Take Control Of Aquatic Staffing
Start now for a top-notch 2022 season
By Joe Stefanyak
Aquatic facilities across the country are facing unprecedented staffing challenges. How they are addressed today can lead to an even stronger foundation in the future.
Photo: © Can Stock Photo / lucidwaters
Full-time staff reductions, extended periods of furlough, and, in some cases, a hesitancy to return to public-facing jobs, join economic and political factors in creating the greatest staffing challenge in recent memory. Focusing on these three critical areas is essential to delivering a safe swim season and setting a facility up for an even brighter recovery.
Full-Time Leadership And On-Deck Presence
There’s no better way to train new lifeguards and supervisors than by allowing them to watch you work. But before hitting the deck—whether returning to your roots or taking over aquatics as part of increased responsibilities due to position elimination—take time to educate, or re-educate, yourself on day-to-day operating procedures. If you have never been a lifeguard, now is the time to translate your leadership experience directly to aquatics; demonstrate the level of skill you expect from lifeguards, and coach as you go. Go ahead and take that lifeguard course.
Being present on deck provides a first-hand picture of how new or newly promoted lifeguards are acclimating, which delivers a glimpse of who future supervisors and mid-level manager candidates might be.
Supervisory Leadership
Aquatic operators are reporting a less than 30-percent return rate for seasonal aquatic team members. And many who have returned are rusty after a year or more on the sidelines. Many seasoned supervisors, once so critical in terms of evaluating, educating, and remediating on a daily basis, haven’t returned. And the new group of supervisors doesn’t have as many years of experience supervising, or even lifeguarding.
Set these new and future leaders up for success by working alongside them and investing in their professional development. Keeping supervisors fully engaged with the lifeguard staff—and away from the desk—is critical for ensuring that new lifeguards have a positive and professional first experience. This factor reinforces the need for full-time leadership to be on-deck more often, not only to support and model behavior for supervisors, but also to allow them the time they need away from the deck to invest in their development. Leadership programs equip lifeguard supervisors with the inspection, administration, supervision, and critical-thinking skills they need.
Photo: © Can Stock Photo / sparkia
Operational Integrity
With fewer lifeguards and supervisors on staff, operators are working harder. They also have to work smarter. Maintaining strict adherence to standard procedures allows operators to be successful in meeting or exceeding safe operations.
Difficult decisions about reducing hours or closing attractions may need to be made in order to maintain a standard of care and operating safety. If your Zone Validation does not support operating with reduced staffing, make the tough choice. Don’t skimp on safety.
In addition to maintaining safety standards, operators must consider the strain that short-staffing situations create for lifeguards. Burned-out, over-worked lifeguards may experience difficulty maintaining their vigilance, call off more frequently, or quit. Being short-staffed may also create challenges keeping up in-service training and VAT drills; stay focused on continuing these important lifeguard-development opportunities.
The Bright Side
Once we all get through this difficult time, we’ll be smarter, more efficient, and better prepared. Getting it right today will make the entire process of recruiting, hiring, training, and operating smoother in 2022.
Joe Stefanyak is a Senior Client Director at Ellis & Associates in Irwin, Penn. He has more than 30 years of aquatic-industry experience. For more information, visit https://jellis.com.