August 28, 2017

When we first heard about Canada’s Table, we immediately thought: A four-course 1000-person dinner served by 20 of Canada’s top chefs - That’s what Hyre was created for! [caption id="attachment_270" align="aligncenter" width="668"] Canada's Table, a sold-out 1000-person open-air dining experience and fund-raiser, took over Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill on Aug. 27, 2017. Funds from the non-profit event, presented in collaboration with restauranteur Stephen Beckta, chef Mike Moffatt and Sheila Whyte of Thyme & Again Catering, will go to aid local and national food security causes. (David Kawai)[/caption]

DAVID KAWAI / POSTMEDIA

  Orchestrating an event such as Canada’s Table would leave many in fear of under performing (understandably). Planning, organizing, and masterfully delivering a unique experience for an event of this magnitude is anything but simple. Many of Ottawa’s best caterers and restaurants stepped up to the plate to help out. Ten top local chefs partnered with ten top chefs from five regions across Canada. And these chefs, in collaboration with Restaurateur Stephen Beckta and Chef Mike Moffatt of Beckta, Play and Gezellig restaurants, along with Sheila Whyte of Thyme & Again Catering, successfully brought an exquisite taste to Ottawa on Sunday, August 27th, 2017. For an event of this magnitude, collaboration is the only route to success to ensure that guests are left speechless. These contributors made history. And who wouldn’t want to be part of history? Thus, when we at Hyre received a request by one of our long-lasting clients, Thyme & Again Catering, to assist in staffing a portion of Canada’s Table, we were ecstatic! As always, it is our mission that every event is a memorable one. Hyre’s staff, in collaboration with the many staff provided by Ottawa’s best restaurants and caterers, wanted to deliver this once in a lifetime experience in style. With these amazing waitstaff on the front lines, this monumental event went off without a hitch.

“Everything went great at the Canada's Table Event. We had an amazing experience!”

- Michael Elkin, Thyme & Again (Hyre Event Organizer)

THYME & AGAIN CATERING

Now an important note about the backbone of our industry - the amazing event staff! It’s impossible for an event to be well executed without the work of these amazing staff! And what did they think of the grand event? Our longtime staff partner Stephanie Wise, who worked at Canada’s Table, wanted to share her thoughts:

“Canada's Table was phenomenally organized with many staff, volunteers and logistics. It went off seamlessly, we worked hard and in sync, we had fun and all of the guests gave us amazing feedback!”

- Stephanie Wise (Hyre Staff Partner)

And what about the guest experience? Our staff partners’ motto is that ‘guests must not only be satisfied with the service they receive but also have their expectations exceeded’. Luc Parisien had the pleasure of working closely with the guests at Canada’s Table and shared this with us:

“Canada’s Table was a massive operation that was executed beautifully. Every guest I spoke to commented on how delicious the food was and how well they were being taken care of!”

- Luc Parisien (Hyre Staff Partner)

[caption id="attachment_272" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Canada's Table, a sold-out 1000-person open-air dining experience and fund-raiser, took over Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill on Aug. 27, 2017. Funds from the non-profit event, presented in collaboration with restauranteur Stephen Beckta, chef Mike Moffatt and Sheila Whyte of Thyme & Again Catering, will go to aid local and national food security causes. (David Kawai)[/caption]

DAVID KAWAI / POSTMEDIA

And that’s why we do what we do. That’s why we empower our Hyre clients and our Hyre staff partners to aim for the best. We cannot settle for less. That’s why we created Hyre.

Thank you for letting us help out! Great People. Great Events. - Hyre   The Chefs of Canada’s Table: Local Chefs Chris Deraiche | Wellington Gastropub Joe Thottungal | Coconut Lagoon Jordan Holley | Riviera Jon Svazas | Fauna & Bar Laurel Marc Doiron | Town & Citizen Marc Lepine | Atelier Michael Blackie | NeXT Ross Fraser | Fraser Cafe & The Rowan Tim Stock | Play food & wine Yannick Anton | Le Cordon Bleu Visiting Chefs Normand Laprise | Toqué! & Brasserie T!, Montreal, QC Dale Mackay | Ayden Kitchen and Bar & Little Grouse on the Prairie, Saskatoon, SK Vikram Vij | Vij’s Group, Vancouver, BC Melissa Craig | Bearfoot Bistro, Whistler BC Matthew Krizan | Mateus Bistro, Mahone Bay, NS Daniel Vézina | Laurie Raphaël, Québec & Montréal, QC Paul Rogalski | Rouge, Calgary, AB Scott Vivian |Beast Restaurant, Toronto, ON Carolyn Reid |Scaramouche, Toronto, ON Todd Perrin |Mallard Cottage, Quidi Vidi, NL In collaboration with:   Check out our blog for more posts in the upcoming weeks!        

