Tips for Finding, Hiring and Managing the Best Staff You Can!

Hiring and then managing staff can be a complex and time-consuming occupation that involves multiple roles and different skills. At various times you are a coach, cheerleader, referee, counselor, detective and spokesperson.

What type of program are you hiring for? Understanding your programs goals and how staff fit within the framework of those goals (their role and responsibilities) is important to finding the right candidates. To Start With, Understand Who You Are:

Program Structure: What is the class structure? All day / ½ day, one week / two weeks / summer long classes? Size of class(es): do instructors “team teach” or work independently? How many instructors / coaches are on the staff in total? What skill levels are you offering your students? Do you need instructors or coaches (or both)? What kinds of boats are used in the program? Will the instructors need special knowledge or specific boat handling skills? Do instructors teach a variety of skill levels (i.e. beginners in the a.m./adv or racing in the p.m.) or do they specialize with one particular class for the session?

Program Phase: What is the management structure and daily supervisory picture? Is there lots of direct supervision from a head instructor (and does the HI also teach or are they singularly responsible for overseeing and managing the instructor corps? Is there a program director closely involved? (this might be either a parent volunteer or a professional) Is the “professional” the club manager with lots of other responsibilities to juggle in addition to monitoring the program?

A delicate balance of instructor skills and experience: ideally you don’t want all newly certified instructors, or instructors in their first year of teaching, nor do you necessarily want a staff that is top heavy with experience, possibly jaded and set in their ways, and overly comfortable in their environment. How many returning instructors do you anticipate? How many instructors are “home grown” and how many come from outside the program? Program emphasis: what is the current mission of the program? Ideally this does not change year to year, but there are typically ebbs and flows in what the particular direction and emphasis a program is taking might be (i.e. recreational or racing).

Attracting Potential Instructor Candidates: Advertising: The best advertising comes through your programs reputation-use it! What separates you from the rest of the pack? Could be location, program structure, personnel or other. Find what it is and promote it to help distinguish the opportunities you have to offer.

Develop short, simple job descriptions for each position. Keep the details out, but be sure to include important fundamentals: what qualifications must a candidate have, dates of hire, basic outline of expectations (the essential functions of the position, etc.). Include info on your programs location, size, and range of skill levels, structure, and who to contact information. Include your program’s website address if you have one.

Where to look for candidates: US SAILING Instructor Job Bank Job Bank Classified Ads J1 Section / U.S. J1 Employers (USIT, CIEE, etc.) Other local sailing association club programs WOM (word of mouth) i.e. instructors that your staff know who might make good candidates, etc. from within your own program

Making the Selection: Now the Hard Work Begins! Make sure the candidate fits your program: don’t advertise for a coach if what you need are instructors to teach beginning sailing—and then don’t hire the coach to teach beginning sailing because you (and they) will be frustrated and disappointed. Make sure the candidates have the necessary skills (both tangible like L1 & CPR/FA and intangibles like experience with a particular type of boat/skill level). Conduct a thorough screening and evaluation of the candidate. Does your state require a background check?

Resumes and Applications: Resumes are a great start, but it’s one in a hundred that actually are written well enough to give you the information about a candidate you need. Interviews only last a short time and you don’t have time to ask all the questions you need answers for. You need more info on a candidate both prior to the interview and more than you can get during the interview. Ideally you need that information to help guide the questions to ask during the interview.

Application should include: Contact info (particularly both school and home addresses, cell phone # and Skype address), Educational, sailing / power boating experience (types / time in the boat), Instructional experience / certifications, Other relevant training, References (be specific: one personal, one who knows sailing background, one former employer/supervisor)

Written Questions: What are your strengths (and what are your weaknesses)? Why do you want to be a xyz instructor? What kind of program and teaching experience are you looking for, and what do you hope to be able to gain from the experience?

Interviewing: Conduct interviews at times and in locations where you will be able to devote your full attention. Conduct interviews in person or using Skype if at all possible. Contact an employees references before the interview if possible.

Have your list of questions ready. Some questions should be standard candidate to candidate so that you have a benchmark to compare apples and oranges, but you will also develop specific questions based on the candidates resume/application and what you learn from references. Enlist others to help you with the process of interviewing and following-up on recommendations. Don’t hesitate to conduct a follow-up interview— particularly if you have additional questions— chances are the candidate will too.

Wrapping It All Up Communication, Communication, Communication: The importance of communication and staying in touch right through the process. Use it as a sign of the applicant’s enthusiasm, organization and ability to juggle multiple tasks.

Be prepared to demonstrate the same (i.e. answer s promptly, give dates by which you expect things returned and by which you will be in touch—particularly when the process is dragged out). Send rejection as well as acceptance letters and contracts. Handle all personnel matters confidentially and privately. Be consistent in administering personnel policies; offers of compensation and benefits should be clearly established and consistently applied. Keep complete records in writing.

They’re Hired! Now What?!

Educate Job Descriptions: should be in writing and provided to staff along with their contract/letter of agreement. Staff Handbook: helpful to develop if you do not have one. Should contain the policies and procedures that apply to all staff at the facility.

Communicate Open the channels of communication to minimize isolation and maximize contributions: keep it clear and organized not just what, but why ask for feedback; listen follow-up be consistent, fair and patient be available

Staff Orientation and Training: Critical to setting the tone and developing an effective working environment. Training should be of an appropriate level and include: welcome and team building outline the history, philosophy and objectives of the program program structure detail jobs and responsibilities explain the rules/policies of the program-both for staff and students set program and staff performance goals

Enable – Know your program goals and how staff fit within the framework of those goals. – Learn about your staffs various strengths and weaknesses and use that knowledge to fulfill the needs of the program, and the individual needs of the employee. – Keep staff informed.

Evaluate Establish performance factors and standards for: enthusiasm and participation ability to follow instructions openness to new ideas, critical feedback initiative and problem solving skills use of skills and knowledge during instruction leadership, group control and management rapport with students rapport with staff desire to learn and improve Mid-season and end of season Exit Interviews

Praise and Reward Internal Rewards – Provide and structure jobs staff enjoy – Create opportunities for staff to learn new skills – Empower staff External Rewards – promotions – Time off – Bonus ($) – Organized staff activities outside the work day – Public recognition and praise