What do event staffing and recruitment agencies do? Well, aside from the obvious in finding freelancers for projects, the role of a staffing agency is to add value to the entire recruitment process. According to JAM Event Services’ Managing Director James Mistry, this is something the staffing arm of his company, JAM People, does in a variety of ways. “The whole process is based around collaboration between a staffing agency, event freelancer and the end client. It’s about all three parties working together towards the end goal of a solid project delivery,” he began. “As far as we’re concerned, it’s delicate balance between fighting for the freelancer and standing up for the client, and we must make sure that we walk the tightrope and are fair on both sides.”
One of the first tasks for any agency should be to examine the company culture of its client to better match them with freelancers that will thrive in the organisation.
“There are hundreds of things we look at to understand a company culture – how do they work? What type of people thrive at their company? What kind of jobs do they do? What is their management team like? How often do they use freelancers?” Mistry posed, adding that while JAM People has the pleasure of working with some of the top event agencies and clients across the GCC, that’s doesn’t necessarily mean that every freelancer the company represents will be a fit for every client.
“If you don’t understand and analyse that company culture and ensure that it is a good match for the freelancer, it can lead to problems such as clashes in personality and disagreements about how to approach projects,” he stated. “We want to give freelancers a platform to show off their skillset and flourish within their job role, and a big part of that is ensuring that they’re a good match with the company they’re walking into.”
As part of that due diligence, if the JAM People team identify issues with a potential client that would lead to a difficult working situation for the freelancers they represent, Mistry is unequivocal in his response. “Part of our duty towards the freelancers we represent is that if a company culture isn’t on a par with our expectations, we would rather not to put anyone forward for a role,” he commented. “We’re duty-bound to ensure a safe working environment, and that due diligence needs to happen on both sides. Freelancers put their faith in JAM that we’re checking out the clients as much as the clients are putting their faith in the fact that we are verifying our freelancers. It goes both ways.”
According to JAM People’s Staffing Operations Director, Nadine Hugo, finding the right work-life balance for freelancers is a crucial part of the company’s role. “If we encounter any issues during a job such as the freelancer being overworked, it is up to us to raise that with the client,” she explained. “It’s very important to ensure that what was discussed beforehand is being adhered to and that the freelancer is being treated appropriately on site.”
Again, this cuts both ways, and if a client isn’t happy with the freelancer, it also falls on the JAM People team to step in and help resolve the issue quickly. “We will be the mediator and try to support the two parties to come to an agreement where possible. However, if the issue is impossible to resolve, we must also be ready to find a back-up to ensure that the project is not disrupted in any way,” he stated, adding that in this case, there would be a thorough debrief with the freelancer to reflect on what happened and measures would be put in place to find a position that works better for them in the future. “This process is aided by clear communication and transparent expectations, and it requires the buy-in of all parties.”
Describing the company as “the business development arm for the freelancer”, Hugo explained how it is JAM People’s duty to seek out new opportunities for the talent it represents. “Freelancers place trust in us that we can give them access to new opportunities, so it’s imperative that our team are constantly meeting new clients and sourcing new and exciting opportunities for the freelancers we represent,” she said. “At the same time, clients such as government entities, production houses and event organisers are investing large amounts of time and money in their projects, and they need to be able to trust staffing agencies to connect them with the best talent who can help make their project a success.”
Of course, the best talent comes at a cost and another part of a staffing agency’s role is establishing the correct renumeration for both parties. “Once we’re briefed by an end client, we evaluate on behalf of the freelancers whether the budget matches the expectations and deliverables,” Mistry explained. “If not, it’s up to us to go back to the client and try to negotiate on behalf of the freelancer.”
At the same time, if the JAM People team perceive that a freelancer is demanding too much for their level of experience, it’s also their duty to advise them on a more realistic rate. “When Expo 2020 came to Dubai, we suddenly had numerous people here in elevated roles that in some cases they were operating in for the first time. It’s natural for people to play up their CVs, but part of our responsibility is to ensure that freelancers aren’t over-promising or exaggerating on their experience too much,” Mistry explained. “Similarly, some freelancers undervalue their experience and are asking for what we believe to be too low a rate. In this case we will advise them to increase to a rate that better matches their experience and skillset.”
Mistry concluded by offering advice to both freelancers and clients looking to thrive in the notoriously last-minute environment of the Middle East events market. “There are certain pressures in this market that are unlikely to change – every job is fast-moving and fluid, which can make everyone’s job more difficult at times,” he stated. “Flexibility, honesty and good communication is required on both sides to make the relationship work.”
Photos: JAM People
