The JSA of LIS Program Staffing Discussion was held via Zoom video meeting during the evening of November 15, 2022 from 7 to 8 pm. The meeting had 35 people registered from 25 organizations. Participants may provide feedback about the usefulness of the discussion through this short survey.
The resources from the meeting may be viewed at these links:
Recordings (view video) or (listen to audio) and chat log
Employers and instructor candidates will benefit by reading these recruiting tips to learn a) how to post job ads, b) respond to ads, c) understand the basic certifications required for instructors hired by JSA member programs, and d) be aware of current laws about pay range disclosure.
The 2022 Survey of Staffing Practices and Salaries was distributed initially to the 24 member programs that responded through early November. If additional JSA member sailing programs now submit their Staffing Survey responses, they too will receive the initial report. A later update to the report may be published if sufficient added responses are received. The staffing survey takes only ten minutes to complete if the summer staff data is at hand.
Some participants had indicated interest in specific topics when they registered. Not all these topics were discussed during the one-hour Zoom, so JSA may schedule an additional discussion in the future.
Discussed / Topic / Description
Y Age Role of high school Juniors as Instructors
N Age Challenges when younger instructors are same age as sailors in the program
Y Dollars Pay rates and inflation
Y Dollars Staff salaries
N Dollars How are private lessons being booked and paid for?
N Dollars How are coaches paid for overnight big boat regatta?
Y Dollars Scholarships
Y Local Looking for more local kids to hire instead of getting from overseas
Y Local The difficulty in finding available sailing instructors
Y Local Finding local staff at a destination club
N Marketing How are clubs forecasting program attendance for 2023?
Y Marketing How to hire quality instructors when there seems to be limited supply?
N Marketing Recruiting Racing Staff
Y Marketing How to recruit sailors
Y Marketing Need marketing ideas to drive program registrations
Y Offers How to make effective job offers
N Offers A challenge we had in the past is other clubs poaching our instructors. Sometimes it feels like a bidding war
N Offers Clubs providing offers with October deadlines to first year instructors has increased the pressures of recruiting
N Regattas If no housing for away regattas, organizing block hotels for instructors
Y Retention Encouraging instructors to stay on as a sailing instructor and not pursue internship
Y Training Bringing new staff onboard