When managing a busy film or TV production schedule, you know how important it is to start on time and keep the process moving efficiently. To help make the project a success, you need each crew member in place, on time, and ready to do their part.
Hiring and onboarding TV and film production crews is no small undertaking. Average crew sizes have grown over the years, making the process even more challenging. According to film data researcher Stephen Bellows, the average number of crew members on a film has increased by 51 percent in the past two decades.
Whether you manage film and TV projects with crews of 100 people or 1,000 people, you need a way to onboard crew members quickly and in compliance with all applicable onboarding requirements.
For a more streamlined crew onboarding process, consider the following tips:
1. Automate the process.
Employee onboarding is often a document-driven process, but that doesn’t mean you or your crew members must be drowning in paperwork. An automated crew onboarding solution can help cut down on all the paper and manual processes associated with creating, signing, and organizing onboarding documents.
The benefits of automated crew onboarding include:
- Compliance: With an automated solution for crew onboarding, you have a reliable system for managing requisite documents that adhere to union and legal requirements.
- Efficiency: An automated system helps you save time so you can focus on other important tasks.
- Fewer Errors: Creating crew start packets with an automated solution can help you avoid paperwork errors and inconsistencies that could delay the start of production, such as misreading someone’s handwriting or misplacing a form.
2. Stay on top of compliance and contractual requirements.
When you replace manual processes with an automated solution, it’s easier to stay up to date on key requirements, such as union crew scale rates. From legally binding electronic signatures to I-9 verification support, a comprehensive crew onboarding solution provides the tools necessary to help you stay in compliance with contractual stipulations and applicable legal requirements.
3. Customize crew member start packets based on production needs.
Just as no two productions are the same, there is likely some variation in the type and number of start documents required for each crew member. A customizable onboarding solution makes it possible for your production or company to adjust start packets based on crew member roles and other criteria. A customizable onboarding solution fits your production type and company requirements so that start packets contain the documents required for each crew member.
4. Make it mobile.
Mobile-friendly onboarding is much more efficient in today’s fast-paced work environment, especially when crew members may come from many different locations. With a crew onboarding solution that you can use on any device, it’s easier to approve offers, invite crew members to complete the onboarding process, and share documents anytime, anywhere.
5. Take advantage of opportunities to integrate.
Automated crew onboarding shouldn’t happen in isolation. Instead, you can integrate onboarding with related people management activities, such as crew time-tracking and payroll. Not only does integration offer one secure hub for crew members to access their personal and payroll materials, it also helps you manage employee documents and information more efficiently.
Say Goodbye to Manual Crew Onboarding
Crew onboarding doesn’t have to be a stressful process that leaves you open to risks and errors. Instead, you can adopt a paperless solution for faster and more accurate onboarding. By optimizing your crew onboarding activities, you'll leave paper-based, manual onboarding behind for good.
To learn more about how you can simplify your crew onboarding process, explore Start+.
