Recruitment in the cultural sector: How large institutions use temporary staff

Personnel placement in the cultural sector has developed into a significant service that extends far beyond a niche market. Temporary staffing is becoming increasingly important for museums and cultural institutions. Similar to large corporations, where, for example, around 15% of the total workforce at Airbus consists of temporary or project-based workers, cultural institutions are also increasingly utilizing flexible staffing models.

Especially for special exhibitions or elaborate events, factors such as the short-term availability and industry knowledge of staffing agencies directly impact production time, cost planning, and creative flexibility. This article examines how large cultural institutions benefit from temporary staffing and what specific aspects need to be considered.

Personnel recruitment in the cultural sector: basics and significance

The cultural sector is one of the most labor-intensive industries and encompasses a particularly wide range of professional groups. The skills and performance of its employees play a central role in the artistic and economic success of cultural institutions. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for cultural institutions to attract qualified personnel on the job market – a phenomenon often referred to the "war for talent."

What is recruitment for cultural institutions?

Personnel placement in the cultural sector encompasses the targeted search and placement of specialists for specific positions in museums, theaters, and other cultural institutions. A fundamental distinction is made between outsourcing personnel and outsourcing personnel functions. While the former involves employing staff in another organization, the latter approach involves the employees remaining within the same organization, but outsourcing certain personnel management tasks to external service providers.

In the cultural sector, many tasks can only be accomplished with the help of additional staff. Professional recruitment agencies help fill gaps and find qualified personnel such as security guards, service staff, tour guides, art educators, or technical experts. These services enable cultural institutions to recruit staff legally, quickly, and cost-effectively.

The difference between traditional placement and temporary staffing

The fundamental difference between traditional recruitment and temporary staffing lies in the scope of responsibility. In recruitment, a service provider finds a suitable employee for a company, which then hires them directly. The recruiter receives a commission for this service, and their role ends once the position is filled.

In contrast, with temporary staffing (also known as employee leasing or temporary employment), an employee is assigned to a company for a specific period but remains employed by the staffing agency. The cultural institution pays the agency a fixed daily rate. This form of employment is subject to strict legal regulations, such as the German Temporary Employment Act (AÜG), which, among other things, stipulates a maximum assignment period of 18 months.

Particularly important: After a maximum of nine months, temporary workers are entitled to the same essential working conditions as permanent staff (equal pay). Furthermore, temporary staffing requires a permit, although there are exceptions for certain situations.

Why museums and theaters rely on external staffing agencies

Cultural institutions face several challenges that make the use of external personnel service providers worthwhile:

• Demographic change : The workforce is aging, while there are fewer young recruits.
• New job profiles : In the last three decades, the cultural job market has changed dramatically due to new fields of activity such as marketing and fundraising.
• Limited budgets : Many cultural institutions do not have sufficient funds for an independent, well-equipped human resources department.

Through recruitment and temporary staffing agencies, cultural institutions can leverage various advantages: personnel costs can be optimized if the service provider can offer certain services more cheaply due to economies of scale or specialization. Furthermore, fixed costs are converted into variable costs, increasing flexibility in times of fluctuating finances.

Vreespol   recruitment  and  temporary staffing  agency with over 30 years of company history. Since its founding in 1994, the company has transformed from an agricultural services provider into a versatile staffing agency.

Today, Vreespol employs over 500 dedicated full-time staff and collaborates with more than 300 well-known partner companies. In 2023, the range of industries served was significantly expanded.

Furthermore, temporary staffing allows for a flexible response to special exhibitions or events. In contrast, unprofessional personnel selection can lead to lengthy processes, inadequate communication, and ultimately high costs due to failed placements and re-advertising.

In the cultural sector, temporary staffing is particularly common for supervisory and security personnel, as well as for cleaning and event services. The right personnel strategy therefore contributes significantly to the success of cultural institutions.

How temporary staffing works in large cultural institutions

The practical implementation of temporary staffing in cultural institutions follows a four-stage process that defines clear procedures for both the staffing agency and the client company. Unlike in commercial companies, the specific requirements of cultural institutions must be taken into account.

Step 1: Needs assessment and requirements profile

First, the cultural institution determines its specific staffing needs. Ideally, this is done through a systematic analysis of current activities and a forecast of future requirements. For cultural institutions, it is crucial not only to create a general job profile but also to tailor it to the specific employee group. After all, the requirements for a museum attendant differ fundamentally from those for a curator or a technician. The job profile should therefore include the following elements:

• Operationalized competence characteristics with concrete examples
• Weighting of the individual characteristics according to their importance
• Distinguishing between necessary and beneficial qualifications

Step 2: Candidate search and pre-selection

The second step involves finding suitable candidates. While this task was traditionally the responsibility of the human resources department, cultural institutions are increasingly relying on external recruitment agencies due to limited resources. These agencies have specialized networks and can utilize both traditional and web-based recruitment methods.

