LA28 Staffing Efforts Lag Behind Paris 2024 as Hiring Begins in Earnest
The LA28 organizing committee is beginning to ramp up hiring as it prepares for the 2028 Olympic Games, yet currently stands at 157 staff, far fewer than Paris 2024’s 4,200. As of December 2024, 23 well-paying positions are listed, indicating a significant need for staff expansion as the costly living in Los Angeles complicates recruitment efforts.
The Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28) organizing committee is beginning to expand staff as it aims to catch up to the hiring pace of its Paris 2024 counterparts. Currently, LA28 has 157 employees, markedly fewer than the 4,200 staffers employed by Paris at the time of their Games. As of December 2024, LA28 anticipates increasing its workforce to 180, but significant gaps remain in their staffing levels. By December 2024, Paris had 379 staff members, leaving LA28 with much hiring ahead of it.
As of December 25, 2024, LA28’s job board lists 23 well-paying positions, up from 6-12 throughout most of 2024. Positions include Vice President of Business Affairs with salaries ranging from $220,000 to $260,000, and several director and managerial roles with salaries between $150,000 and $200,000. Notably, LA28 reported in its 2023 Federal tax return that 58% of its staff (91 of 157) earned over $100,000 in compensation during the year.
The cost of living in Los Angeles remains high, posing challenges for potential hires. With housing costs soaring and public transportation developing, it complicates the recruitment process in such an expensive environment. The chief executive of LA28, Reynold Hoover, will face considerable challenges in staffing adequately to compare with Paris 2024 as he is expected to hire 483 employees next year alone.
The LA28 organizing committee arises from an Olympic bid that was initially intended for 2024 but adjusted to award the city the games for 2028 instead. Seven years into this process, the committee’s workforce has expanded, yet remains significantly smaller compared to the amount of staff present for Paris 2024. The staffing strategy and urgency of recruitment are critical, especially in light of the experiences and benchmarks provided by the Paris Games, which had much larger staff numbers at comparable times in their preparation cycles.
In conclusion, LA28 is currently in a phase of staffing up, significantly trailing behind the hiring pace established by the Paris 2024 organizers. The jobs offered are lucrative, but the high cost of living in Los Angeles presents an additional challenge for recruitment. With substantial hiring ahead, LA28’s leadership must efficiently navigate the organizational challenges to meet staffing needs in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games.
Original Source: www.thesportsexaminer.com
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