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Brigad is on a mission to make work “attractive and accessible to all” – and this is how.
It may have only been around in our city for a couple of months now, but Brigad already looks like it’s fast becoming the future for freelancers.
In you’re unfamiliar with this innovative new app and what it’s all about, Brigad first burst onto the hospitality scene all the way back in 2016, and went on to make a deserved name for itself both here in the UK and with our overseas neighbours in France, before it finally launched in Manchester earlier this year.
Brigad prides itself on being a company with a mission, and the goal is “to make work attractive and accessible to all”.
It’s a platform that allows businesses in our city to be put in touch with verified self-employed professionals in just a few clicks – which ultimately saves precious time, as the entire administrative process is automated, and also gives freelancers to the chance to choose work freely every day from a large number of well-paid assignments that work ideally for their timetable, lifestyle, career path, and income.
Given that the hospitality industry has had to overcome a lot more than other sectors post-COVID, and with the staffing crisis within the sector now said to be reaching points of over 3,000 ongoing open vacancies, Brigad could not have come to Manchester at a more ideal time.
Read more: Brigad is the future of freelance work in Manchester’s hospitality industry
Having already connected around 4,000 freelance workers with opportunities across London, the company is adamant that there is no time to waste in applying these resources to the great city of Manchester, and says its presence here is vital to “ensure efficient post-pandemic recovery” of the city’s hospitality industry.
But, if you’re a freelance professional in Manchester hospitality who’s keen to change the way you work, then what exactly is Brigad all about? How do you use it? And what do you need to know to get started?
Let’s break it down.
Brigad is all about collaboration.
It’s a platform that puts end-to-end collaboration between hospitality businesses and qualified self-employed professionals right at the forefront, and is all about empowering hospitality workers by helping to connect them to temporary freelance shifts with a decent and fair minimum hourly payment.
To get started, you’ll simply need to download the app from your app store, and sign up by completing your personal information and uploading a copy of your ID.
Once you’ve officially signed up, you’ll first need to book a slot with a member of the Brigad team, who will introduce the app to you and discuss your experience and skills in order to give you the best experience, all before you take on your first mission.
After you’ve successfully accepted your first mission, you’re then set to earn on average 15% more than the industry standard income – and all with no obligation to accept regular shifts.
All that’s left now is to turn up to your first mission, and let Brigad know how it goes by leaving the business a review – which gives other Brigaders an insight into what it’s like to work at the business.
This, once again, encourages helpful and collaborative communication.
Brigad offers freelancers a great deal of flexibility as there is no minimum or maximum number of shifts required to be a ‘Brigader’, and this allows you to have complete control over the way you wish to work, with no impact on your career in hospitality going forward.
Businesses can also choose to favourite freelancers who have fit in with their establishment particularly well, and this means you’ll receive their shifts before other Brigaders.
This means regular work with no contract – the dream, for many.
But if you do need cancel your shift last minute though, for whatever reason that may be, you will need to be mindful that this could affect your ability to receive missions in the future, as last-minute cancellations are a great inconvenience to businesses, and most of the time, they are unable to find a replacement for you.
Brigad says it always recommends calling the business you have signed up to work for in advance to check how early to turn up for your shift, what to wear, and if there is anything extra you need to bring with you, as this not only helps you to be as prepared as possible, but businesses particularly appreciate it too and it creates a good first impression.
Remember to be your best self too, because as a self-employed professional, businesses will also be leaving a review on you.
Once you have established yourself on the Brigad app with good reviews and frequent shifts, the company says it can offer the opportunity for career development through earning the ‘Super Brigader’ badge – which means you can then receive 1-1 advice from an advisor to ensure your career is developing as you’d like.
If you’re keen to find out more information and discover how Brigad can help shape the future of your freelance hospitality career across Manchester, then make sure you head on over to the company’s website here.
You can also follow Brigad on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Featured Image – Arnaud Caillou (via Brigad)
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A brand-new comedy festival is set to arrive in Manchester this week, and there’s some seriously famous names gearing up to bring the laughs.
Laughterama is an all-new five-night festival that’s set to combine a packed lineup of some of comedy’s multi-talented names, with a handful of the city’s best-loved bars and traders from right across the street food scene.
A new venture from the sibling team behind a series of successful comedy festivals running annually across London and the South, comedy fans heading on down to Castlefield Bowl for Laughterama 2022 this week can expect a mix of the biggest names in stand-up to take to the same stage as some of the brightest new talents.
James Acaster, Aisling Bea, and Rosie Jones are just some of the famous names on the lineup.
Laughterama is taking over Castlefield Bowl in Manchester city centre from Wednesday 21 – Sunday 25 September 2022, and it’s promising to be “a seriously good time in the heart of the city”.
Here’s everything you need to know.
The Laughterama 2022 lineup is absolutely packed with heavy-hitting names and upcoming top talent set to make the people of Manchester laugh across the five-day festival.
Here’s the lineup and stage times for each day of the festival:
Festival opens at 6pm and show begins at 7:30pm.
Festival opens at 6pm and show begins at 7:30pm.
Festival opens at 6pm and show begins at 7:30pm.
Festival opens at 2pm and show begins at 3pm.
Festival opens at 6pm and show begins at 7:30pm.
Festival opens at 3pm and show begins at 4pm.
Festival opens at 6pm and show begins at 7:30pm.
You can find out more about the full Laughterama 2022 lineup here.