For highly qualified positions such as curatorial or academic roles, collaboration with recruitment consultants specializing in the cultural sector is recommended. They are familiar with the specific characteristics of the job market and can make a pre-selection that meets the specific requirements.

Step 3: Contract design and legal framework

The next step is the contractual structuring of the temporary employment arrangement. Several legal requirements must be observed here. Since April 2017, the contract between the temporary work agency and the client company must explicitly designate the arrangement as temporary employment. Furthermore, the temporary workers must be specifically named before the start of the assignment. The maximum assignment period is 18 months for the same temporary worker at the same client company.

After a maximum of nine months, the principle of equal pay – the remuneration must then correspond to that of comparable permanent employees. Particularly important: Violations of these regulations can result in fines of up to €30,000 and may unintentionally create an employment relationship with the hiring company.

Step 4: Support during the secondment period

Finally, the actual assignment period begins, during which the temporary worker is employed at the cultural institution. In this phase, the client institution assumes the right to give instructions, similar to an employer, while the temporary work agency continues to act as the actual employer and remains responsible for wage payments and social security contributions. For cultural institutions, integrating temporary workers into existing teams is particularly challenging.

Professional support from the staffing agency can provide valuable assistance here. Furthermore, the works council of the hiring company should be fully informed about the duration of the assignment, the place of work, and the job duties – an obligation explicitly enshrined in the Works Constitution Act since its amendment.

Advantages of temporary work for museums and cultural institutions

Temporary staffing offers numerous strategic advantages for cultural institutions. The Thuringian Museums Association, for example, reports critical staffing situations in many institutions due to municipal austerity measures – a problem that can be mitigated by flexible staffing models.

Flexible response to special exhibitions and events

Museums and theaters operate in cycles of special exhibitions and events, which create short-term increases in staffing needs. This becomes particularly challenging when personnel planning has to be done under time pressure. In such situations, temporary staffing offers crucial advantages.

If, for example, a team member is unavailable at short notice or an event becomes more staff-intensive than expected, temporary staffing allows for quick replacements without lengthy hiring processes. Project-based collaboration gives museums the flexibility to purchase specific expertise for individual projects without incurring long-term personnel costs.

Reduced administrative burden in the HR department

Temporary staffing significantly relieves the burden on in-house HR departments. While without external service providers, hours of phone calls and numerous emails are often necessary, temporary staffing agencies handle these administrative tasks. Furthermore, temporary staffing is proving to be a key solution to the growing shortage of skilled workers.

Modern human resources management tools also allow for transparent planning, where all involved parties have access to current deployment schedules at any time. This minimizes communication problems, which can occur particularly in cultural institutions with international teams.

Access to specialized professionals in the cultural sector

Another significant advantage is access to specialists. Freelancers and temporary staff enrich the team with fresh perspectives and up-to-date knowledge from a variety of institutions. This is particularly valuable for special exhibitions or projects that require specialized expertise not available within the team.

The Thuringian Museums Association emphasizes that museum work requires qualified personnel who can adequately care for the collections. Temporary staffing allows cultural institutions to acquire precisely this expertise for a limited period.

Pre-employment trials using Temp2Perm models

Temp2Perm (temporary to permanent) offers a smooth transition from temporary work to permanent employment. In this model, employees initially work on a temporary basis before being hired into a permanent position. This allows cultural institutions to assess an employee's skills and suitability in practice before making a long-term commitment.

This model not only reduces the risks of a bad hire for the employer, but also gives the prospective employee a comprehensive insight into the company. A successful transition depends on the employee's performance, the company's needs, and available permanent positions.

Furthermore, the project-based approach allows for better adaptation to the irregular work cycles of many museums. During the intensive preparation phase of an exhibition, a large team can work, while in quieter periods the staff is reduced accordingly – a flexibility that is hardly achievable with permanent employees.

Typical areas of application in cultural institutions

Cultural institutions offer a remarkable variety of positions that can be filled through temporary staffing agencies. This heterogeneity reflects the complex demands that museums, theatres and other cultural institutions must meet.

Curatorial and academic positions

In the programming departments of cultural institutions, content concepts are developed and cultural works are presented. These positions often require individuals with academic training and specialized knowledge. They work on the conception of exhibitions, the staging of cultural works, and the creation of educational programs. The staff in this field come from diverse educational and professional backgrounds – from academics to experienced cultural mediators. These employees are in direct contact with artistic and cultural works and therefore require in-depth knowledge of their subject area as well as the ability to communicate complex content clearly and effectively.

Museum education and visitor services

The field of museum education and visitor services encompasses numerous tasks that involve direct interaction with the public. These include conducting museum education programs for diverse target groups such as school classes, kindergarten groups, or as part of children's birthday parties. A typical job posting in this area requires:

• Communicating museum and exhibition content through guided tours tailored to specific target groups
• Development of new event concepts and teaching materials
• Strong communication skills and very good language skills

Visitor service staff are also responsible for providing general information about tickets, prices, and events, as well as coordinating registrations and compiling visitor statistics. Both areas require not only specialist knowledge but, above all, excellent communication skills and a friendly demeanor.

