Camp Happy Valley Case Study

The main issue Adam Cameron is facing at Camp Happy Valley is, the poor hiring process the camp is currently using.  The current the process for recruiting is very inefficient and does not have enough time allotted to conduct proper hiring prior to camp.  The process is letting quality applicants go because they are not being hired in a timely manner. Adam is responsible for the recruiting and training process, and he currently has his reading week to come up with solutions.

Other issues facing the camp are poor morale, an increase in parent complaints to head office, and high turnover of staff. Poor morale can be attributed to the training the staff is receiving. Staff members have reported feeling lonely with no team feeling after last years training. Team building exercises are being left to the end of the training day when staff feels it is a waste of their time. The poor morale from staff has had a direct impact on the campers who begin to mirror the staff’s attitudes.  The poor morale is also linked to the rise in parent complaints to head office. The campers are not receiving the care from the staff that they are expecting which has shown an increase of campers being sent to the infirmary.  High turnover of the staff could be related to several issues.  Compensation is currently below minimum wage, which has been allowed due to the Employment Standards Act of 1990. The section the camp falls under is currently being reviewed which still allows the camp to pay below minimum wage. The Act has changed for other businesses requiring them to pay minimum wage. Due to this the camp is no longer offering competitive wages. Staff may feel under-rewarded and thus are not motivated to making a better experience for the campers and eventually quit as shown in the equity theory.    Turnover falls under the poor morale issue as well. Being a part of a team setting while not feeling like a team could lead employees to resign after their first summer.

The first alternative would be to hire more super staff specifically to look after the recruiting and change the training process to have team building exercises at the start of the day. Having new staff will allow references for potential applicants to be called in a reasonable time so fewer applicants become unavailable.  Super staff members who are not involved in the recruitment process will now be able to focus on workshops and preparing for the upcoming camp season.  The change in the training will create a better team atmosphere in the camp, which should increase morale to not only the staff but to the campers as well. With the increase in morale, fewer campers will be sent to the infirmary, which will lead to fewer complaints with head office.  With staff feeling more a part of a team there will be less turnover, as they will want to come back to work wit their friends year after year.