As well as catching some uproarious stand up sets, those heading to Laughterama 2022 will also get to feast on some of Manchester’s best street food throughout the event.
Alongside some established food favourites, the festival has also booked up and comer Thief Street, Mexican taco truck Nina’s, top-end kebab kitchen Eat Like a Greek, and beloved bagel company Triple Bagels.
Meanwhile, those with a sweet tooth will be catered to with pancakes from Eat Dutch Lekker or a range of sugary treats from Ravenous Fudge.
Here’s the full lineup of traders:
Find out more about all the food and drink traders at Laughterama 2022 here.
Laughterama 2022 is taking over Castlefield Bowl in Manchester city centre.
With the unique venue being in the heart of the Castlefield district, this means that the closest train station is Deansgate, the closest Metrolink stop is Deansgate-Castlefield, and there are several bus stops nearby – although, the venue is within walking distance from several of the city’s other major public transport stations.
There is no event parking, but there are many car parks in close proximity.
Festival organisers ask that all festivalgoers check tickets for information about the gate opening and show start times.
You’re also asked to just bring one medium sized bag per person to the event, as this will greatly assist with security checks, and there are also set to be no cloakroom facilities at the festival either so personal belongings will need to be kept with you at all times.
You can plan your trip on the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) website here.
As anyone who is familiar with Castlefield Bowl will know well, the venue is an open-air arena with the majority of seating uncovered, which means that all festivalgoers are advised to keep the classic Manchester weather in the front of their minds, and check the weather forecast ahead of time so that you dress accordingly.
Although it could be a little too early to tell, especially as weather is forever changing, at this point, it looks like we’re in for a mixed bag of weather conditions across the five days of the festival.
On Wednesday, you can expect a dry day with cloud cover and temperatures ranging from 11°C-20°C, and then on Thursday, some rain showers are expected, but Friday looks to see the sun poke through the clouds with temperatures in the region of 11°C-19°C.
On Saturday, we’re in for another dry and cloudy day with highs of 19°C, and then to round-out the festival on Sunday, some showers are expected, once again with highs of 18°C / 19°C.
Find out full advanced weather forecasts for Manchester on the Met Office website here.
Like the sounds of what you’ve heard? Fancy nipping down this week?
Given the immensely-talented lineup of comedy names at Laughterama 2022, and the fact that tickets have been on sale for a good couple of weeks now to popular demand, some of the events and days are unfortunately completely sold out, and there are only a limited number of tickets left on the days that are available.
Tickets will set you back just £25 each, and you can find out more about which shows on the lineup are still available to catch on the Laughterama website here.
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Featured Image – Lloyd Winters (via Supplied)
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Manchester is soon to become home to a bustling community of new and returning students this month as the next academic year begins.
And plenty of those students will be looking to work alongside their studies.
As anyone who is or has ever been a student will tell you, university is as much about getting to enjoy the full experience of living in a new city and everything that city has to offer, as it is walking away with a degree at the end of it of your time there – but this generally comes at a price.
The cost of student life doesn’t tend to be cheap, and, like everything else at the moment, it’s sadly only on the rise, which is why so many students are keen to get themselves a part-time or flexible job that can slot around their studies in an environment where they are respected and have the freedom to earn the money they want.
Striking the right balance between finding time for work and studies can be tricky, but one local recruitment company is making this easier than ever before.
This is where Easy Staffing shines.
Based in the heart of Manchester and operating across the whole of the city-region, Easy Staffing is a unique solution to your employment needs that offers you complete flexibility of where and when you work within the hospitality sector.
Founded by business owner and director Reece Deignon with the mission to “make the industry’s best matches”, he used his many years of experience working within all sides of the recruitment industry – both traditional agencies and app-based agencies – to combine the best of these strategies and create his own vision.
“Easy Staffing was created on the foundations of wanting to make a difference,” Mr Deignon explains.
“Our passion is to see both clients and members succeed.”
Easy Staffing offers a “light-touch approach” compared to the traditional agencies, as Mr Deignon explains, and this allows those that use the custom-built platform to “get on with their life” and pick-up shifts that work best for them and suit their needs.
The company places top Manchester-based talent in roles within the hospitality industry – including bar service, event staff and supervisors, festival staff, kitchen staff, chefs, waiters, kitchen porters, and more.
It prides itself on great communication, flexibility, and diverse opportunities for members.
Easy Staffing’s main aim is to gain long-lasting relationships with its members through “outstanding communication and respect”, and this all starts with the recruitment process.
All you’ll need to do is download the app and follow these three simple steps:
There’s no better way to learn about how Easy Staffing works than to hear from people who have used the platform in the past.
“I joined Easy Staffing after a number of years out of the hospitality industry,” one user explains.
“The application process and subsequent interview was really efficient and fair. Using the app to get shifts is so easy and the flexibility is great for me as I work full-time too. The clients and customers that we deal with are always grateful and treat you like a member of the team.
“The team that supports us are always supportive and understanding, as sometimes things change in life.
“There’s always plenty of work opportunities.”
Keen to take the hassle out of your job search, and work in a flexible environment where you are valued and respected?
Read more:
Easy Staffing is here to help all students returning to Manchester find the best job suited to their requirements and needs, so whether it’s a part-time job or full-time work you’re after, the company makes sure to put “the happiness of our members at the forefront of everything we do”.
You can find out more about Easy Staffing and sign-up to the app here, or send any previous experience over to [email protected]
Featured Image – Easy Staffing
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