Onboarding New Full Time Talent for Music Festival Entities.

For many, working for a music festival entity can be a dream job in what is a highly competitive market. Most festival entities prefer to recruit experienced talent, however, there are opportunities in some companies for fresh graduates and inexperienced talent in trainee roles which is great for keeping the industry constantly fed with new talent. 

The larger music festival entities like Live Nation and AEG run multiple events internationally and employ thousands of people in a variety of roles. These organisations have established recruitment programmes for new talent every year including a graduate intake. The larger independent festival organisers employ fewer people and may have a more flexible approach to the recruitment of new talent rather than a fixed annual programme. Small festival entities will recruit on an ad-hoc basis so opportunities can be few and far between. 

Roles and Responsibilities. 
Whilst large multi-national entities could have hundreds of different departments responsible for every aspect of organising a festival the independent entity will be more likely to combine roles and responsibilities. Organisers with numerous departments allow new recruits to specialise in their chosen field which may include, artist curation, production logistics, IT or marketing for example. Impendent entities are more likely to require new recruits to work across all specialities to gain more rounded experience. 

Onboarding Programme. 
A comprehensive job description with clearly defined roles and responsibilities helps new talent prepare themselves for commencing employment. It is essential that new recruits are provided with the tools they need to perform their job which may include a workstation, computers and mobile devices with everything set up prior to the start date. A schedule of induction and training should be provided to new recruits before their start date so there are no surprises when they turn up. 

Orientation. 
Organisations should appoint someone responsible for onboarding and orientating new recruits which should include a warm welcome and introductions to key staff. Presentations should detail the festival’s history along with its mission and vision for the future. A tour of any office facilities is essential for new recruits to orientate themselves in a new surrounding and understand where key staff are located. 

Training. 
A comprehensive training schedule will enable new recruits to rapidly get up to speed on the organisations working practices. Most festivals use sophisticated event management software (like Festival Pro) so training sessions should be arranged in advance with software providers. Job shadowing and hands-on training is always a great way for new recruits to quickly understand particular challenges and keys roles in the festival. It will always be useful for new recruits to get at least some training in budget management and any legal aspects impacting events as these affect every role in the organisation. 

Ongoing Development and Support. 
Providing mentorship and support is easier in larger entries because there will always be more staff available. However, this becomes more of a challenge for smaller independent entities as staff are often stretched between different roles and are already working long unsocial hours. This makes it essential for new recruits to get up and running quickly in any new role. Any quiet periods in the festival schedule should be used to conduct performance reviews and updates with talent to identify any training needs and provide usable feedback. 

The successful onboarding of new talent into festival entities is essential to achieving increased productivity and reducing staff turnover. A structured process helps new recruits integrate quickly and become productive with positive contributions to the organisation. 

For festival organisers planning their events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by RDNE Stock project via Pexels

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