Essay About Happy Valley And Junior Swim Staff

Camp Happy Valley in London, ontario
Introduce the companyGeneral FactsCamp Happy Valley in London, OntarioIt is a camp for about 1,500 campers and employed 500 staff. This camp provides well as indoor activities for the children. No waterfront activities due to locationNovember, 2000, Sue Johnston has promoted Adam Cameron to become the new programmerto help boost up the morale and fun to the campers and staff. He is finding it hard to manage his time to organize the camp and his studies. Approximately 800,000 children attended camp in Ontario each summerApproximately 125,000 staff were employed by camps in Ontario each summerOntario gross revenues of camps were $460,000,000Happy Valley is a non-for profit organization, paying junior staff $533/summer and senior $1980/summerHappy Valley paid junior swim staff $1500/summer and senior swim staff $2500/summer plus an additional cost of $60/each swim staff for extra trainingHappy valley charged $700/camper for 2 weeks, $1,100/4 weeks, $1,600/6 weeks or $2,000/8 weeksEmployment Standards ActCamp staff is able to be exempt from minimum wage, overtime pay, and public holidaysRemoval of the exemptions would lead to decreased quality of camp, decrease financial assistance to campers, raised camp fees and camp closuresSuper Staff teamHappy Valley has a super staff team that does the majority of the workThis team includes the program director, 10 section heads, the swim director, 3 head swim staff, the programmer, and 5 administrative sweatThe team is chosen at the end of each summer (no later than December) by Sue Johnson, the camp directorThe team is required to conduct new staff interviewsStaff SelectionStaff receive a mid summer evaluation and a final evaluation. This decided whether or not they will be hired the following year.Staff interviews are not regulated, nor is there a scheduleStaff interviewed approx 1000 new staff member each year for 470 positionsStaff are evaluated on spirit, responsibility, maturity level, and related experienceStaff candidates must supply 3 references, and Happy Valley must hear back from at least 2 of themThis results in time taken up, and candidates often have another job by the time the references get back to themHappy Valley looks for new staff at the YMCA, employment services, high schools, and local swim poolsStaff morale Staff must work as a teamCameron has never planned a training week beforePre-camp training is based around a 75 page manualTeam building activities were not until the end of the dayCampers have recently had a poor attitude at campThe camp infirmary has shown an increase in camper attendanceExisting Organizational ChartAddIdentifying ProblemsRecruitment and staff retentionLow staff retention (1 in 4 return)Competitive recruiting environmentLimited resourcesInterview process – recruitment and selection is not well established and lacks organizationNo strict hiring process / structureToo long to check referencesNot enough timeNo advertising – rely on referencesTrainingInefficient Training StructureBoring – staff were not motivatedTeam building was ineffectiveResulted in poorly trained unmotivated staffNegatively affected overall camp moralePerformance AppraisalCompensationLow wagesLimited resources mean not able to offer competitive pay structureEffects employee  retention and ability to recruit quality staffDepartmentSplit in wrong way with no coordinationProposal for better organizational ChartAdministrative tasks are overwhelming for “super staff”Solutions: Increase recruitment advertising to target higher education studentsTarget Market:         Higher education studentsInterest in child care or social services who want to with kidsPossible Co-op program in future (?)SourcesColleges – UniversitiesCareer CentersOnlineJob fairsBenefits: Increased exposure for the campAttract a larger pool of qualified candidatesProperly qualified staff will:         Have higher job satisfactionBetter job performanceBe more enthusiastic and matureIncreased camp moraleDevelop and implement a structured recruitment processFormalize the recruitment processTo be written and implemented immediatelyGroup interviews (?)Increase recruitment advertisingBenefits: Hiring Process more efficientIncreased competitive edge to hire more qualified staffRetention of qualified staff who will provide best experience for campersIncreased camp moraleDevelop a new approach to full staff training weekInsert team building activities into trainingBenefits: Increased participation and enthusiasmIncreased job performance from staffIncreased satisfaction from campersIncreased camp moraleHire additional staff to support super staff during pre-campBenefitsAdded support for super staffMore time for super staff to plan and attend workshopsIncreased organization – better trainingIncreased job performanceIncreased camp moraleIncrease compensation structureBenefitsRecruitment incentiveHigher job satisfactionIncreased job performanceIncreased camp moraleControl and feedback to measure the success of the recommendations: Administer surveys to campers and staff (mid-season and end of season)Financial trends to monitor changes in enrollement1 Year Action Plan[pic 1]