Summer camps are having a challenging time hiring staff this season. Here are some strategies some UMCRM camps are trying: 

• Leverage past summer staff’s connections (even from years ago). Are they interested in working a week or two? Do they know a young adult who would be great? 
• Recruit volunteers to make up for paid staff shortfall. Allow them to sign up for one or more weeks. Give them a free week for one child, either theirs or someone else’s.
• Require churches to send one adult chaperone with every x # of campers coming from their church.
• Hire staff for shorter durations (2, 3, or 4-week job). Include mandatory staff training as one of the weeks.
• Share staff with a nearby camp (works well for specific roles like lifeguards).
• Share staff with a camp that starts later or ends earlier than yours.
• Recruit international staff.
• Combine camp weeks to shorten season.
• Limit registration to a smaller camper capacity.
• Eliminate some specialist jobs and cross-train all staff for all roles (so everyone’s a generalist and can help in the kitchen, facilitate archery, ropes course, etc.)
• If you have raised the pay rate at your camp, be sure to mention that in your promotions. 
• Ask already-hired staff to help recruit from within their networks. Offer a "finder's fee" or special gift for each person they recruit who is hired and completes their term of employment.

What's working for you as you seek to hire fantastic summer staff? 

Share your ideas in the comments below!