July 29, 2016

Staff Team Building in the Workforce - Make it a Fun Event! Given that the majority of us do not operate inside of a vacuum, being able to (successfully) work with other people is pretty much a requirement in the business world. In fact, there’s even a word for this interactive group of people… That’s right - it’s called a team! The success of an organization is often dependent on the ability of its members to work as a team. A strong team will work more efficiently and cohesively throughout the work day. But how do you strengthen a team of coworkers? This article is aimed at providing you with some ideas on how to enhance your team’s morale, working relationships, and overall cohesiveness. With the help of many experts across a variety of professional fields, we have compiled a list of fun and effective activities that you can use for your next team building event! What are Team Building Events? Where Do I Start?! There are four main types of team building activities.

1. Fun/physical activities - i.e. games and sports.
2. Logical ‘brain-power’ activities - i.e. problem solving and logic games.
3. Social activities - i.e. staff events.
4. Emotion-centered activities - i.e. group discussions regarding staffs’ feelings about the team and where they stand.

When choosing from one of these four types of activities, you should directly link it to what your objectives are for your team building event. So here goes… we hope this helps you come up with ideas for your next staff building event: Fun Yet Physical Team Events for Your Staff! When asked to describe a team, one of the images that first jump to mind are sport teams. Thus, it’s not surprising that many of the people who we asked about team building activities brought up games and sports as a way of bringing groups together. As these activities allow for various people to showcase their leadership abilities that may otherwise have not come up in an office environment, sports activities as a workplace team building activity encourages growth. Those in office leadership roles will not automatically be leaders within a sports team, as those who take charge or excel in a sport environment may not necessarily be those in charge in the office setting. Since we are all unique, with each of us possessing different strengths, this difference in leadership based on environmental situations should be expected. Alex Gordon, who works with Youth Employment Services Montreal, and is also a Second Lieutenant with the Canadian Grenadier Guards, is a fan of these types of activities because they create a win-win scenario - mixing adrenaline and fitness into a team building scenario.

1. Relay races encourage team members to cheer each other on and they come to realize that their success as an individual is tied to the success of the team. They can’t win unless everyone on the team does their best!
2. Capture the flag (a childhood favourite) allows team members to strategize together, highlighting opportunities for team members who have different skill sets to excel. Team members will often realize that they cannot succeed unless they work together to utilize everyone’s abilities. It will bring you back to your childhood… to that time Johnny from gym class kept yelling at you to run faster as the kids were chasing you (while in class Johnny was the last one to make a peep).
3. Archery tag is a newer concept that was brought to life by crossing archery, dodgeball, and paintball. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried paintball...  but it HURTS! With Archery tag there is none of the pain, and you won’t leave all black and blue! Brian Seto, the Marketing Director at Archery Games, firmly believes these games are great for team building because of their uniqueness, “If no one has a leg up, then the team members get to learn the rules and overall strategy together while building a connection through that shared experience.”

Logic Games and Communication Team Events for Your Staff! Activities that challenge your staff’s logic, critical thinking, and communication skills in a team environment are priceless! These stress inducing activities can accustom team members to interacting with each other productively when in difficult situations… that we all know occur more than once a day in a busy work day. Being able to support one another and work cohesively in such situations takes practice. Thus think of these ‘brainy’ (at times stressful) events as role play for when similar situations arise in the work environment.

