How are small businesses recruiting top temporary staff across Canada? This is a question many of you may wonder. Here at Tigris, we have four hard working, full-time event professionals at head office. We boast consistently that our services are available in over 15 different markets across Canada; Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa to name a few. How is this small team recruiting top temporary staff across Canada with only four full time employees? The answer is organization and communication.

We host interviews in each location depending on the number of events we have available in each city. For example, many of our clients are Toronto based and their events take place in Toronto as well.  That is why we host Toronto talent recruitment sessions every other month throughout the year followed by Calgary which is every 2-3 months consistently.. In other regions like Vancouver and Montreal, we host interviews about 3 times a year. Recently we have been contacted for several events in Edmonton and Ottawa, so we are in the process of expanding our roster in those specific locations.

Recruiting Top Temporary Staff across Canada with the Help of our Regional Managers

Now that you know when and where we host our interviews, you may be wondering how we find and select the best talent for our roster. Temporary staffing, promotional modeling and working as a brand ambassador is not a full time job, and many people that work in these type of positions are simply looking for extra money, and in many casesare students. We choose our staff based on personality, experience, their interaction with others in the group interview, and personal appearance. Individuals are often referred to us by other events staff on our roster or apply to Tigris through our online advertisements that outline who we are and what their role as a brand ambassador or promotional model would entail. They apply with 2-3 photos and their resume. Based on this information, our marketing and HR assistant invites specific candidates for an interview in their area.

In situations where members from the head office are unable to host the interviews in areas like British Columbia and Alberta, we entrust our regional managers to host the interview sessions and select the successful candidates. The regional managers are staff that have been on our roster for several years and have a vast amount of experience as a team lead or event manager and have proven time after time to be an outstanding asset to Tigris. We prepare these individuals thoroughly on how to conduct the interview, which questions to ask, and what to look for in our candidates. After the interview is conducted, our regional manager will submit the results so we can call all of the successful candidates and welcomes them to our team. There are more event staffing and promotional modeling agencies than most realize who choose not to meet their staff face to face and rely entirely on the candidates online profile! This is a big risk for them and the brand’s they represent if they haven’t had the chance to get to know them – and for all intents and purposes, screen them so they know which events they would and wouldn’t be a fit for. Tigris goes the extra mile by interviewing 95% of candidates face to face. The only exception to this may be smaller markets such as the Maritimes where there may only be 1-2 requests per year and the roster isn’t large enough to designate a regional prime. If you’re interested in working with Tigris, join our team!

Enlisting Our Core Values When We Are Recruiting Top Temporary Staff Across Canada

For each event, regardless of the size, our national or regional account manager creates an event protocol including general information and contact information for the client to duties and responsibilities, a schedule, key messaging and sales tips. Along with these details, we list Tigris’ core values that we carry into every aspect of our work. From recruiting, hiring and managing staff to how we plan and execute events to client services, we believe that we are nothing and have nothing without a strong foundation to stand on. We believe in the power of presence – and this starts and ends with our people.

our core value #1: we are PASSIONATE about people
our core value #2: communication is the key!
our core value #3: respectability (respect & accountability)
our core value #4: Tigris is “T.E.C.D” out! TEAMWORK | EXCELLENCE | CREATIVITY | DYNAMIC
our core value #5: happiness makes the world go round!

Our core values remind us why we are in business and what mission we are looking to carry out with each and every event. This being said, people aren’t perfect and while Tigris does go through extensive efforts to recruit, book and manage the best of the best, there are some cases where the day of the event arrives and unforeseen situations can arrive. In rare cases, staff cancel on short notice – or even rarer, some don’t show up with no notice. What we’ve discovered is that even with 1 hours notice, we’ve been able to perform miracles. Recently we secured coverage at 4:30am for a 6am shift. Tigris truly goes above and beyond to deliver for our clients.

No matter how specific we are in choosing the staff that work for us and the amount of effort we put into these interviews and training, it is ultimately up to the individual if they choose to perform at their best. In most cases, there are extra staff willing and able to work in the situation some cancels or books – and our manager are on top of securing coverage when necessary. To further enforce the importance of showing up and showing up on time, there are appropriate penalties. As we’re sure you’d agree, staff who don’t show up to an event without calling their manager with at least 48 hours notice are immediately terminated. This may sound harsh, but staff who choose to cancel or renege on a commitment are not only potentially damaging the success of an event and our relationship with a client, they are also taking away an opportunity from another events staff who wanted and needed the work. It can be frustrating and disappointing – but fortunately, it is not a common occurrence for us. We stress to our staff that communication is key – we want our events staff to be 100% comfortable and dedicated to each event so we can deliver for our customers! We value our relationship with each client and pride ourselves in providing staff not only represent their brand to the best of their ability – but are a reliable, dependent resource for them. Top performers are also regularly rewarded with the opportunity to win monthly incentives and annual bonuses!

For information on how to ace an interview with Tigris, read our blog post here! If you would like to book our outstanding event services, please do not hesitate to call us today at 647-286-9392 for a toll free quote. As you can see, recruiting top temporary staff across Canada is an extensive process that we pride ourselves in and believe is necessary to provide the most professional staff for your events.