Category: Lifeguard Management
City of Temecula Community Recreation Center
Temecula, Calif.
Year Awarded: 2022
The mission
The City of Temecula Community Recreation Center faced a challenge felt across the aquatics industry: a severe shortage of lifeguards threatening the safety, operation and community engagement of many facilities. Recognizing the need for innovative solutions to sustain its workforce, the center retooled its recruiting process to attract, train and retain lifeguards.
Brilliance at work
To address the shortage, the City of Temecula introduced a comprehensive strategy that included a hiring workshop and a tryout practice clinic to reduce the intimidation often associated with lifeguard tryouts. The result made lifeguarding jobs more accessible and helped the city fully staff its pool facilities.
The workshop is meant to provide a soft introduction to lifeguarding. It includes a free virtual presentation targeted to potential lifeguards and their parents, providing an overview of the division and the job, as well as expectations of lifeguards.
Staff presents the practice clinic about two months before tryouts, opening it to any interested party, whether or not they are certified or not. Participants practice the tryout from start to finish, then receive feedback from staff. A final practice occurs the day before tryouts.
Special highlights
The city introduced a hiring workshop — a virtual overview for potential employees — and a practice tryout clinic allowing participants to go through the process and receive feedback, better equipping them for the job.
Interview questions are shared with potential hires beforehand to help them prepare and organize their thoughts.
In 2022, the year this program received its Best of Aquatics recognition, 33 participants of the clinic joined and completed the summer season.
Early investment in potential employees resulted in a more engaged and higher-performing staff.
The latest
Since 2022, the City of Temecula’s aquatics program has taken additional steps to attract lifeguards. It
14This initiative offers a $500 sign-on bonus for new hires, delivered in two installments. Recruits receive the first half at the start of summer, and the second half upon completion of the season, provided they remain in good standing and have no more than two write-ups. Also, a recruitment bonus rewards current staff members $300 for each successful referral, up to three individuals. These incentives have proven effective in retaining staff.
When it comes to teens, “cash talks,” says Gwen Willcox, community services manager for aquatics.
Alongside the incentive program, a structured parent workshop was implemented to promote clear communication between staff and their families. The orientation, conducted on the first day of staff training, outlines expectations and best practices for supporting teens in their new roles.
Getting parents involved in the onboarding process reduces mid-season scheduling conflicts, i.e. vacations. This proactive approach helps mitigate issues and ensures that both parents and staff are on the same page, reducing disruptions during the summer season. The workshop also builds a collaborative environment, reinforcing the importance of responsibility while providing parents with a transparent understanding of program expectations.
“We aim to set clear expectations and encourage parents to let their teens manage responsibilities independently, fostering growth and accountability,” says Kristen Post, aquatics supervisor.
The program also has shifted its hiring timeline, beginning recruitment in February and completing onboarding by spring break. This early start provides ample training time, spreading out sessions to accommodate school schedules and reduce the pressure of intensive pre-summer training.
These retention efforts contribute to a sense of belonging and motivation among the staff, making them more likely to return each year.
“We usually get staff to stay for two to three years, and some even stay for three to five years as they go through college,” Post says, emphasizing that their goal is to make the job more than just work by fostering a “family-type atmosphere” where employees feel comfortable and valued.
