Realities of a Labor Shortage at Camp

Our phones have been blowing up since news of the camp labor shortage broke in mainstream media. A topic that has been brewing within the camp community for months has finally reached the inbox of the world.

We are saddened by the recent news, however, we are not pointing fingers at camp leaders. As the founders of CampHire Recruiting, and a partner to 50 camp directors trying to manage a significant recruitment crisis, we have a unique perspective to share. We know firsthand the relentless commitment and tireless work that has gone into the 2021 season. Directors pour their hearts and souls into making camp happen, and the adversity they are dealing with is remarkable.

While demand for camp is at an all time high and campers look for a bounce-back summer, camps can’t seem to catch a break. The impact of the pandemic on the industry cannot be understated. In addition to dealing with the financial hardships of being closed in 2020, camps had to create robust plans to maintain a COVID-safe bubble. No easy task.

To seal the bubble, new protocols were introduced for staff members. Here’s a taste of what you had to comply with to work at most camps:

-Must be vaccinated at least 2 weeks before camp
-Must remain on campus for the duration of summer, even on days off
-No family or outside visitors allowed on premises

With each regulation, the candidate pool shrunk as candidates realized what they were signing up for. Not being able to see my husband for 10 weeks? No thanks. Not being able to go hiking on my day off? I’m out. Not being able to go out for a scoop of ice cream? C’mon. Would you sign up for that?

The extreme precautions needed to ensure safety at camp had a major impact on the ability to hire a complete staff. Over 30% of CampHire placements either backed out before camp or quit within the first week. Can any industry survive under these circumstances?

While it’s natural to leverage the situation as a unique opportunity to market CampHire services and build a stronger business, our focus is solely on empathizing with camp directors, and supporting them through this. Because why are camp directors in this business to begin with? Why do they work tirelessly to run miniature cities summer after summer? They do it for the kids. This summer is no different. Camps did everything they could to create a sense of normalcy for campers that are in desperate need of social interaction. We should applaud their courage, even the ones that failed to overcome the insurmountable hurdles of this season.

We are learning from one another's successes and failures. We are adjusting to extreme circumstances and new situations. We are doing it for the kids. It is only up from here.