How to Hire Camp Staff on a Budget

 It is not a secret that businesses have been having trouble finding and retaining employees. This has been an even larger ongoing struggle in the world of summer camp. As camp director's we depend on having the correct number of staff to keep things running smoothly. 

I'm very thankful that I have not had any issues in the last three years with hiring and have spent a total of $0 on advertising. I have always had plenty of staff to choose from during the hiring process. I want to help other camps that are struggling, so here are my best tips. 

1. Revamp your CIT Program

This tip might not help you right at this moment, but it will be a game-changer in the future. I entirely revamped our CIT program to ensure that our CITs take away the skills to become great counselors. Part of this process involves allowing our CITs to come back as junior counselors. Since I work for a Girl Scout camp, junior staff do not count in my ratio. Because of this, we avoided hiring them after their completion of the CIT program. This led to many potential staff moving on from camp and finding an alternative summer job. Instead, we offer paid junior counselor positions. The starting pay is less than a regular counselor, but so are the responsibilities. This has worked out amazing as most of my junior counselors come back as counselors when they are 18. I was also able to use them in other roles such as kitchen and assisting with set-up. This was actually a huge help! 

2. Use Facebook Groups

This is my number one secret to finding and hiring quality staff. Many potential staff are already on Facebook and scroll through their newsfeeds regularly. I've found that posting into applicable Facebook groups is the perfect way to get your job seen by thousands. To accomplish this, I find Facebook groups of local colleges in my state and I ask to join them. With permission from the admin, I advertise my position to interested college students. I also post in other relevant local groups such as job boards, hiking groups, and community event pages. The college parent pages also work great as many parents are encouraging their kids to get jobs! I get at least 2-3 applicants a week with this method. 

3. Evaluate Your Pay Scale

While advertising is effective, it is important to remember that you are not the only camp in your area. Make sure that your wages are competitive with camps nearby. Generally speaking, if you want quality staff, you need to pay them a quality wage. Make sure to mention any additional perks to the pay such as free housing, food, free laundry, use of facilities on weekends, providing certifications, etc. While we know that working at camp is more about the experience than the salary if a potential staff can have a similar experience down the road for $100 more per week they're going to quickly shoot down your offer. 

4. Retention 

This is something that I have worked really hard on over the last three years and it has paid off. It is much easier to hire returning staff than to find all new staff. Going into my first summer, there were no returning staff. I now have a retention rate of 68%, which is awesome! To achieve this percentage, I really had to value each of my staff and provide them with the training and time off that they needed. I had to constantly provide staff with feedback and check in on them regularly. 

5. Use Your Returning Staff

Last year, I started an incentive for returning staff to help me advertise. Chances are that your returning staff have friends or family members who might make a good camp staff. The incentive does not have to be huge. I offered a free camp staff sweatshirt to any staff member who recruited new staff. It is important to include some stipulations such as the new staff member must sign the hiring letter, works a certain number of days, etc. You don't want staff abusing the system. I was able to hire three staff this way last summer and two of them are returning! 

6. Advertise Outside of Your Geographical Area

About 30% of my staff are from out of state. Many of my out-of-state staff are my best staff and return year after year. It really opens up the pool of applicants. You would be surprised how many people are interested in working in a different state over the summer. The key when hiring out-of-state staff is to make sure that they will be excellent additions to your team. The last thing you want is to fire a crazy staff member and have to wait several days before their plane takes off. I don't use international staff as that is an entirely different process and can be rather expensive. 

7. Indeed

I've hired a decent amount of staff using Indeed for free. It does take a bit more time as not all of the applicants are great. I have wasted a fair amount of time waiting for potential candidates for an interview only to be "ghosted." Thankfully, I have found several extremely successful candidates as well. My best advice is to look through the applications carefully and only interview those who seem to fit your criteria and are responsive. 

If you're looking for more suggestions or have even more great ideas, send me a message. I would love to get in touch. 

5 Things I learned During my First Summers as Camp Director

 This upcoming summer will be my third summer as a camp director and 8th summer working at camp! Time sure does fly by fast! When reflecting on my first two summers, I found that I learned a LOT! Here are my top five things that I learned during my first summers as a camp director:

1. Staff will not tell you when there are issues

I went into my first summer with the mindset that if a staff member did not bring an issue to my attention, everything was fine. I quickly found out that this was definitely the wrong approach. As it turns out, many staff members prefer not to tell you they are struggling until the end of camp. While this might seem frustrating (trust me, it was), I realized that the error was mine. I failed to check in with staff when they needed someone to check in with them. Since incorporating weekly check-ins problems are addressed and handled with ease (most of the time). Next summer, I am planning to have 1-on-1 meetings with everyone on my admin team in an effort to close the communication gap. 

2. Job descriptions are important 

This might seem like a "well duh" statement. Unfortunately, I decided to skimp when it came to creating and going over job descriptions. I simply used the job descriptions that were already in place. Big mistake! As it turns out, a lot has changed in the last 15 years. While I presented every staff with a job description, I did not put enough emphasis on actually reading the job descriptions. Another big mistake! I now require all staff to read and sign their updated job description and even created a PowerPoint that pulls certain parts from the description to ensure they understand what they need to do on the job. 

3. Don't skimp on staff training

Staff training is the last place to skimp. My first summer, I went in with a lot of assumptions about what my staff should know. It turns out, most of my assumptions were wrong. I first realized this during the 5th week of summer when over half of the returning staff did not know how to start a campfire or comfort a homesick camper. Let's just say that we had a few rough weeks and sleepless nights. I now do a pre-camp survey of skills so that I can really focus on the needs of my staff during training. I also added a lot of "simple skills" to the training schedule. For the staff that already know what they are doing it is a great opportunity for them to step up into a leadership position. I've also incorporated pre-camp trainings that include job description basics and a day in the life and camp. 

