Strategies for Vetting and Hiring Temporary Staff Ahead of Major Sporting Events

The first half of every year brings a string of championship events — the College Football Playoff, the Super Bowl, March Madness, the NBA Finals and the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final. These high-profile events bring massive crowds, electrifying atmospheres and increased operational demands for stadiums. Unfortunately, as we’ve learned from the past, crowded events inevitably raise safety concerns.

As venues ramp up for major events, the demand for additional staff skyrockets. Operators face the challenge of balancing swift hiring with ensuring employees meet safety and integrity standards. Establishing a smooth and secure fan experience requires well-planned logistics and highly vetted, reliable event staff. Without proper hiring practices in place, even minor lapses in judgment can lead to safety concerns, reputational damage or costly legal issues.

Demands and pressures

The Super Bowl alone generates thousands of seasonal jobs. The 2024 game in Arizona created 10,459 jobs — from event management to food and beverage services. For March Madness, staffing challenges reach dozens of host cities, requiring a surge in temporary staff at numerous large arenas across the country.

High emotions and large crowds make proper staffing even more critical. Studies show that more than a third of employees watch March Madness games at work, and a quarter of fans miss work entirely to attend games, leading to packed stadiums and arenas, heightened tensions and increased security risks.

Risks of under-vetting

Fan safety relies heavily on event staff, and the hiring process must reflect the importance of staff members’ responsibilities. Rushing to fill seasonal positions with unvetted or improperly trained workers can lead to serious issues. Here’s a look at how some of these risks play out in real life:

• A new survey found that nearly 40% of NFL fans reported witnessing a crime at or around an NFL stadium, ranging from physical violence to public intoxication.

• A Los Angeles Dodgers fan was awarded $108,500 after alleging that security guards assaulted him during a game at Dodger Stadium. Incidents like these can result in lawsuits, damage to a franchise’s reputation and fan distrust.

• AT&T Stadium faced scrutiny when an employee was arrested for accepting cash in exchange for allowing ticketless fans into the venue, illustrating how staff misconduct can undermine security measures.

Smarter screening, hiring

Stadiums must prioritize comprehensive background screening in their hiring process to ensure a safe and successful sports season. A solid hiring strategy helps reduce risks while maintaining efficiency and reliability in staffing. This means thorough candidate assessments and vetting of all employees, including seasonal hires, to ensure that individuals with a history of behavioral or financial misconduct are flagged before they gain access to sensitive areas.

Verifying identification and employment history eliminates the risk of fraudulent applications and potential security threats. With digital verification tools, AI-driven risk analysis and automated background checks, teams can quickly assess candidates and make informed hiring decisions. Additional capabilities include:

• Biometric identity verification: Digital identity verification methods, such as fingerprint scanning and facial recognition, can reduce identity fraud and ensure that applicants are who they claim to be.

• AI-enhanced screening tools: Machine learning algorithms can analyze criminal history data, employment records and behavioral indicators to flag potential risks in applicants before they are hired.

• Automated compliance checks: Hiring platforms instantly check an applicant’s background against databases for legal or industry-specific compliance requirements, ensuring that stadiums meet regulatory standards.

Standardized hiring policies for staffing agencies are crucial. Many venues rely on third-party agencies, but inconsistent screening standards can leave gaps in security. A uniform screening process guarantees that all workers meet the same high standards.

Challenges in seasonal hiring

While background screening is essential for ensuring the safety and integrity of high-profile events, stadium operators face several unique challenges in creating an effective and streamlined seasonal hiring process. These challenges require careful consideration and proactive solutions to avoid compromising security or operational efficiency.

One of the most pressing issues is reducing hiring bottlenecks. The sheer volume of applicants and the compressed timeframe for filling numerous seasonal positions can easily overwhelm hiring departments. Hiring thousands of employees quickly can create significant logjams, slowing the process and potentially delaying event preparations.

Leveraging automation and prescreening tools is crucial to address this problem. Automated application processing, skills assessments and initial background checks can expedite the early stages of the hiring process, allowing hiring teams to focus on more complex tasks such as interviews and final vetting. Prescreening tools help filter out unqualified candidates quickly, further streamlining the process and allowing stadiums to prioritize the most promising applicants.

Ensuring fair hiring practices is another critical concern. Screening must be conducted in a manner that is effective and fully compliant with all applicable labor laws and regulations. No discriminatory practices, even unintentional ones, must arise during the hiring process. This requires carefully reviewing screening criteria and procedures to avoid biases related to race, religion, gender, age or other protected characteristics. Consulting with legal experts and implementing regular audits of hiring practices can help stadiums maintain compliance and avoid costly legal challenges. Transparency in the hiring process is also crucial, ensuring that applicants understand the screening procedures and can address any concerns.

Finally, while potentially overlooked for short-term employees, onboarding and training should be standard for seasonal staff. Even though these workers may only be employed for a few months, they play a vital role in ensuring smooth event operations and maintaining security. They are often the first point of contact for attendees and must be well-versed in customer service, emergency procedures and venue policies.

Seasonal staff must also be trained to recognize and respond to potential security threats, from suspicious behavior to emergencies. Investing in comprehensive training programs, even for seasonal staff, is a strategic investment in the overall safety and success of the event. This training should cover job-specific skills and essential information about security protocols, emergency procedures and ethical conduct. By addressing these key challenges proactively, stadium operators can create an efficient seasonal hiring process that prioritizes safety and operational excellence.

Safer fan experience 

A well-executed hiring and screening strategy will drive success for stadiums that host high-capacity events. By adopting comprehensive background checks, leveraging cutting-edge technology and enforcing standardized hiring policies, venues can create a safer environment for everyone. 

Ultimately, the goal is to prevent security breaches and protect stadium integrity so that every major sporting event delivers to attendees a positive, unforgettable experience. The stakes are too high to cut corners. Proper hiring and screening practices are necessary for today's sports industry.