Work culture is the key to retaining lifeguards
Finding a lifeguard for a commercial pool can be a challenge for pool management services. It’s a seasonal job that requires training, certification and a willingness to take on many responsibilities, making it hard for managers to retain good lifeguards every season.
Chances are, the lifeguards that you have worked with are teenagers or young adults looking for summer jobs. Therefore, you face a lot of competition from other industries that flourish during the summer months. You can make sure that your pool is garnering as much interest from job seekers as other employers by changing your recruitment process and work culture.
Understand the age group
Athletic Business pointed out that teenagers and young adults have grown up in an age of technology. Therefore, traditional training methods may not be as effective in engaging audiences as they were in previous years. Pool managers can benefit from updating their lifeguard training programs.
There are many ways to approach technology in a lifeguard setting. Simply updating your website can make the swimming pool facility more approachable for younger audiences. If your budget allows it, creating new videos that feature the fun lifeguards have can draw more interest from teenagers and young adults.
Additionally, you can analyze the outlets that your target audience uses for job seeking. From social media to online postings, there are many places where you can advertise the open position. Keeping up with technological trends can make your pool more appealing to swimmers and to seasonal job seekers.
Improve work culture
Lifeguarding is a serious job. If the work culture doesn’t encourage lighthearted fun, the responsibilities can be overwhelming. However, it’s possible to make the job exciting. This could mean setting up social gatherings outside of work so that everyone is familiar with one another.
Alternatively, if you feel that you don’t have the time or resources to tend to all these tasks, you can always outsource the work. Pool companies that have lifeguard services can provide a unique environment for young people who want to become lifeguards. This can be especially beneficial if your pool only staffs one lifeguard at a time. Such companies will have many lifeguards and can ensure that your lifeguard has co-workers who they can relate to and share best practices with.
You don’t have to find a new lifeguard every year if you recognize which opportunities to seize and when to reach out for help.
