Better Never Than Late
Best practices for late hires at summer youth programs
By Chris Thurber
Barry, the camp’s former and longtime Tennis Head, was recovering from knee surgery, so he was not able to return. Ever loyal and responsible, Barry had taken the initiative to find a replacement. The camp director was thrilled that Barry found a Division 1 tennis phenom to be the new Tennis Head. Unfortunately, this rising star reneged on his camp contract when his new college coach insisted on double-session practices for most of the summer. As opening day drew nearer, the camp was once again without a Tennis Head.
Photo: © Can Stock Photo / AntonioGuillem
Desperate to fill the vacancy just two days prior to opening day, the camp’s program director had contacted several international staffing organizations, one of which was able to find Dimitri. Not only did his file indicate fluent English, but it also boasted a list of tennis tournament wins. To find someone with Dimitri’s qualifications so close to the start of camp was a coup … or so everyone thought.
Dimitri arrived at camp less than 24 hours after the staffing agency had contacted him. Although his English was rudimentary and hard to understand through his thick accent, he smiled warmly and said he was excited to work with American kids. After unpacking his gear, Dimitri met with the other tennis counselors and looked at Barry’s old program notes. The camp director had time to thank him, shake his hand, and give him a copy of the staff training manual with the admonition, “Everything you need to know is in there. Just focus on tennis and we’ll be good.”
Three weeks later, two police officers arrived at camp to investigate a report from Child Protective Services that a counselor nicknamed “Dimi” had allegedly disciplined several Session One campers by forcefully sliding the head of his tennis racquet between their buttocks or making them squat motionless atop a racquet. According to the report, the counselor had also made some of the boys and girls squat motionless atop their own racquets, balancing them vertically between their rear end and the court surface until their thighs became so fatigued that the racquet handle would poke into them through their shorts.
After speaking with the director, the police requested paper copies of Dimitri’s hiring and training records, as well as the opportunity to speak with him in person.
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The case study above is not exaggerated fiction but an anonymized aggregate of three true stories. Also true is that most late hires do not physically or sexually abuse kids. However, without proper hiring, training, and acculturation, all late hires are liabilities. Sadly, each season brings unforeseen circumstances that necessitate last-minute searches for someone with availability and qualifications. Faced with these hiring challenges, many owners and directors lower the bar to fill vacant positions quickly. Paradoxically, there is no reason to.
The optimal staffing for any youth-serving organization is through internal leadership development (ILD). This multi-year apprenticeship model culls the more-skilled leaders from the less-skilled and gives directors the best predictor of future job performance: past job performance. After selecting the coming season’s staff from last season’s strongest leaders, all staff members—including those promoted from oldest camper to junior leader and those promoted from experienced leader to supervisor—participate in pre-season, online training, followed by in-depth, on-site training.
Another time-honored way to staff a summer youth program is to follow the conventional human resources (CHR) roadmap: posting job openings, reviewing applications and resumes, conducting face-to-face interviews, checking at least three references per candidate, and conducting criminal background checks for all new and returning staff members. Everyone goes through the training described above.
Whereas ILD infuses staff members with the traditions, values, and cultural fluency that create a loyal and reliable team, CHR brings fresh perspectives and talents that can inspire your team. While both methods build skills, ILD relies on multiple years of on-the-job training; CHR relies on previous experience in an allied discipline, plus intensive online and on-site training. Many camps combine these two hiring practices. And some camps add a third method: a reputable agency that specializes in seasonal staff and cultural-exchange visas.
Whatever the hiring method—internal, external, or agency—you must maintain high, absolute standards. Parents and other caregivers want kind, motivated, and talented youth leaders to care for their children. Gradually relaxing hiring and training standards as opening day nears is unethical and unsafe.
For Safety’s Sake
To uphold industry best practices for any late hires, I recommend that all camp owners and directors adhere to these guidelines:
1. Over-hire a bit, using tried-and-true practices that meet or exceed industry standards. If you plan—both in your budget and your program—for a few hires to renege on their signed contracts, then you will not have to do any last-minute hiring.
2. Add online training to your customized on-site training. Full disclosure: I co-founded ExpertOnlineTraining.com in 2007 because no director has enough on-site time with staff members to fully train them. Moreover, all directors want their staff to arrive for on-site training with both professional skills and professional mindsets. And finally, every youth program needs to document not only that training was conducted but also that staff members understood the content.
3. Maintain high and absolute standards for hiring, re-hiring, and on-site training. Too much is at stake to open the door to claims of negligence. If late hires miss part of the on-site training, add coursework to the online training, including quizzes to test comprehension. Never waive on-site skills verification that late hires have missed. Always schedule make-up tests of items like lost-bather drills, lockdown drills, fire drills, safe-touch demonstrations, and skillful discipline role-plays.
4. Personally check three references for all late hires. As tempting as it is to rush a late hire to camp and put that person to work immediately, always take the time to speak with former employers, teachers, and other professionals first. For someone with a penchant to mistreat children or take unhealthy risks, small warning signs are almost always noticed.
5. Assign peer mentors to all staff members, no matter how old or experienced. And for late hires, whose skills are yet to be fully vetted, be sure they function only as co-leaders, accompanied by a skilled veteran as a mentor, until the senior leadership team is confident in their skills and judgment. All staff benefit from peer oversight, praise, criticism, and confidence.
6. Coach late hires early and often instead of writing off rookie mistakes by saying, “It’s understandable because they missed part of the usual training.” Give feedback to your late hires on every single error or omission, no matter how small. Prepare them for this intensive coaching by explaining that it’s part of all late hires’ professional development. You may even want to give two peer mentors to each of your late hires.
Better that you never have any late hires, because they begin at a disadvantage and create extra work for you and your staff. Hire a deep bench and you can absorb some attrition, thereby obviating the need for late hires. However, if you absolutely must make a late hire or two, then adhere to the principles above to uphold a sterling standard in all aspects of hiring and training.
Dr. Christopher Thurber is devoted to educating leaders, using innovative content that stirs thinking and compels action. An entrepreneur from a young age, Chris is the co-founder of ExpertOnlineTraining.com, the Internet’s most popular library of educational videos for youth leaders. He has been invited to deliver keynotes, contribute articles, and lead workshops at schools and camps on five continents. Learn more about Chris’s books, articles, videos, and in-person workshops by visiting https://DrChrisThurber.com.