Hiring the Right People

Introduction

Hiring in event planning is not simply about finding someone who can help on event day. You are building a team that must stay calm under pressure, follow details, communicate clearly, and protect the client experience. A weak hire can cause late vendor arrivals, missing rentals, poor guest service, and unhappy clients. A strong hire can make an event feel smooth even when problems happen behind the scenes.

The Talent Funnel treats hiring like a client booking process. You attract a wide group, test for the skills and attitude the role requires, train the people you select, and remove poor fits before they affect live events. This approach saves the owner time and creates a dependable event team.

Concept

The Talent Funnel has three main parts: Hiring, Training, and the Repellent Job Ad. Each part helps you attract, prepare, and keep people who can perform in the real conditions of event work.

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Hiring

Hiring starts with defining what success looks like at the venue, not just listing general duties. A banquet captain, event assistant, setup crew member, or event coordinator needs clear standards. Those standards may include arriving 30 minutes early, wearing the required uniform, checking a room setup against a floor plan, speaking respectfully to vendors, and reporting problems before the client sees them.

Write the job description around the actual work. Explain that event days may involve early mornings, late breakdowns, lifting boxes, standing for long periods, changing plans, and working weekends. State whether the person will be an employee, contractor, or on-call team member. Also explain how shifts are assigned and how quickly they must confirm availability.

Real-World Example: An event planner needs a part-time event assistant for weddings and corporate receptions. Instead of posting “help with events,” the planner explains that the assistant will unload décor, place 120 ceremony chairs from a floor plan, coordinate with the caterer, solve small guest issues, and stay through breakdown. Candidates who dislike physical work or last-minute changes will usually remove themselves before the interview.

Use a structured interview rather than choosing the person who is most charming. Ask every candidate the same questions and score answers against the role. Good questions include: “Tell me about a time a plan changed at the last minute,” “How would you handle a vendor who is late?” and “What would you check before opening a reception room?” Check references when the role involves client contact, cash handling, transportation, or vendor coordination.

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Training

Once you choose someone, training must prepare them for the pace and detail of event work. Do not assume that a friendly person automatically knows how to read a run-of-show, handle a seating change, or protect a client’s privacy.

Create a short onboarding path. Start with the company’s service standards, communication rules, dress code, safety expectations, and escalation process. Then train the person on the tools they will use, such as the event brief, floor plan, task board, vendor contact sheet, shared drive, and group text policy. Have them shadow a strong team member before giving them a full assignment.

Training should include a practical test. Ask a new assistant to review a sample event brief, identify missing setup details, build a load-in checklist, or role-play a guest complaint. Observe whether they ask useful questions and follow through without constant reminders.

Real-World Example: A new event coordinator shadows two corporate conferences. During training, they practice confirming AV needs, checking signage placement, documenting room changes, and sending a clean post-event recap. The owner can see their judgment before trusting them with a client-facing event.

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The Repellent Job Ad

A Repellent Job Ad is written to discourage people who are not suited to the work. This is useful in event planning because many applicants like the idea of “fun events” but do not understand the early call times, physical setup, strict deadlines, or emotional pressure.

Describe the hard parts plainly. Include the expected schedule, physical demands, pay structure, required software or driving, and the standard for communication. Add one small instruction that tests attention to detail, such as asking applicants to put “Calm Under Pressure” in the subject line and answer a short event scenario. This is not meant to trick good candidates. It helps you see who reads carefully and follows directions.

Real-World Example: A job ad for a wedding-day assistant says, “You may arrive at 6:00 a.m., move décor bins, work outside in changing weather, and stay until the final rental pickup. In your reply, include your weekend availability and describe the first three things you would check after arriving at the venue.” Applicants who skip the instructions are unlikely to follow a detailed run-of-show.

Conclusion

The Talent Funnel helps an event planning company hire for real event conditions instead of hiring from a résumé or a rushed conversation. Set clear standards, use a job ad that filters for attention and availability, test practical judgment, and train new people through shadowing and hands-on work. When the process is consistent, the owner builds a team that can protect timelines, vendors, guests, and client trust without needing constant rescue.