Aquatics Guide - 2023 - 7

" My general manager accepted
my resignation with no response.
After so many attempts to talk to
them about my concerns, I felt I
had to dial my attempts up a notch
to be heard or taken seriously. Even
then, [I wasn't] appreciated or understood
due to the unwillingness
of trying to understand why I felt
I needed to submit my notice, " says
C. Nelson, former regional supervisor
for one year.
Work-Life Balance
The odd hours and the number of
hours required of aquatics staff were
other common complaints found
during these interviews. For example,
swim lessons normally happen
during the weekends and in the evenings
- it makes sense that aquatics
programmers would put in most of
their work hours during those times.
As their boss, you should take that
into consideration when scheduling
early morning management meetings.
With a lifeguard and instructor
shortage nationwide, many managers
are having to step up to cover
those roles. It is very difficult for
them to hire new staff while they are
spending most of their work hours
in the lifeguard stand or teaching
swim lessons. Sometimes, it's a better
solution to have limited hours
for the short term than to lose both
part-time and full-time staff for the
long term. Also, check in with your
aquatics staff about the number of
hours they are putting in generally.
If your aquatics staff members are
constantly working overtime, maybe
it is time to consider hiring more
full-time aquatics staff members.
Meeting the Challenges
of the Industry
According to a survey conducted
by Consumer Affairs (tiny
To attract
and retain
professionals,
the aquatics
industry is
going to need
to change.
url.com/3w5uvnjv), 86 percent of
workers who quit during the Great
Resignation are now better off financially,
while only 6 percent ended
up in a worse position. Sixtythree
percent called their new jobs
better. Fifty-six percent noticed an
improvement in fulfillment, 55 percent
reported pay improvement, and
53 percent reported better work-life
balance. According to the White
House, Americans applied to start
5.4 million new businesses in 2021
- more than 20 percent higher than
any previous year on record. This
was followed by another 2.2 percent
increase in 2022.
There are
options
for
the overworked,
underpaid aquatics professionals.
Though many of the interviewees
talked about missing aquatics,
most had moved on to other jobs with
better pay and/or a better work-life
balance. Some have found roles in
other fields that are experiencing employee
shortages as well, like teaching.
Some have found jobs in related fields,
like recruiters or programing cardiopulmonary
resuscitation classes for
nonprofits. Some opened small businesses;
some are teaching swim lessons,
offering maintenance services,
or teaching lifeguarding and water
safety instructor classes. With all these
positions, they have been able to transfer
the skills they learned in aquatics
into other jobs.
" So many aspects of aquatics management
translate to other industries
and can even help you to excel over
others, " says T. Gravely, former aquatics
director for two years. " Time management,
emergency response and
customer service are the three biggest
areas that my time in aquatics has
helped [in] my current position. "
To attract and retain professionals,
the aquatics industry is going to
need to change. The view of aquatics
by other park and recreation
professionals is going to need to
change. How much money aquatics
professionals make and how they
are managed will need to change.
The aquatics industry is becoming
larger and more complex. The
knowledge base required to do the
job and do it well is becoming larger.
More pools are opening every
year. The need to have qualified
individuals leading aquatics departments
is becoming more and more
important. There are opportunities
now to make the changes that have
been overdue for decades - ones
that will change the industry for the
better moving forward.
Dylan Evans is Co-Founder of
Triton Management Solutions
(devans@triton-ms.com).
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | A QU AT IC S GUIDE 2 0 2 3
| Parks & Recreation
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http://www.tinyurl.com/3w5uvnjv http://www.tinyurl.com/3w5uvnjv
Aquatics Guide - 2023

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