Having responsible staff
is key to making your
day something close to
perfection. They should be
able to understand your vision and
execute it with little-to-no supervision
from you. Leave it to the planner or
your trusty person in charge to assign
individuals to take care of the details.
One group takes care of flowers and
table arrangements, another ushers
the guests, and another sets up lights
and decor. Cleaning before, during,
and after the wedding should be a part
of the package deal. We don’t need a
bride deprived of her “it’s your day”
privileges now, do we?!
With so many eagerly helpful
hands around, your wedding will
undoubtedly be a smash hit. You
and your guests can enjoy the easy
flow of things and dive into the fun
throughout the wedding. No double checking this or that; you can
simply be a bride. After all, you
deserve to stay relaxed and focus
on your groom.
Remember: if it’s great for you, it’s
great for your guests.
Aleksandra Kisielewicz tells us
about Hamptons Employment
Agency and why choosing the right
waitstaff on your wedding day
matters.
Urbanette Magazine:
Tell us
about a challenging or unexpected
wedding staffing situation you had
and how you managed it.
Aleksandra Kisielewicz:
It’s not
uncommon for unexpected or
challenging things happen during
a wedding, and that’s why it’s so
important to have a well trained,
professional staff.
For example, at one wedding that
Hamptons Employment Agency
staffed, the wedding planner (who
was hired separately by our client
and was great overall) forgot to
order plates for the wedding cake.
One of my event staff members
noticed this and advised the other
staff members to thoroughly and
quickly clean the dinner plates to
have them read in time for the
cake! My people are always tuned
in to the details, which is critical to
ensure client happiness.
Urbanette:
What is the Hamptons
Employment Agency’s general work
philosophy and what sets you apart
from other firms that also provide
staff for weddings and other formal
events?
Aleksandra:
At Hamptons
Employment Agency, we operate
our business with an open, positive perspective that’s grounded in our
core values of professionalism,
discretion, and integrity. We enjoy
working with our clients, and we
want them to enjoy working with us
as well. One of the main things that
sets us apart from other domestic
staffing agencies is that we take the
time to fully understand our clients’
individual needs and preferences.
This enables us to pair each client
with staff members who best meet
their unique situation.
Urbanette:
How do you screen your
waitstaff? What are the minimum
requirements and what special
skills would they need to have to
get hired?
Aleksandra:
We have a
formal, multi-step
screening process.
First, we review
a candidate’s
resume. In the
case of a waiter or
waitress, they must
– at a minimum
– have substantial
waitstaff experience.
If the candidate looks
qualified on paper, then
we conduct an initial phone interview
with them. The candidate must come
across as polite and professional for
us to continue the screening process.
Next, we conduct an in-person
interview. If we are interested in
placing a candidate with employers,
we then check the candidate’s
references. People whose references
all check out are then placed in our
employee database. It’s important to point out that
most of the waitstaff we place have
worked with our agency for a couple
years, so we know firsthand that they
are proven, reliable professionals.
Urbanette:
How do you make sure
that your staff are on the same
page as yours when it comes to
vision and making sure that client’s
specifics are met?
Aleksandra:
We always make our
expectations of staff members
totally clear before they work
at a wedding or other event.
Our domestic professionals are
punctual, polite, professional, and eager to do whatever is necessary to
help make a client’s event a success.
In addition, we thoroughly and
continuously communicate with the
staff before and during an event. I
take personal responsibility, as do our
Placement Specialists, for ensuring
that our event staff is on the same
page with us. We make sure that
each staff member knows the facts
of a given event and understands our
client’s core needs and preferences.
Lastly, our domestic professionals
know that they must follow either
1) the instructions of the client for
whom they’re working or 2) those of
the client’s main organizer (e.g., the
wedding planner).
Urbanette:
Besides staffing
weddings, what other areas do you
focus on?
Aleksandra:
Hamptons Employment
Agency is a full service domestic
staffing company. We place
housekeepers, nannies, couples,
private chefs, bartenders, senior
companions, drivers, personal
assistants, and other household staff
for one-time, seasonal, and full-time
positions.
In terms of our event staffing services,
in addition to weddings, we provide
personnel for a wide range of other
private functions. We’ve staffed dinner
parties and other celebrations for
many of the Hamptons’ most wellknown
residents, including Hollywood
actors, mayors, and Fortune 500 CEOs.
Whether we’re staffing an event for a
famous person or a private, low-profile
client, our goal is always the same – to
help make our client’s experience as
successful and as memorable as we
can.
