By BEE LACY Training Team Lead, Bonsai Design/ Ropes Park Manager, The Forge: Lemont Quarries
STAFF CARE IN THE TIME OF COVID With all the turmoil of the past season, it’s more important than ever to communicate with and develop staff. As the end of the 2020 season fast approaches, adventure operators face the inevitable staff turnover that comes each year. COVID-19 may exacerbate that. Staff members, especially, are feeling the brunt of the unexpected challenges we have faced while operating amid a pandemic, driving the need for us to reassess how we care for staff so we can mitigate turnover and set ourselves up for success come spring.
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What can we do, though, when budgets, additional staffing, and hours have been slashed to accommodate for lost revenue? COMMUNICATION IS KEY Let’s start with the basics. Clear, transparent communication with staff is always critical, but has been extremely important this year. With the uncertainty and volatile nature of the 2020 season, staff have been left rattled and anxious about what the future holds. Leadership must keep their employees
in the loop in this fast-changing environment. Staff who feel they are being kept in the dark or are the last to know important information may become mistrustful and detached. Staff should always be informed of operational changes—particularly those with direct impact to staff. This may include temporarily reduced hours, different staffing models, limited capacities, and the potential for any cessations of operation. Communicate year-round. Continue this communication during the off season so that staff feel included and not left out in the cold. Give staff the opportunity to ask questions, voice concerns, and even offer potential solutions for challenges. Even if site leadership is uncertain as to whether or not staff is returning, including them in email chains, group chats, and the like will make it easier when spring rolls around to determine which staff members plan on returning.
Technology can help keep communication lines open. Many sites have utilized applications such as Slack, When I Work, Homebase, etc. Others have created group chats, Google documents, email chains, or notice boards. Ideally, these communication tools are updated regularly by leadership and are easily accessed by staff when they are not at work. These communication tools can be introduced at any point during the season, but are especially helpful in the off season when the entire team is not present on-site. ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL A strong sense of community has been central to the success of many organizations this year. Several of the sites I work with on a regular basis refer to their staff as a family (dysfunctions and all). This “family community” has offered support, encouragement, and reprieve for staff during this extraordinary year and has aided in staff retention.