What can be done to attract more quality individuals in the park and recreation field?

MORE MONEY!

by Rodney R. Buhr
and Charles T. Balling

During the past year, the Illinois Parks & Recreation Association's Issues Committee has researched, analyzed and debated the issue of salaries paid to entry-level park and recreation professionals and the ramifications of these salaries. Based on information collected on college enrollment figures and existing salary levels, it is the opinion of the authors that entry-level professionals in the public sector of the parks and recreation field are underpaid.

"According to data collected on starting salaries paid to parks and recreation supervisors in Illinois in 1989, the average starting salary was $17,546...it is little wonder during a time when the demand for leisure activites has steadily been rising that numerous college leisure study department enrollment figures have remained constant—or declined."

As a result, the park and recreation field is missing out on the opportunity to attract many more quality individuals that would enter the field if it were not for low salaries, and in many cases, poor benefits. Many individuals that graduate from colleges with parks and recreation degrees, and subsequently enter the field for a time, are soon lost to other fields because of the disparity between what parks and recreation workers are expected to put into their jobs versus what they receive for their efforts.

According to data collected on starting salaries paid to parks and recreation supervisors in Illinois in 1989, the average starting salary was $17,546.

Starting salaries of 15 selected professions were also examined from 1989. The average of the 15 salaries was $24,524 with the lowest of the salaries being $ 19,093 paid to liberal arts majors.

Given this comparison of salary figures, and the fact that frequently, some entry-level recreation supervisor positions pay $15,000 or less, it is little wonder during a time when the demand for leisure activities has steadily been rising that numerous college leisure study department enrollment figures have remained constant, or in many cases, declined in recent years. Some leisure study departments that have realized enrollment increases attribute to more interest and growing opportunities for careers in tourism and commercial recreation as opposed to careers in public parks and recreation.

It is not easy to understand why individuals beginning careers in public parks and recreation are paid so much less than college graduates starting out in other fields. Are not the general responsibilities like planning, organizing, promoting, and evaluation of people in the business world also performed by the people who coordinate the cultural arts, preschool, teen, senior citizen, and athletic programs? Is it not the supervisors of the programs who arguably have the greatest

impact on the quality and success of the programs offered?

Professionals in the leisure field believe that parks and recreation facilities and activities are an integral part of peoples' lifestyles. As a result, parks and recreation workers are willing to give much time and are willing to spend a great deal of energy to provide programs, services and facilities to meet constituent needs. However, at some point, benefits must come back to the park and recreation professionals or else discouragement, despondency and even job burnout are likely to occur.

What can be done to attract more quality individuals into the parks and recreation field? What can be done to keep the professionals who want to stay in the field from leaving to pursue careers in other fields where benefits received are more in line with efforts expended?

The authors offer the following ideas for consideration as ways to attract and to keep quality people in the public parks and recreation field.

First of all, the state association, as well as individual agencies should consider taking a proactive stand on the issue of raising entry-level salaries. The annual IPRA Salary Survey results should be analyzed and important conclusions and findings should be published or made available to more people through direct mailings of the results. Salary ranges should be compared with similar positions in other fields. Salaries paid to those entering the field should be increased to be in line with responsibilities of the position and duties performed.

Secondly, beyond the salaries paid to park and recreation professionals, the other elements of employee benefit packages should be evaluated and modified to reflect an agency's desire to "take care of their own." The use of employee incentive programs and bonuses should be applied to fairly compensate the high performers. The standard 4 to 6 percent yearly across-the-board increases most significantly benefit the higher salaried employees. Incentive programs and bonus plans are a great way to assure that productive employees are compensated for excellent performances and thus earn more money for their efforts.

Policies such as vacation, sick leave, maternity leave, health insurance options, as well as comp time should be examined and rewritten to demonstrate how important agencies feel it is to attract good people and then hold onto these individuals. Agencies should consider, if not already written in policy manuals, including a provision that permits employees to use facilities and/ or enroll in programs at reduced rates or at no charge.

Lastly, but by no means least, employees should be treated as an agency's most important resource. In addition to spending hours discussing ways to generate more revenue, build more facilities, and add more programs, more time could be spent telling and showing employees that they are important. Agencies must keep in mind that it is because of the employees that they are

"...offering higher salaries and more benefits can only promote better morale among employee s...this topic...is an issue that continues to be studied by IPRA's Issues Committee. Entry-level workers are asked to give much, but are often given very little in return for their efforts."

able to provide quality services to the public.

We can show employees they are important by improving working conditions. Working hours can be reduced; office locations and settings can be upgraded and employee recognition programs can be developed to recognize and reward employees for excellent work. Clerical and maintenance support staff can be added to allow free time for supervisors to concentrate on responsibilities they were hired to perform.

More opportunities to enroll in training sessions and seminars can be offered to employees at all levels. Agencies should be able to tell college graduates in interviews that opportunities to enroll in continuing education courses will be provided. Employees, at all levels, should be encouraged to attend workshops and conferences that improve existing skills or teach new skills. Ideally, employees would be given options to attend sessions, workshops and conferences sponsored by local, state or national agencies and associations.

Most important, realistic expectations for entry-level employees must be set forth at the time of employment. All employees should have clearly defined and up-to-date job descriptions, goals and objectives which are tied to annual performance evaluations and salary increases.

The benefits of offering more to entry-level professionals in the way of higher salaries, incentive and bonus programs, improved benefit packages, and better working conditions, is at least three-fold.

More quality people will be attracted to enter the parks and recreation curriculums in colleges. Students who have an interest in parks and recreation will no longer be discouraged from entering the field because of low starting salaries and poor benefits. Individuals will be more likely to pursue their interests in the field if salaries and benefits are comparable to what is being offered to individuals in other professions.

Secondly, employee turnover would likely be reduced. This would particularly be true of small to medium sized agencies that routinely lose good employees to larger park and recreation agencies or to other professions. By receiving more from agencies they start out with after college, employees will see less advantage in moving on to larger agencies that currently offer higher salaries and more benefits.

Lastly, offering higher salaries and more benefits can only promote better morale among employees. Employees will feel better about themselves, about their jobs and about their employer if they know that they will be appreciated, recognized and rewarded for their hard work. Salaries and wages make up well over 50 percent of most park and recreation agency budgets. By protecting our most valuable resources, our employees, parks and recreation agencies will be able to provide higher levels of service as the employees will be more motivated and, surely, more productive.