1. Scavenger hunts were recommended as a favourite team building activity for staff by Carlos Baeza, the Banquet and Events Manager at the Brookstreet Hotel. He finds that they bring together the fun of physical activity and the problem solving and logic of puzzles. Working together to solve riddles, search for hidden clues, and race to the next location helps emphasize the value of different skill sets within a group.
2. Escape Rooms are SUPER fun and exciting for staff! There’s the adrenaline rush of being TRAPPED in a small (usually dark) room… coupled with a short time limit! - adding to the urgency and pressure of the situation. Steve Wilson from Escape Manor Ottawa describes a team of employees striving to ‘escape’ the ‘prison’ (one of their popular escape rooms), “These employees put themselves in high-intensity problem solving situations where, by working together in order to extricate themselves from such a challenge, they end up bonding and becoming a stronger, more productive office team.” Brian Seto, Marketing Director of Room Escape Ottawa, emphasizes that these escape rooms are set up in such a way that encourage creative and imaginative thinking. They are different than sports because they challenge brain over brawn. In these scenarios, you can really see how communication between staff plays an imperative role in the success of a team.

Social Parties and Events for Your Staff! Much of your staff’s bonding will come from simply ‘hanging out’. Work environments that encourage their employees to spend time together and create a culture where social events are scheduled and organized by the office, produce a team that loves to work together and thrives in productivity. Lucien De Busscher, Partner at Ernst & Young Advisory, believes that taking team members out of the work environment for drinks, food, or even dancing can be a great team building activity - even more effective than the more physically/mentally demanding activities! Rather than constantly interacting with your co-workers’ professional selves, you get to know the people behind the mask and develop connections that you might not have otherwise have formed. These bonds motivate staff to reach out to one another for help - e.g. with a deadline or proofreading a report. This not only has a positive impact on the overall performance of the team but it also has a profound impact on the morale of the group. People are happier and more productive when they like the people they work with! Emotionally-Centered Team Events for Your Staff! These kinds of events are perhaps the most difficult type of team building activity to coordinate (at least effectively…), but they are arguably also the most impactful. They are generally discussion based, and really allow staff members to get to know each other more intimately. Colleagues and peers become better aware of their value in the team environment which boosts levels of self-confidence and decrease feelings of negativity in the group.

1. Song of Praise was an activity suggested by Terry Orlick (Zone of Excellence), a world-renowned leader in coaching - teaching people how to reach their full potential. It is called Songs of Praise and involves all team members (leaders and managers as well!) writing their name at the top of a piece of paper. Each member of the team then has the opportunity to anonymously write a quality or aspect of the person that they admire or respect. When the activity is completed, each team member gets to take home a list of their most admired attributes. This gives each member of the group a sense of belonging and of being appreciated by their team members. Everyone leaves feeling great and more committed to their performance for the team!
2. “What about an ‘unconference’!?” suggests Jeff Dennis (Fasken Martineau) if you’re looking for a less structured team building event. Rather than having a rigid agenda for team building, leave the floor open for staff members to discuss their ups and downs of their work life. With that said, we do suggest a strong facilitator when setting up an ‘unconference’ for your team. This facilitator would monitor what is being said to ensure productivity and that everyone receives a fair chance to speak.

Here are Some Other Ideas for Team Events for Your Staff If you’re interested in finding some killer team building activities that you can implement in your own groups, Vicki Saunders, founder of SheEO, strongly recommends Gamestorming by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo. It is a compilation of a variety of activities which can be adapted to any group. Jenny Stanfield, the Lead Event Producer with Engagement Unlimited, relates team building to her events. Ultimately, what makes a strong event is that there is active participation throughout. Jenny is looking at this from the perspective of an event attendee, but as our Founder and CEO, Eropa Stein, says, this also holds true from the perspective of the event staff working at the event to make it run smoothly. We at eStaffMatch believe that if everyone who is working an event feels engaged with what is unfolding, and sees themselves as part of the team, then everyone works harder. No one wants to let their team down! This is why she emphasizes that each member of the eStaffMatch team is a partner and equally important to ensuring the success of the company. It is important to her that each member feels that they are a full participant in the team’s work and success, not just a passive observer. Finally, keep in mind that in order to have a fully successful team building event it is important to make sure that the activity chosen equates to both your company’s staff and your company’s goals. BizBash’s   4 Tips for Your Next Team Building Event provides some great insight on this, thus ensuring that your team building event is tailored to your company’s needs. All this discussion of team building aside, it is important to remember your day to day interactions with your team as well. According to Cyrille Roy, Director of Sales in the Conferences and Banquets department at the Hilton Lac Leamy, the strongest teams are those whose leaders are available for discussion, open to suggestions, and appreciative of their staff’s hard work.    

