Seasonal work rewarding, but a challenge for staffers
For the past 35 years, Paul Delaney has gotten up daily to open the doors to the Butler YMCA at 5:30 a.m.
Aside from a few off days, the coronavirus pandemic was the only time he didn't go through his normal routine. Although the YMCA was closed for a few months in 2020 because of the pandemic, its healthy living director, Heidi Nicholls Bowser, said some of the staff still provided programming, but every member of the staff got paid throughout.
The consistent pay and a few other reasons, Nicholls Bowser said, are what keeps people working at the YMCA for years.
“You don't have the kind of turnover you see in restaurants, fast food, you have a committed employee pool,” Nicholls Bowser said. “From my perspective, it would be the real sense of team and a strong organizational mission. We're in the business of building spirit, mind and body.”
While the YMCA has some positions that are needed only seasonally, it also has a little over 20 full-time employees who have been consistent over the years.
Other recreation organizations around Butler County have similar staffing situations, in which some employees work year-round and others seasonally.
According to Dustin Drew, manager of Moraine and McConnells Mill state parks, the pandemic didn't hamper the staffing at the parks due to the base staff and the possibilities allotted by working there.“The setting has a ton to do with it, I think, with a lot of our employees,” Drew said. “A lot of answers we get in interviews is, 'I love being outdoors and I love the outside.'”
Much of the work done by staff at recreation organizations is done behind the scenes, such as maintenance, planning and scheduling.Drew said he needs about 40 staff members during the peak season at the parks, which takes place during the summer months.Lance Welliver, executive director of Butler County Parks and Recreation, said his summer staff is about 30 people per year, and many come back for as many years as they can.“We have a mix of some who return year after year, but we do have turnover once they graduate high school or college,” Welliver said.Lernerville Speedway normally has events every Friday throughout the summer. General manager Mike Lysakowski said it can be difficult to find the 60 people it takes to efficiently pull off a race night.“To properly serve all of our guests, we need to exceed 60,” Lysakowski said. “It's a challenge because we race one day a week primarily. It's one day per week and the communication is always a challenge there.“We found ourselves struggling like any others.”Sarah Zediker, owner of Hiland Golf Course, said the pandemic closed the course's doors from mid-March until May, but many staffers returned to help once they opened again. She said she has several employees who work at the course while they are off from college.“It's a pretty good gig for people because most of them make enough over the summer so they don't have to work during school,” Zediker said. “But when August comes, that puts you in a bind.”
Where there are seasonal workers, there are the people who hire and facilitate those workers. Several recreation organizations have longtime employees who work throughout the year.Moraine and McConnells Mill have about 15 employees who work year-round, Drew said, and even some seasonal jobs need more training than others.“We have seasonal ranger positions and you need some science and law enforcement for those, there's a lot more training,” he said. “For some of our education positions, they need degrees.”Welliver and Nicholls Bowser each said lifeguard jobs were particularly difficult to fill over the past year.“They do require a little bit more training on their end to be qualified to work,” Welliver said.While it can be a challenge to fill the ticketing, cleaning and service jobs at Lernerville, Lysakowski said the positions that deal with the machinery and racetrack itself are never lacking in staffers.
“The most experienced staff that actually handle the drivers, racers, we have employees that have been here for decades,” Lysakowski said. “We have a waiting list for those jobs.”Despite many positions with Butler County Parks and Recreation being entry-level, Welliver said many workers are attending school to become teachers, so they take the jobs for the opportunity to work with children.“Especially in our camps a lot of our counselors are working toward that,” he said. “I think they enjoy the work they do as well.”Zediker said she inherited the course from her family, and some of the employees have been there for so long that they have worked through the transition with her. She said her staff has become like family to her.“I don't know where I'd be without any of them,” Zediker said. “They are wonderful to me.”
Zediker said the reopening of the Hiland golf course brought with it many new faces looking to discover the outdoor activity. Some people who work at the course enjoy golfing themselves, but also like to speak with others about their game.“I think they like seeing the people,” Zediker said of her longtime workers. “We're all pretty much talkers, we want to know how a person played that day. People like to talk about their game with us.”Lysakowski said some of the entry-level staff enjoy the racing, but they are often unable to watch while performing their duties. Also, working on a Friday night each week can be a deterrent, so staffers at the track need to like their jobs.“It's got to be something you enjoy doing,” he said.
Drew said the setting of the parks is often what keeps people coming back to work for years. In addition to government employment being relatively steady, he said working at a park can change one's perspective.“The mission itself is something you can feel good about, recreating and conserving the environment,” Drew said. “It is different than just visiting, and I would say it changes your perspective on not only your own park, but other parks.”Drew said the parks start hiring each January, and positions are normally posted along with other available positions on Pa.gov. Information about Butler County Parks and Recreation employment is available at bcpr.recdesk.com.Nicholls Bowser said the staff of the Butler YMCA is part of what makes it a good place to work. She started working there years ago as a program instructor before getting the position as healthy living director, and several other administrators started at the YMCA in more accessible positions.“There is something about the YMCA, it's a great place to work,” Nicholls Bowser said. “We have a very strong mission statement and a lot of people who work here have a lot of latitude.”She also said the YMCA almost always needs help for different programs and activities.“Anybody can apply online and fill out an application,” Nicholls Bowser said. “There are still a lot of opportunities here.”
