Hiring the Right People

Introduction

In event planning, hiring isn’t just about finding someone who “can do the job.” You’re building a team that can handle fast timelines, last-minute changes, high-stakes client feelings, and tight vendor coordination. One bad hire can turn into missed deadlines, blown budgets, and stressed clients who blame you—even when it’s your team’s fault.

The “Talent Funnel” treats hiring like a marketing funnel: your goal is to attract the right people, filter out the wrong ones early, then train and retain the ones who will perform under event pressure.

Concept

The Talent Funnel has three parts:
1) Hiring (get the right applicants)
2) Training (make sure they can perform the work)
3) The Repellent Job Ad (discourage candidates who won’t fit your standard)

Let’s translate this directly to event planning.

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Hiring

Hiring is the first stage. In event planning, the “role” is rarely a simple checklist. A candidate must handle operational details, client communication, and vendor coordination—often at the same time.

A strong Hiring stage starts with a job ad that is specific about what the work really feels like:
- Volume: “You’ll manage 8–15 vendor calls per week during busy seasons.”
- Pace: “You’ll handle changes right up to the event day.”
- Accountability: “You must track approvals and confirm deadlines in writing.”
- Client impact: “Your accuracy affects the guest experience, not just internal tasks.”

Event Planning example: Instead of “Events Coordinator,” your ad says: “You’ll run client logistics checklists, confirm vendor arrivals, and coordinate schedule changes for weddings and corporate events. You must be comfortable receiving feedback and updating documents the same day.” This attracts people who like organized execution—not just people who like being around events.

You also want clear “minimums” that match your service delivery, such as:
- Experience with run-of-show documents
- Comfort using Google Workspace/Microsoft and shared calendars
- Willingness to work weekends during event weeks

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Training

Training is where you turn a good hire into a reliable event operator. In event planning, the problem isn’t always skill—it’s inconsistency. You want the same standard every time.

Your training should cover how your business actually delivers:
- How you build and update run-of-show timelines
- How you confirm vendors (what to ask, what to document)
- How you handle client change requests
- Your quality checks before the event (what “done” means)

Event Planning example: When you hire a new Event Coordinator, they shadow for 2–4 events, then complete a practice run: they update a mock run-of-show, draft vendor confirmation emails, and run a “change request” scenario (e.g., venue shifts start time by 30 minutes). They also learn your culture: calm communication, fast written updates, and zero tolerance for missing approvals.

Make training measurable. Not “we showed them.” Instead: “They produced a run-of-show and passed the pre-event checklist.”

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The Repellent Job Ad

The Repellent Job Ad is how you deter candidates who won’t pay attention to details—without insulting anyone. It’s a test of follow-through and instruction compliance.

In event planning, detail matters because one missed instruction can become:
- wrong vendor arrival time
- incorrect setup instructions
- guest-facing issues
- schedule confusion during the event

So your repellent job ad should include a simple, specific instruction that only attentive candidates will handle.

Event Planning example: In the application instructions, include: “Subject line must start with ‘RUN-OF-SHOW’ and include your availability for weekend event weeks.” Candidates who ignore it are telling you they won’t follow your processes.

Or: “When you apply, attach a 5-sentence summary of how you handle last-minute changes.” People who can’t follow directions or don’t communicate clearly self-select out.

Conclusion

The Talent Funnel helps event planners stop guessing. You attract the right people with hiring ads that reflect real event work, train them to your operational standard, and use a Repellent Job Ad to filter for attention and follow-through. The result is a team that stays calm under pressure and delivers events clients actually rave about.