Staffing for next summer does not have to start in the winter or fall. For me, it starts while the current year’s summer camp season is still in full swing. 

Recruiting Mid-summer

Starting recruitment during the summer allows for the unique opportunity to have all of your staff together, in person, day after day. It is not a game of hoping, convincing, or nagging them to be there next summer — it starts with conversations with staff, asking the question, “how do you want to continue to grow?” Our staff experience incredible growth while working throughout the camp season, and, as a mentor, I want to continue to see that year over year. Having a conversation with them during the summer helps them buy into the idea of returning.

I’ll encourage the idea of taking on a leadership role in their community, or just continuing to work on independence, self-advocacy, communication, or problem solving. Whatever it may be, it gives them something to look forward to and helps them know that we are invested in them as a person — not just trying to fill a spot next summer.

Ongoing Relationship-building and Fall/Winter Recruiting

Once the summer is over, it is important that camp stays in their brain all year long. Thank-you notes, birthday cards, and year-round communication reminding them of the wonderful summer they had helps camp stay at the forefront as they figure out what to do next summer and beyond. 

Attending job fairs and events at their schools are great ways to stay connected. I find myself attending those job fairs primarily to see former staff, prioritizing that relationship building over discovering new staff. Staff, both current and former, will continue to be the one of the most reliable sources for bringing in new candidates. 

Tapping into Our Larger Community

Using your community base can be one of the best ways to reach potential candidates. At my camp, we mail a postcard to every age-eligible former camper a few days before applications open, reminding them that their time at camp does not have to come to an end. Schools that our staff attend put out our job postings and pamphlets, and some of them even partner with us to talk to classes directly about what we do at camp. 

For a variety of reasons, we have a deadline for when staff applications are due. It can give potential staff the nudge they need to get their life together and apply, and it creates a sense of excitement for when job offers come out all at once. It helps them get an idea of who their community will be and makes onboarding and spring prep much easier.

There is no tried-and-true, fail-safe way to ensure you have a good pool of staff applications year over year — but doing what seems like a bunch of little things, combined with the mindset that staffing is a year-round responsibility for summer camps, will hopefully put you in the best position to succeed. 

Sean Maney is the day camp director at Camp Tecumseh YMCA in Brookston, Indiana, where he leads a team of approximately 90 summer staff. He lives at camp with his wife, Sydney, and enjoys rooting for mediocre Chicago sports teams. You can reach him at [email protected].

Photo courtesy of Camp Friendship in Palmyra, Virginia