Since it can sometimes be difficult to hire a full staff to lead our camp programs, we may be left wondering which character strengths are “must haves,” and which ones we can provide training for. I have heard many camp directors describe hiring “warm bodies” to fill their staff, who sometimes end up as phenomenal staff members — and sometimes do not. Provided herein are suggested questions to help you develop a three-stage, character-focused hiring and training plan, even when your pool of applicants is limited. Initial questions are centered around your interview and hiring processes, and subsequent questions are related to your staff training priorities. As you consider each stage and the questions provided, think of how they apply to your organization’s unique culture.
Stage One: Before You Post Any Jobs
A major focus of the American Camp Association’s Character at Camp grant is on identifying your organization’s unique core values and how they relate to every aspect of how you do business. One might argue that the most important time to apply those values is when looking for new staff members. However, without a clear understanding of what those values are and what they look like in practice at your camp, they cannot guide your screening and hiring processes. This first round of questions is intended to help you identify who you are looking for and what you need from them:
What are our organization’s core values? Read your website, your mission, vision, or values statements, and think deeply about the meaning made at camp. Identify several distinct values to guide the rest of the process. For more support with identifying four core values, see the Character Academy webinar The Pathway to Character Development at Camp (ACAcamps.org/events-education/online-learning/recorded-webinar/pathway-character-development-camp).
Do we have any deal-breakers related to those values? It can be helpful to identify specific red flags that could come up within the hiring process, such as language from an applicant that is discriminatory in some way or a particular behavior noted by a reference. With red flags in mind, you may feel better hiring someone whose interview, though nothing spectacular, didn’t give you any “red flag” vibes.
What are some interview or application questions that address our core values in camp-focused ways? As you develop applications and interview questions, think specifically about questions that give applicants an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of your values. You might be surprised if you ask an applicant what they believe respect looks like at camp, especially broken down by age groups. Can they provide examples of how they have demonstrated one of your values, such as empathy? Or do they have any concerns about any of your core values? Do they want to ask you questions about what they mean at camp?
What are some crucial follow-up questions within interviews that might provide even more insight? We always try to show our best selves in interviews and typically share stories that highlight our peak performances. Consider follow-ups related to examples when the applicant (or someone they observed) did not demonstrate your camp’s core value. What did the applicant learn, or what did that situation mean to them?
How could you incorporate your values into the hiring process in creative ways? Perhaps requesting a resume, answers to questions, and brief interviews are how you have always run your hiring process. What other elements could you add that might give you a better sense of an applicant’s values? What if you asked them to create or imagine something with you or teach you to do a simple task they enjoy? What if you asked them to describe their past work experience in terms of your core values and to think of ways they may have demonstrated your organization’s values in their previous jobs? Could they look at photos or videos of camp in action and identify values at play in the photos? The goal of thinking through these creative ideas is to determine if there are other ways to learn early on about your new staff members’ values.
Stage Two: During Hiring
Your hiring process may take weeks or months and may include several stages. You may have a committee of reviewers or handle it all on your own. While you are in the midst of gathering applications and resumes, conducting interviews on Zoom or in person, and thinking through your options, these are some questions you can use to guide some of your decisions:
As you read or hear answers to your new character-based questions, are you gaining the insights you hoped for? Sometimes a question looks great on paper, but in practice it doesn’t provide you with quality responses. Make notes after each day of interviews — or when reviewing applications — related to any improvements to the questions you think need to be made. In interviews, did any particular follow-up question get you a great response? Note it for next time.
What kind of values-based diversity will you have on your team? As you move through the hiring and staff selection process, consider staff values as another important element of diversity. Though differences in ability to articulate one’s values can make it difficult to really sketch someone’s character based on an interview, you may get a rough idea. If some staff members seem to already be in clear alignment with your organization’s mission, think about ways you could provide them with leadership opportunities throughout the season.
What essential organizational values need to be emphasized or clarified during your staff training this year? Identifying and training on how to put your camp’s values into action through specific staff practices is critical to success in your programs. If you can identify character strengths and struggles before staff training begins, you can plan some extra time to work on a specific value such as courage. How do we create an environment where courage is demonstrated and reinforced? How do we speak and teach about courage? How do we role model courage? For each of your core values, these questions should be answered in training — identifying specific ways to teach, model, and build an environment or culture centered on your values.
Stage Three: Effective Staff Training
In addition to essential training on your camp’s programs, activities, and safety protocols, make sure you plan to keep your core values at the top of everyone’s mind throughout the days of learning. Value words — such as integrity, growth, confidence, or respect — can be interpreted in very different ways or have little meaning at all for some. Because of this, you must spend time before training preparing to show staff what those values look like at your camp. Asking these questions can help:
How can we incorporate our core values into every aspect of training? Whether you are training your staff in first aid, the ropes course, or behavior management, every topic can include specific application of your values. “To demonstrate our core value of [insert core value] during [insert camp activity], we will [insert specific observable behavior(s)].” Even more valuable, ask staff members to brainstorm these structured examples to give them experience with the important thinking patterns that lead to character development.
What opportunities for reflection are we providing during staff training? As you look at your typical staff training schedule, are there already built-in opportunities for reflection? Individual and group reflections on character development infuse meaning into every element of camp. Prioritize reflection on staff members’ own character development, and encourage them to model that reflection with campers.
Where can we incorporate practice sessions for values-based leadership activities? Every good curriculum plan must include opportunities to practice. When it comes to values, that often means practicing the words and phrases that come naturally for some — but not for everyone. We need to equip our staff members to approach ethical dilemmas with a toolbox of words and phrases that they have practiced saying out loud.
As you consider these questions with your leadership team, think about your biggest pain points from summers past as well as your most treasured memories. When staff drama or firings occurred, what values were at play? What do you wish you had known about staff members when they were hired? And conversely, thinking of your favorite superstar staff members, what were some specific situations they handled with ease? Could you identify potential superstars during the application process by asking how they handle similar situations? Use your past experiences and wisdom to guide you, and don’t be afraid to try something new!
Author note: For a blank worksheet with the three-stage hiring and training plan questions, please contact the author.
Amanda Palmer, MS, is a camp trainer, consultant, researcher, and doctoral candidate at the University of Idaho. Amanda supports camps and organizations year-round with developing plans for aligning their unique missions with observable staff practices. Within ACA, Amanda is a program quality coach, an accreditation visitor, a subject matter expert for the Character at Camp initiative, and a member of Camping Magazine’s Editorial Advisory Committee. She is a former camper, camp counselor, and mother of four campers of her own. Contact Amanda at [email protected].
