5 effective ways to keep your school’s recreation technician on board
In today’s job market, many organizations are facing labor shortages. This can make it difficult to recruit and retain staff, especially in specialized roles such as recreation technician, sports manager, and even teacher. Keeping the right people in your school can make a huge difference to the quality of the school environment offered to students, helping to attract more students. Several practices can be put in place to ensure that your school has an effective retention program. This will increase your chances of retaining valuable employees.
1. Appreciate and recognize the work
One of the most important best practices is to recognize and reward the work of your employees. When employees feel valued and appreciated for their contributions, they are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and less likely to seek employment elsewhere. Recognizing and rewarding employees can be a powerful tool to combat labor shortages and ensure that your school has the staff it needs to offer high-quality recreational services to its students.
There are many ways to recognize the work of your recreation technician. For example, recognition can take the form of bonuses, promotions, sincere thanks or public acknowledgement at school meetings or events. Recognizing and rewarding good work can boost morale and motivation, which can lead to greater job satisfaction and a higher likelihood of retention.
2. Offer flexibility
Be open to discussing flexible working arrangements with your recreation technician, such as part-time or job-sharing where possible. This can help him or her maintain a work-life balance, which may be important to them and may help them stay with your school. Flexible working arrangements can also make it easier to recruit and retain staff in a labour shortage environment, as they provide a more diverse workforce with different needs.
3. Communicate regularly and effectively
It’s important to communicate clearly with your recreation technician not only to understand his needs and concerns, but also to make sure he understands his role and responsibilities. This can help prevent misunderstandings and dissatisfaction. Regular meetings, performance appraisals and feedback sessions are good ways of ensuring that your recreation technician’s work meets the school’s expectations.
4. Create a positive and inclusive work environment
You can foster a positive, supportive work culture in which your recreation technician feels valued and respected. The environment should foster teamwork and collaboration, but you also need to provide the support and resources they need to succeed. This can help create a sense of community, and make your staff want to stay. To foster respect, encourage your staff to treat each other with respect and kindness, and you can actively promote a culture of inclusion and diversity.
5. Offer professional development opportunities
You can offer your recreation technician professional development and training opportunities to help broaden his or her skills and knowledge. This can include on-the-job training, workshops or even tuition reimbursement for relevant courses. This can help them feel more invested in their role and make them more inclined to stay at your school, but also keep them engaged and motivated.
In short, by implementing these practices, you put the odds in your favor to retain your school’s recreation technician and create a strong, dedicated team committed to providing the best possible recreation experiences for your students.
Karl Demers