How Events & Stadiums organisations can unify casual workers with workforce management technology

To understand the struggle, one needs to stand in the shoes of an Events & Stadiums operations manager 

Events & Stadiums managers — specifically those in charge of people operations and rostering — are under a lot of pressure. As architects of exceptional experiences, the larger part of their work is dedicated to ensuring that all systems, stakeholders, and logistics are coordinated for game day. 

However, preparing for an event is rarely cut-and-dried, especially on the workforce management (WFM) side. Sourcing and managing manpower for events is a major task, with many venues looking to third-party labour agencies to satisfy demand. Imagine this: 

You are an operations manager preparing for a sporting match — more specifically, an exhibition match between a major football club and your local city team. With crowd numbers expected to reach the tens of thousands, you acknowledge you’re going to contact third-party labour agencies to source adequate numbers of staff to meet demand. 

However, the headaches really begin with the sheer logistics of ensuring the right people are in the right place at the right time. How will you effectively allocate and roster this influx of casual workers in a cost-effective way, especially as your tech stack is a mixture of modern and legacy software solutions which do not integrate easily with each other? 

Your legacy rostering solution also lacks a mobile app, making last-minute changes to rosters — for example, to find replacement staff for no-shows — difficult. This mismatch of software solutions and outmoded manual processes will make the rostering, time tracking, compliance, and payroll processes extremely time consuming. You are also not fond of the idea of a patchwork team, sewn together in a rush — a lack of team cohesion would certainly negatively impact the fan experience on game day.

WFM is an ongoing challenge for Events & Stadiums organisations 

Over the past couple of years, the Events & Stadiums industry and the organisations that service it have enjoyed healthy revenue all around the world. A rebound in demand since the end of the pandemic has seen sports, music, and event fans flock to large venues in droves. For these organisations, the revenue is always welcome. But for the managers and people behind the scenes, things aren't so simple. 

What are the main WFM pain points faced by Events & Stadiums operations managers?

Complex multi department scheduling 

Perhaps the greatest challenge of all is the multi-role and multi-department rostering of events workforces. Events & Stadiums workforces are generally comprised of a combination of casual workers from different industries — for example, concession staff, security staff, and many more.

It's then difficult for managers to unify these casual workers and departments without a singular, in-house rostering system — and this becomes even worse when managers and staff are forced to work and communicate via legacy software. 

Legacy software 

Legacy software often lacks an intuitive UI, integration capabilities, and a mobile app. As a result, processes such as communication and record keeping become cumbersome by today’s standards — and above all, payroll. Hiring a range of different casual staff, each protected under different pay instruments and award agreements, creates a level of complexity that requires automation for accuracy and compliance. 

Considering that the customer experience (CX) of any event is the product of all departments working together like a well-oiled machine, an inadequately rostered and tracked workforce can lead to chaos on event day. 

Transient workforce 

These rostering issues are exacerbated by a highly transient workforce, comprised of temporary, casual workers. These workers may be unfamiliar with the various processes and systems in place due to lack of experience or simply the reality of holding multiple jobs with different employers.  

While these roles are attractive for younger adults and students, for example, they provide little stability for those who seek it. This makes retaining a reliable, consistent pool of staff extremely difficult. Additionally, the seasonal nature of events work means employment patterns are often correlated to the amount, size, and importance of scheduled events. Many employees are hired on an ‘as needed’ casual basis and therefore, the industry relies heavily on third-party labour hire agencies. 

Complex pay requirements 

Staff being brought in from these third-party labour agencies each come from different backgrounds — from food and beverage staff to security guards, janitorial staff, and many other kinds. As such, managers are forced to manage several different compliance obligations, from payroll to leave entitlements, and so on. 

In Australia, for example, many employees are protected by a specific modern award which outlines the terms and conditions of employment, including pay, overtime and leave entitlements. This adds to the complexity of calculating payroll and other entitlements, as each employee has different requirements to consider. Similarly, in the US, managers need to be across a variety of frameworks such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), state-specific legislation, and more.   

Integration 

Finally, software integration endures as a pain point for Events & Stadiums organisations. When managers and their staff are forced to use multiple software solutions from multiple vendors, the user experience and data sharing capabilities of the organisation suffer greatly.  

The benefits of a WFM software solution that is already part of a best-in-one human capital management (HCM) platform, or that can be easily integrated with different tools from different vendors, are therefore magnified.

Time & Attendance software is the ideal WFM solution for Events & Stadiums organisations. But first — why Humanforce? 

We are veterans in WFM technology. Humanforce was one of the first software companies to specialise in rostering and time & attendance in Australia. For 23 years, we have made the lives of HR, managers and frontline (‘deskless’) workers easier through our WFM software suite — and continue to do so today. This is what we can do for Events & Stadiums organisations globally. 

Time & Attendance allows managers to accurately track your workforce for better planning and cost savings 

Understanding the above pain points has made one thing clear: it’s extremely difficult for managers to source, track, and communicate with the large numbers of contingent staff that they require for these events. 

Time & Attendance, part of the Humanforce WFM suite, allows businesses to accurately track and capture live workforce data. Real-time operational insights mean that managers can review and approve timesheets in an instant for more precise payroll and reporting. 

Time & Attendance can be accessed via on-site kiosks or the Humanforce Work App, a mobile tool designed to place workforce management in the palm of your hand. It allows both managers and employees to view rosters, organise future shifts, manage leave, timesheets, and swap shifts in an instant. It’s the perfect tool for Events & Stadiums managers and staff who seek to be unified despite working in different zones and locations within the same venue.  

More specifically, Time & Attendance allows managers to: 

• See, in real-time, who’s on site and in their correct location, and who’s on a break — helping avoid having to scramble to fill expected gaps or cover for no-shows 

• Ensure only approved or accredited team members clock in, using the latest geo-fenced clocking solutions (via the Humanforce Work App) 

• Save time with timesheet auto-approvals. Managers can set up a rule where if the worker has checked in at their rosteredd time, completed their shift, and then clocked out at their allocated time, the timesheets are automatically approved, saving precious time 

• Deploy a range of time & attendance options to best suit your needs, including on-site kiosks and finger scanning, facial recognition and QR code features, or via the Work App – all of which can aid in limiting instances of time theft or ‘buddy punching’ 

• Link digital timesheets to the pay conditions engine using Humanforce’s Awards & Compliance solution, and then through to your integrated payroll solution

Additional Humanforce solutions for Events & Stadiums

As an all-in-one HCM solution, Humanforce also has a HR suite, including Compliance Management, to more effectively manage qualifications, certifications, visas, vaccinations, and more with automated expiry reminders and alerts. 

Humanforce’s Talent Suite is another essential solution for Events & Stadiums operations managers. It grants them access to a pool of pre-qualified candidates, contractors, internal staff and alumni, grouped into a single talent community. Managers can then mass-contact pre-qualified candidates on an as-needed basis, reducing reliance on third-party labour hire agencies.  

This is just a snapshot of Time & Attendance and with it can do for your organisation. To find out more, visit the product page or talk to one of our experts today.

About Humanforce

Humanforce is the all-in-one platform for frontline and flexible workforces, offering a truly employee centred, intelligent and compliant human capital management (HCM) suite – without compromise. Founded in 2002, Humanforce has a 2300+ customer base and over half a million users worldwide. Today, we have offices across Australia, New Zealand, the US, and the UK. 

Our vision is to make work easier and life better by focusing on the needs and fulfilment of frontline workers, and the efficiency and optimisation of businesses. 

To learn more about how Humanforce’s solution can help automate people processes in your business, please contact us.