Event management and project coordination

Event management in cultural institutions encompasses the planning, organization, and execution of exhibitions, conferences, and cultural events. Employees in this field require strong organizational skills and a passion for implementing artistic concepts. Their responsibilities include:

• Selection and coordination of all participating parties (speakers, sponsors, external service providers)
• Taking over logistical tasks and on-site event support
• Planning and billing of events

Project coordinators work closely with various departments and ensure a smooth process from conception to execution. They must be able to handle both artistic content and organizational challenges, making them ideal candidates for temporary staffing agencies.

Administrative and commercial support

The administrative department forms the backbone of every cultural institution and includes sub-departments such as finance, controlling, management, accounting, human resources, legal, and IT. These positions manage the cultural operations and keep all structures running smoothly. Typical tasks include:

• Contract drafting and personnel administration
• Accounting and financial management
• Third-party funding management and proof of expenditure

Employees with commercial training or comparable qualifications, as well as experience in the accounting of third-party funds and grant programs, are particularly in demand. Specific knowledge and experience are becoming increasingly important for the administration of cultural institutions, which is why the use of temporary workers can also be beneficial in this sector.

The diversity of these areas of application shows that temporary staffing can be used in almost all areas of cultural institutions – from highly specialized specialist positions to support activities.

Challenges and solutions in personnel recruitment

Despite its numerous advantages, recruitment in the cultural sector faces unique challenges. The job market in the cultural sector has changed dramatically over the last three decades, placing new demands on the qualifications and skills of employees.

Communicate culture-specific requirements effectively

Communicating culture-specific requirements demands particular sensitivity. Cultural institutions often seek "all-rounders and multi-talented individuals" who, in addition to relevant professional experience, also possess diverse qualifications, specializations, and cross-disciplinary knowledge. These "jack-of-all-trades" are naturally difficult to find in a shrinking and highly competitive job market.

A lack of precision in job postings often leads to problems: It's not uncommon for current vacancies to have no selection criteria or criteria that are vaguely formulated. One solution is to develop detailed job profiles, distinguishing between essential and merely beneficial qualifications. Furthermore, cultural institutions should avoid including too much information in a job posting, as this can deter younger applicants.

Integration of temporary workers into existing teams

Integrating temporary employees presents another challenge. Temporary workers often enter an unfamiliar environment with new processes and colleagues. Clear and respectful communication is crucial for successful integration.

Practical tip : Introduce the person to the team, explain procedures, and provide contact information – ideally on the very first day. Furthermore, it's advisable to schedule regular feedback sessions – even for short assignments. This clarifies misunderstandings early on and strengthens the team's connection to the work location.

Measures such as regular team meetings and inclusion in communication channels are particularly effective. An inclusive corporate culture welcomes every employee, regardless of whether they are permanent staff or temporary workers.

Quality assurance and industry expertise of the intermediary

Given the specific requirements of the cultural sector, choosing the right recruitment agency is crucial. Nevertheless, cultural institutions are often still far from implementing professional recruitment practices. Limited budgets and the lack of an independent and adequately staffed HR department further complicate the situation.

When selecting a recruitment agency, their industry expertise should therefore be a key consideration. Ideally, the agency should possess in-depth knowledge of the cultural sector and understand the specific requirements of the various positions. Successful agencies, in fact, rely on years of market experience, uncompromising discretion, and a well-considered networking approach.

Furthermore, the intermediary should possess intercultural skills in order to support the integration of foreign professionals – an increasingly relevant aspect in light of demographic change.

Conclusions

Personnel placement in the cultural sector has undoubtedly evolved from a niche service to an indispensable tool for successful cultural institutions. Temporary staffing, in particular, offers museums and theaters crucial strategic advantages. Flexible staffing models allow institutions to respond quickly to special exhibitions, reduce administrative burdens, and gain access to specialized professionals.

Nevertheless, it's true that temporary work in the cultural sector only functions optimally if culture-specific requirements are precisely communicated. Generalists with diverse qualifications are rare – therefore, the careful development of realistic job profiles is worthwhile. Furthermore, the successful integration of temporary employees requires respectful communication from day one.

In summary, the cultural sector proves to be a dynamic field of work that can significantly benefit from professional HR strategies. While large institutions have long relied on diverse workforces, cultural organizations are only now discovering the potential of flexible employment models. Those who utilize specialized recruitment agencies with industry expertise gain twice over: qualified staff and valuable time savings in the recruitment process.

The future of cultural work will undoubtedly be shaped by hybrid personnel structures. Temp2Perm models offer an elegant bridge between temporary work and permanent employment – ​​practically allowing both sides to get to know each other. Ultimately, the cultural sector remains a labor-intensive field that can only achieve its artistic and economic goals with a smart personnel strategy.