June 10, 2016

The event industry is one that has long since struggled with unreliable staff. As an event organizer, you have no doubt felt the sting of rearranging a shorthanded event, or frantically calling the staffing agency to figure out where your servers are. We know we have. Unfortunately, no matter how many times you confirm with people, someone is bound to cancel, or worse, not show up at all. In fact, the average no-show rate is 20-30% of staff booked. 20-30%! That's a huge amount, and way higher than it should be. Part of the issue appears to be a lack of attachment to the event organizer themselves. Without constant interaction, it is hard to foster a sense of loyalty with contract staff who may very well never have to see you again. Even when we first launched and we would call people a few hours before their shifts to confirm, we still had the occasional person not show up. In fact, if you check out our Blunder Blog, you can read some of our early horror stories. Unfortunately, there are a few. The good news is that we were small enough and new enough when these incidents occurred to implement a feature to deter this behaviour. Since implementing a monetary penalty to deter cancellations and no-shows, the rate decreased dramatically! Now, a very small percentage of staff cancel/do not show up to their shift. And if they do, you as the event organizer has the final say whether to charge them a shift cancellation fee or if they actually have an excuse, let them go with a warning. The power is in your hands, as it should be. We know the nature of the industry; we're not trying to hide it, we're just trying to make it better. Learn more at eStaffMatch.com.

June 1, 2016

The best advice we were ever given was while we were part of an incubator program shortly before our launch in Ottawa. In a workshop, the presenter told us simply,

"People do business with people they like."

It sounded overly simple, even elementary at the time, like something you would tell a child. However, as we got closer and closer to launching and started acquiring clients, we realized something.

After numerous meetings with a variety of clients, we realized that very few truly cared about the fact that we were beta testing, that we hadn't run events on the platform before. They loved the product, of course, but what they really cared about was that they liked us - they said they loved our attitudes and felt like they could trust us. The presenter had been on to something.

If people do business with people they like, it only makes sense that as a company we should strive to be people our clients will like! Well, of course, that isn't to say that we should act like sycophants. No, we should just be good people and exemplify ourselves in eStaffMatch. We strive to always add personal touches to our business regime. It is so easy to get caught up in business that you forget that you are dealing with people - we are in the business of people! So, when we first launched, we made a point of being present at the beginning of the event to make sure staff is settled in, or at the end of the event to make sure that the shift went well. For something so simple, we received huge thanks - our clients loved the personal aspect and the care that showed them.

Your clients are the reason you have a business in the first place, so make sure that no matter how stressed you are, you remember to treat them with the care and appreciation they deserve.

May 27, 2016

We have no doubt that every event you plan will be great, but how can you go above and beyond to provide your guests with an amazing experience? The party they'll never forget? The "Oh my god! As if they thought of that" moments? We've come up with a few little touches that go a long way towards making your event memorable.

• Bathroom baskets: If you have ever been to an event that has bathroom baskets, you no doubt know they have an impact. Purchase a small basket and fill it with all of the essentials the attendees may need and put them in the bathrooms. Some things you may consider are hairspray, safety pins, perfume/ cologne, stain remover, mints, and so on. You don't have to stick to these items, though, be creative and let the guests know that you are thinking of them!
• Programs: With the boom in technology, the use of programs and itineraries has fallen but we think you should pick the habit back up! Nothing is worse than sitting at an event (be it anything from a conference or a wedding) and not knowing what is going on. Save your guests the guess work and make programs readily available to them.
• Goodie bags: Do you remember how excited you got as a kid when your friend's mom would hand you a loot bag on your way out the door? Now imagine giving your guests that feeling as they leave your event! A lot of trade shows do this, but the bags tend to be filled with business cards and flyers *yawn.* To really impress your guests, give them something they can use! Things like bottle stoppers, pens , candles, and mini hand sanitizers can be bought for next to nothing and would be great treats. If it is an event where people are coming from out of town, a list of your favorite local restaurants would be a great touch. The items don't have to be expensive. In fact, this may be one of the only times where "it's the thought that counts" is actually true!