace lead for Mental Health First
Aid England, discussed what more can
be done to attract, retain and care for
our employees. EN sat down with them
to learn more.
First up was how to recruitment the
very best talent into our diverse and
ever-changing industry.
“I believe that apprenticeship
or internships schemes can help
organisations grow and nurture talent
at grassroots levels,” Pragji told EN.
“I have an open mind about degree
qualifications. I think a balance of
theory and practical experience is
important, however I would not
rule out a candidate who has solid
experience but no degree over someone
who is qualified to the hilt but with
little experience.”
24 —August
The next topic up for debate was
retaining talent, something that can be
increasingly difficult when competitor
companies are willing to pay top dollar
for the right candidate.
“We know from our research that
marketing professionals are ambitious
and driven to reach the top jobs, valuing
recognition of their achievements along
the way,” said Lawrence. “Clear career
plans and a workplace culture best
suited to maximise this potential are a
must. By investing in your people, they
feel valued and this increases loyalty.”
Pagji added: “There is data and
evidence supporting the high levels of
stress that staff in our industry face,
so it is important that organisations
place wellbeing at the heart of their HR
strategies and processes.”
Finally, the panel discussed how an
organisation can care for its employees,
with many companies increasingly
going down the route of establishing
clear wellbeing practices and many
investing in training staff to be mental
health first aiders.
Lawrence commented: “Employers
need to take more responsibility when
it comes to the mental health of their
employees, and this should start as
early as the interview process. We
would recommend emphasising your
commitment to creating an inclusive
culture during your first point of
contact with a candidate, and ensuring
you deliver on it once they are an
employee helps ensure your workforce
feel valued, supported and able to be
honest about how they are feeling.
“From the offset you should make
Clare Lawrence
it clear that any mental health issue
they wish to discuss will be treated
with respect and understanding, not
intolerance. Implementing this culture
change may be something of a lengthy
process, but as openness about the
subject becomes more commonplace
staff will find it easier to be honest
about their mental health, meaning that
problems can be identified, and help
sought much more quickly.”