PGA Championship on Kiawah Island looking to hire 200 more staff

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - With just weeks until the PGA Championship on Kiawah Island, hiring managers with the tournament are looking to bring in around 200 people to work the event.

Half of those positions will be for parking attendants and the others are for concessions and hospitality.

“Everything from an overnight team to movement of food, general concessions, to bartending, to being a premium chalet attendant so everything for everybody,” General Manager of the Patina Restaurant Group Eric Babcook said.

The push to fill temporary positions comes during a nationwide shortage of employees in the hospitality business.

“It’s really a difficult time right now, there are people that are still worried to get to get back to work as well as just opening up in itself,” Babcook said.

Vanessa Jones is the program director for the company filling parking staff positions, HR Connects.

“It’s always a little better to have a little more than enough than not enough,” Jones said.

Jones said her company has seen the firsthand impacts of the hiring shortage.

“It has been a really big struggle, this year and last year as far as bringing people in, we have had more clients reach out to us needing help, needing workers than it seems like ever before,” Jones said.

Even with the challenge of filling dozens of spots in less than a month, Babcook said he’s confident they will meet the staffing needs to put on a successful PGA championship.

“People have the opportunity to work for an event that’s not a yearly event in Kiawah S.C.,” Babcook said. “Everybody that is willing to come and work and is excited about the championship, we are all ears. We need everybody we can.”

People working in parking staff positions must be able to stand for a six to eight-hour shift. Anyone interested in parking should reach out to HR Connects at bsmith@hrconnectsllc.com or call (812) 491-6171.

Those interested in reaching out to the Patina Restaurant Group for their open spots should visit their website online here.

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