Labour Force Overview

Workforce Survey

A recent workforce survey carried out by Recreation Aotearoa addressed the issue of workforce shortages in the aquatics industry.

The majority of shortages were in lifeguard roles, but also included swim teachers, team leaders, and supervisors There was an average of roles being empty for four months, while some had been vacant for 12 months. Respondents indicated that there was an average 2-4 staff vacancies at one time, but some facilities reported having up to eight

Social media, recruitment websites and agencies, are flooded with job listings and opportunities for the aquatics sector. However, this is not unique to the industry – industries across the board are facing workforce shortages which has created a competitive employment market.

Lifeguarding and swim teaching is often seen as a stop gap and based on the survey, respondents suggested many people were not wanting to work shifts or weekends. In addition, the quality of applicants was generally poor particularly in swimming competency

Staff shortages were impacting daily operations with full or part facility closures, reduced hours, and a reduction in programmes delivered to customers. There was also a reduction in the ability to conduct regular staff trainings, new staff trainings, and regular admin and HR operations. Staff were working longer hours and senior staff, such as facility managers and team leaders, were having to work poolside to cover gaps Casual staff were also being used as more than "casual" without the time to train them up. This extra pressure has taken its toll on the physical and mental health of staff and has had impacts on team culture