The nation’s still-struggling job market is making this a banner recruiting year for ski areas in many parts of the country. At the same time, many areas are seeking ways to increase the appeal of resort employment, to encourage temporary staff to remain from season’s start to finish and to return in future years.
“Not too long ago we paid bounties to people for seasonal workers,” said Gretchen Swanson, employment specialist at Crystal Mountain, Mich., which hires about 200 winter seasonal workers. “Now we can pick and choose.”
And the pickings are pretty good. In the Northwest, where the unemployment rate is more than twice the national average, Joel Martinez, HR director at Stevens Pass, Wash., says he’s received more vice president resumes than ever before for lift operators and other seasonal jobs. “We’re seeing more older workers with a lot more experience,” he said.
In fact, the economic slump is changing the face of ski area seasonal help across the country.
“Thirty percent of our winter employees are early retirees, some by choice, some forced out,” said Pat Gerhart, HR director at Mt. Bachelor, Ore. “We love the older workers. They work hard, stay for the season and come back year after year.”
Jami LaMaita, HR director at Mt. Hood, Ore., agrees: “The economy has definitely helped us get more quality, experienced seasonal help, but I also think we’re seeing, after 9/11, more people making lifestyle changes. They want to live and work in a place they love. It’s helped us in our recruiting. We’re not just looking at 16-year-olds anymore.”
Many areas, in fact, see the soft labor market as a long-term opportunity. “We’re getting some incredible applicants and we’re taking the time to evaluate every one of them and make sure they’re well-trained,” Swanson said. “We’re not trying to take advantage of the situation. We’re trying to take care of our employees now while the times are good so that when the economy turns around they won’t be lured away.”
In those regions where the jobs market is stronger, the economy is posing different challenges and opportunities. Waterville Valley, N.H., for example, plans to hire the same number of seasonal workers (about 550) but will use more part-time workers because of the tight labor market in New Hampshire.
“We’re trying to take advantage of a nearby college where we traditionally hire most of our part-timers and do more peak management staffing,” said Scott Smith, HR director. “It’s still a very tight labor market here.”
Foreign Aid
Despite the overall strong outlook for seasonal help in most regions of the country, many ski resorts will continue to rely on overseas help to fill some of their toughest positions. “We wouldn’t be able to fill all of our positions without internationals,” said Wendy Rudy, HR director at Hunter Mt., N.Y., which hires about 700 winter employees. More than half of Whistler/Blackcomb’s 1,200 winter hires come from overseas. “They have a great work ethic,” said Kirby Brown, HR director. Many internationals, particularly from Latin America, Africa and the warmer climes, do not ski and are willing to take the difficult-to-fill daytime shifts in housekeeping, lift operations and food and beverage because the ski benefit is not that important to them.
Even so, the strong domestic labor market and stricter visa procedures post 9/11 are causing many ski areas to cut back on the number of their overseas hires. “International employees are very high maintenance,” said Cheryl Hightower, HR director for Bear and Snow Summit, Calif., which combined hire about 2,000 winter workers. “We had to staff people just to manage housing for them. With the strong labor market domestically we’re going to slack off on our international workers this season.”
Focus on Retention
In other trends, ski areas continue to increase bonuses and benefits and other perks for their seasonal workers. “We’re focusing on retention,” said Hightower, noting that pre-season retention—“getting employees to hang with us until the season opens”—is the biggest problem.
Crystal Stokarski, HR director at Okemo, has the same problem. “We definitely notice a big drop-out rate if we can’t get the resort up and running.”
To reduce pre-season attrition at Snow Summit, the area will try to maintain better contact with workers, Hightower said. “We’re going to keep in close touch with them, and try to keep them better informed as to what to expect.” To keep workers from quitting before the end of the season, the area pays those who work more than 600 hours a $.25/hour end-of-the-season bonus.
Many areas try to improve employee retention through some kind of bonus, with varying degrees of success and subtlety. Hunter, which pays holiday bonuses, has begun warning employees they will not be hired back if they leave early. Big Sky, Mont., now requires employees to pay $250 for a season pass which is refunded at the end of the season, instead of end-of-the-season bonuses.
“It’s a free pass but we make them pay a deposit on it to get them to stay,” said Robert Jenni, HR director. “And, it works.”
Recognizing that free skiing remains the biggest enticement for seasonal workers, Big Sky also mixes shifts between nights and days for many of its jobs so employees can get out on the slopes.
Most ski areas also give their seasonal workers steep discounts on grub and gear, rentals, lessons and other ski area amenities. Beyond the traditional ski benefits, however, a growing number of resorts have started offering their seasonal workers health insurance. The Booth Creek resorts not only offer all of their employees, including seasonals, medical insurance, but employee assistance programs as well. Bachelor, Mt. Hood and Snow Summit also offer seasonal workers access to medical insurance, some company paid, some employee buy-in plans at group rates.
Working at a ski area is looking more attractive than ever.
