Aquatics Guide - 2022 - 6

Figure 1: The Recruitment Process
Forecasting
Job
Analysis
Job
Description
Job
Specification
Employer
Branding
and
Promotion
shortage of lifeguards existed before
COVID-19. However, it is evident
that
COVID-19
has
increased
lifeguard recruitment and retention
issues. The purpose of this article is to
explain lifeguard turnover and how it
relates to the typical career behavior
of young employees, and provide
suggestions to improve recruitment
and selection of lifeguards.
ARC managers explained
that the lifeguards' working
environment is a significant
factor that creates high levels of
lifeguard turnover.
Turnover of Lifeguards
Australian lifeguards were typically
between the ages of 18 and 25, and
usually mimicked the career behavior
of young employees. Lifeguards
worked casually or sporadically part
time or full time, evenings, weekends,
and/or during the summer
while attending school or university.
Royal Lifesaving Australia describes
becoming a lifeguard as a " challenging
but extremely rewarding career. "
However, many ARC managers do
not consider lifeguarding a career.
Instead, many managers consider
lifeguarding a temporary platform
into
alternative careers,
typically
outside of the aquatics industry.
Prior research in the United States
concluded that inadequate salaries
and inconsistent hourly wages
cause high lifeguard turnover (tiny
url.com/2cn7w7an). The wage for
Australian lifeguards is not as much
of an issue because they tend to be
paid well above the minimum wage,
usually at approximately $30 (AUD)
per hour. However, there is a discrepancy
in wages of approximately $15
(AUD) per hour within the aquatics
industry in Australia. Managers in
lesser-paying facilities; e.g., contract
management rather than direct local
government employees, believed lifeguards
use a position to gain experience
to eventually secure a position
within a higher paying facility; e.g.,
local government management. This
type of behavior is common among
younger employees who tend to remain
in a particular position if their
wages surpass other alternatives.
As a result, younger employees in
Australia and the United States will
usually only make tentative commitments
to employment. Moreover,
younger employees are less likely to
view their employment as the most
important characteristic of their lives
and express less loyalty to an organization
than older individuals.
ARC managers explained that the
lifeguards' working environment is
a significant factor that creates high
levels of lifeguard turnover. ARC
managers described lifeguarding as
monotonous and unappealing. Lifeguarding
is perceived as a job that only
can be done for a short period. ARC
management indicated that negative
6 Parks & Recreation | A QU AT IC S GUIDE 2 0 22 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
relationships with colleagues and a
dysfunctional organizational culture
had increased lifeguard turnover.
Recruitment and Selection
Opportunities
Researchers have long established
that recruitment and selection practices
can affect employee turnover.
Employee
turnover
is
Recruitment
Methods
Shortlisting
Selection
Techniques
costly, but
costs can be minimized by improving
HR processes.
ARC managers in the study did
not have a formal recruitment or selection
process for lifeguards. These
processes were often unstructured
and did not follow a documented
policy or procedure - for example,
the steps in Figure 1. ARC managers
should consider documenting and
formalizing the HR recruitment and
selection process of lifeguards.
ARC managers also should consider
implementing a realistic job
preview (RJP). An RJP presents
a realistic insight into what a job
entails, showing both the positives
and the negatives so applicants get
a genuine feel for what skills are
needed on the job and what a typical
shift would be like. Arguably, RJPs
are more important in the aquatics
industry because ARC managers
described the lifeguard role as " monotonous, "
" boring " and " unappealing "
- all characteristics that applicants
should be aware of prior to the
role to reduce turnover.
Some ARC managers adopted a
very haphazard approach to fore
http://www.tinyurl.com/2cn7w7an http://www.tinyurl.com/2cn7w7an
Aquatics Guide - 2022

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