4. Feed your camp staff good food

I will be the first to admit that I am not a great cook. Unfortunately, being a cook sometimes is a part of the job when it comes to being a camp director. My kitchen staff often don't start until our campers come. This means that I am responsible for planning and creating meals during staff training. Let's just say two weeks of wraps and sandwiches gains little appreciation. My plan for next summer is to allow my staff to be more involved in the meal plan process and learn some great crock-pot recipes! I will also be assigning staff the responsibility of cooking meals on set days. When staff are not fed well, it tends to lead to excessive crankiness and a lack of learning. 

5. Hiring.

Let's just say that I have learned a lot about the hiring process. Finding great staff is crucial to a great summer and sometimes it just takes one bad apple to destroy the rest of the team. I'm thankful that I have been able to find plenty of staff each summer and have a good group of returning staff. I'll be posting some hiring tips in my next blog, so be sure to check back soon. 

Essential Items Every Camp Counselor Needs

 I've spent my last 8 summers working at camp. While I'm now a Camp Director, I started out as a counselor. Through my summers spent at camp, I learned what items are helpful and what items are not needed for the camp counselor. My packing list changed from "bringing everything but the kitchen sink," to pack the essentials for a successful summer. If you're thinking of heading off to summer camp this coming summer, consider packing the following essentials. You won't be sorry that you packed these items. 

1. Tie-dye

If you are into trending fashion, the number one fashion at summer camps across the nation is tie-dye! My camp staff LOVE tie-dye, but most of them also have a tight budget. I have spent hours searching the web for the perfect tie-dye options at a great price. If you're looking for the perfectly priced tie-dye in tons of options, check out these tie-dye creations on Amazon:

Tie Dye Tshirts

2. Comfortable Walking Sandals

Some camps have different requirements for footwear. Thankfully, my camp allows counselors to wear sandals as long as they have backs. That being said, there are many sandals with backs that are deemed inappropriate for long hikes through camp. If you can afford it, Keens, Tevas, or Chacos are the popular shoes of choice. Many people choose Keens because they also have close-toed options. If you're like me and don't want to spend the majority of your paycheck on shoes, try these instead: Vivakix Walking Sandals. I am very picky about my sandals and I find these more comfortable than Chacos and they have lasted me two summers! 

3. The Perfect Backpack

A backpack is essential for working at any camp. It will hold everything you need throughout the day and can be used for overnight trips. While I am all about saving money, a backpack is not an item where I am willing to skimp. I have tried a total of seven different kinds of backpacks. My first six backpacks only lasted one summer or less (a broken backpack mid-season is the worst). My current pack has gone through two summers and is still going strong. This Osprey Backpack is by far my favorite. Be careful when picking out colors because not all options have a water bottle holder. For me, a place to stash my water bottle is essential. 

4. Multiple Sturdy Waterbottles

Drinking water is SO important when you are a camp counselor. It can be easy to forget and drinking fountains are not always available. Since you will be working primarily outdoors and around children all day, it's important to get something sturdy that will hold up to the elements. I always like to have a couple on hand just in case. My favorite is the Camelback Chute. I always buy Camelback because of the lifetime guarantee. I've had several water bottles and parts replaced over the years and it has always been super simple. The bottles themselves are incredibly sturdy. I prefer the chute option because the options with mouthpieces tend to be prone to mold. 

5. Personalized Beach and Shower Towels

A towel is essential for any trip, but especially essential if you are a camp counselor. After endless days of lifeguarding at the pool or assisting at the lake, you're going to want more than one towel. After losing my fair share of towels at camp, I advise ordering custom towels with your name or camp name. These Personalized Beach Towels are adorable and affordable! 

6. First Aid Kit

While many camps provide counselors with a first aid kit for campers it is often shared between counselors. It's best to always have basic first aid supplies readily available. You just never know when a camper (or even you) will need a band-aid! I recommend this Basic First Aid Kit. It is the perfect size to clip right on your backpack and has everything you will ever need. 

7. Headlamp or Flashlight

This one might seem silly, but I recommend it for several reasons. While your phone works great in a pinch, the flashlight will quickly drain your battery and not all camps are equipped with outlets in sleeping areas. Additionally, some camps don't even allow cellphones (oh the horror) to be used when campers are present. I recommend this headlamp because it is extremely durable and can be charged during the day so you don't need to worry about changing batteries. As a bonus, it's water-resistant! 

8. Shower Caddy

If you're unsure of your showering situation, it's best to pack a showering caddy. If you have to lug your shower supplies from one building or even room to another you don't want to throw all your wet items in your backpack and risk leaks. I love this shower caddy because it is adorable and versatile, but there are cheaper options out there. 

9. Sleeping Bag

It's important to note that not all camps offer temperature-controlled sleeping environments. While most nights will likely be warm, it's important to be prepared for cool nights. A sleeping bag will keep you warm and toasty and can also provide a bit of extra padding for not so comfy spaces. I prefer a lightweight sleeping bag that is easy to carry on trips if needed. This one is my favorite and is also affordable! 

10. Cards

Many camps don't offer Wifi and it is always a nice gesture to send a card home. There's a good chance you might even end up a little homesick and a quick note to someone you care about can be a quick remedy. As a counselor, I also kept a few cards and envelopes on hand for homesick campers. My favorite it this pack because of the quantity and price. You can also find some cute cards at your local Dollar Tree if you don't wish to buy in bulk. 

What's on your summer camp essentials packing list? Have something to add? Tell us in the comments!