Andrew Harrison, director of the ESSA, argues that attracting and retaining talent are two different issues that should be tackled separately, but both require immediate action and collaboration at an industry level to solve.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock this past year, you will be aware that the events industry has a problem with talent. We’re by no means alone – it seems no industry sector has escaped the talent crunch – but the events industry was hit particularly hard by the pandemic, compounding the skills shortage we were already experiencing pre-Covid.

With suppliers stretched to the absolute limit these past few months, the importance of attracting and retaining talent has never been more important than it is now, and it’s high on our agenda at ESSA.

But it’s important to draw distinct lines between the two elements of attracting versus retaining. In my mind, they are two different beasts. There are of course cross overs, similarities in what needs to take place, but I often think they get in the way of each other and should be tackled separately. A problem shared is a problem halved, or maybe in this case, a problem halved is easier to digest.

Ultimately, we have a very basic equation we need to understand. Attract fewer people to our industry than we retain over a sustained period, and we’re screwed. So, what’s the solution, and where does the biggest problem lie? I personally believe one issue is bigger than the other, because it requires more time, energy and effort to solve.

The issue of attraction

Despite being over 170 years old, the exhibitions industry is not an industry that young children, or even teenagers, dream about working in. They aspire to roles like doctors, nurses, police workers, hairdressers, sports professionals or retail workers. But even if we could hope for kids, teenagers or young people to visualise joining the exhibition industry as an organiser, supplier, venue operative, where would they start? 

To attract talent to our industry, we must first address the issue of the lack of formal education and training before educational institutes take us seriously and even begin the journey of putting our industry on the radar of young people. I used to think this issue couldn’t be fixed, but I do now. 

It will require a very coordinated and selfless effort by the whole industry to want to turn the ship around. A national approach that appreciates all elements and opportunities within the industry and not just one stakeholder group or business trying to fix the problem for themselves. 

At ESSA we are looking at this selflessly. As part of the Events Industry Alliance (ESSA, AEO, AEV), we recently launched our government manifesto with skills and training one of five key areas. We are contributing to the UK Events (formally BVEP) work on developing industry wide formal education and training to improve the pathways into our industry.

On top of that, ESSA recently developed its first formal training and we opened our doors to students for the first time with a free membership option – the aim being to supplement their learning and help cement their desire to enter this exciting industry.  

The lesser of two evils

Regarding retention, I genuinely believe this is the lesser of the two problems but the one we live with daily and that stares us square in the face. It’s also the quicker solution to how we keep going. Attraction will take years, decades even. Retention, we could start to make fundamental and positive changes tomorrow.  

So how do we meet this challenge of retention? It’s not rocket science – we need to invest in our employees, prioritise welfare, compensate fairly, implement internal reward and recognition programmes, provide growth opportunities for employees, practice efficient and open communication, prioritise professional development, and offer flexibility around working schedules and location.

The latter is arguably most important, but not always easy in our industry due to when events are built, timings of certain events and where you must work. That said, I too often hear people say things like, ‘this is the job, and you should be grateful’ or ‘you either get it and stay, or you don’t and you leave’.

Maybe they should. But I also know that you are pushing water uphill if you think you’ll win the battle of generational shift. The past two years has seen what previously would have taken years (or a cataclysmic event) with regards to a shift in how people view the workplace and what they want from work. We can’t afford to have that ultimatum attitude anymore and need to recognise that a good work-life balance is vital to attracting and retaining the next generation of talent.

A recent study published by Gallup - State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report - looked into workplace attitudes and engagement and concentrated on trying to define where the missing workforce had gone, or were going, and what they wanted. The pandemic made people fundamentality prioritise meaningfulness, wellbeing and engagement over anything else both personally and professionally. We can debate what meaningful means to us as individuals until the cows come home.

However, the study also identified that in the UK, only 9% of employees are currently engaged on a level with their current employment that creates ‘stickiness’ through loyalty or by gaining meaning from their work. 91% of the UK workforce is unsure about their current commitment regarding who they work for and where they work. The report also highlights the gap between the reality of employees and the perception of industry leaders. You’ve guessed it, it’s a chasm.

If we look inside our businesses, is this the reality? These stats depict an average across many sectors and businesses, but is this the size of the problem we face?

Time to buckle up

The two topics that this article covers are of course intertwined, but they are as different as they are the same. So, what comes first attraction or retention? I often chase my tail on this topic because it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation. The answer is actually both, but one requires you to buckle in for the long haul.

From the top down, in the very governance of our industry, we need a strategy on how we reduce the levels at which people leave versus how many we bring in. It starts with selfless action to develop pathways for people to enter our industry. It requires buy-in without the need for immediate reward.  

Ending on a positive note, I believe 2022 has seen the most significant steps in our industry in a coordinated movement towards creating a platform for us to succeed in the long term. But as I said, buckle up. You must be in this for the long haul. No poster campaign or catchy headlines needed. 

Published in Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazine 8 December 2022