Wrapping Up the Summer with Meaningful Insights
As we reach the end of summer, conducting camp counselor exit interviews becomes an important part of the end-of-camp routine. Just like sending a post-camp survey to parents and campers is helpful for camp directors, gathering feedback from staff members is equally important.
Exit interviews and camp evaluation forms are a great way to gauge the staff’s experience, personal growth, and overall time spent working at camp.
The summer camp survey serves a few purposes:
#1 Evaluate for Future Hiring: If a staff member has the option or desire to return for the next summer, it’s important to evaluate them now so you can know whether your hiring manager should consider them again.
#2 Gain Valuable Insight: Whether staff members plan to return or not, exit interviews offer valuable feedback. They give you a different perspective on how the camp operates. You can use their input to improve camp activities and make adjustments to your camp program for next summer.
#3 On-the-Ground Knowledge: As a camp director, you can’t be everywhere at once. But your camp staff is. They observe what works at camp—and more importantly—what doesn’t. Their feedback is invaluable for making camp experience improvements.
Remember that your staff is part of your brand, and represents your camp’s mission. You want to ensure you have the right people on board, and understand how to set up your staff for success!
Questions to Ask During Camp Counselor Exit Interviews
Below are a few key camp counselor interview questions broken down by category to help guide the conversation:
The Camp Experience:
- What was your favorite place at camp this summer?
- What did you enjoy most about the camp activities?
- If you could change or edit your typical day, what would you change?
- What was your favorite part of being a summer camp counselor?
- How did the camp’s policies around cell phones impact your ability to engage with campers and staff?
Camper Social Skills and Development:
- How did you observe new friendships forming among campers?
- Were campers able to enhance their social skills through the activities offered?
- Did the daily schedule provide enough time for both structured and unstructured activities that fostered growth?
Feedback on the Camp Program and Leadership:
- What would you suggest to improve the camp program next summer?
- What characteristics do you believe make a successful camp counselor?
- Name another fellow counselor that you’d consider to be a successful counselor. Why?
- Did you feel that the camp director and leadership team supported you in your role?
- Were there any specific areas where you felt the camp could improve its organizational structure?
Unique Aspects of Working at Camp:
- What aspects of this camp made it a unique experience for you as a staff member?
- How did this camp differ from other camps you’ve worked at or attended?
You’ll notice that these questions are a bit open-ended. That’s a good thing! You want to encourage conversation during the staff survey and give good prompts to elicit details you might not otherwise get if you didn’t conduct a standard exit interview with staff. Don’t be afraid to ask a follow-up question or ask for specific examples. Your camp will benefit from their insight.
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When Staff Are Leaving for Good: Questions to Ask
#1 Why are you leaving?
While this question may seem obvious, the reasons behind a departure could offer important insights. For younger staff, they may be moving on to other opportunities or graduating. But in some cases, they might choose not to return for personal reasons. Understanding these decisions can help you improve retention.
#2 Were you comfortable approaching me or other camp directors with concerns or questions?
This question might yield different results from staff who are leaving. Without the expectation of returning, they may be more open and honest about their experiences and offer useful feedback.
#3 Do you feel you were given the training you needed to do your best work?
Knowing whether your staff received sufficient training helps you improve future staff preparation and ensure everyone feels ready for the demands of camp life.
#4 Would you recommend us to another friend looking for a job at camp?
This is the ultimate question any business asks of a client, but should also ask of their staff. Would they recommend a friend to come work for you? Why or why not? A positive recommendation means your camp is doing things right, while a negative response can guide areas for improvement.
Giving the Exit Interview Online
In some cases, conducting in-person exit interviews may not be possible, or is outside your comfort zone. With large summer camp teams, you might want to facilitate exit interviews online through a camp feedback form, either anonymously or not.
While online survey tools or a Google Form can suit your purpose, your registration software is a great way to facilitate a post-camp survey to staff. (It’s also a great way to manage staff applications for next summer!)
Below are some tips for facilitating an online exit interview.
- Decide on Anonymity: Determine if you want the survey form to be anonymous or not. If anonymity encourages more honest feedback, consider that option. Otherwise, collecting names can help link feedback to specific roles or performances.
- Timing: You can choose to distribute the exit interview before camp ends or a few weeks after. During camp, staff is still engaged and may provide more detailed responses. However, waiting until the end of camp or a few weeks after allows for better reflection and may result in more thoughtful feedback.
- Use a Mix of Question Types: Combine qualitative questions with quantitative ones. Asking for a rating on a scale of 1-10 is helpful for measuring trends over time. Qualitative questions, however, give deeper insights into staff experiences and help improve future camp programs.
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Summer Camp Staff Exit Interview Tips
In addition to preparing these questions above, keep in mind a few more things:
Decide how long you want your interviews to be and stick to that. This helps with scheduling them, and it’s good to set a firm standard for all staff regarding exit interviews.
Acknowledge that some questions may be tough. Asking about areas where you, as the camp director, may have fallen short can be difficult for staff to answer honestly. Set a tone that encourages openness and assures them that their input will be used for improvement, not judgment.
Don’t forget to ask about the hiring process, daily schedules, stressful situations, and overall camp life. Your staff has the ultimate inside knowledge of life at camp and you can take advantage of their feedback not only for camp activities but for operations, processes, and HR as well.
Make sure you do this consistently for all staff and every year. The data you receive is invaluable, but the consistency shows that you are serious about feedback.
How Regpack Simplifies the Feedback Process for Your Camp
Once you’ve collected all the insightful feedback from your camp staff, it’s time to organize and use that data to improve next year’s camp.
Here’s where a tool like Regpack can make a big difference.
- Effortless Data Collection and Management: Regpack’s registration software helps you streamline the entire process of collecting feedback from staff. With customizable forms and automated features, you can ensure that gathering feedback is quick and efficient.
- Time-Saving Tools for Next Summer: Not only does Regpack handle registration and payment processing, but it also simplifies how you organize and analyze the feedback you receive. Easily track trends and make informed decisions to enhance the camp experience next summer.
Collecting staff feedback at the end of camp is key to ensuring growth and improvement, and with the right tools in place, your camp will continue to thrive season after season.
Good luck and have some great conversations!
