Skillful Interviewing for Finding Skillful Staff

Build a camp team that shines. Every summer, camp counselors step into a role full of responsibility, adventure, and impact. Hiring the right people isn't easy-spotting who can rise to the challenge takes skill and insight. In this second edition, Bob Ditter, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in child, adolescent, and family therapy, provides a practical roadmap for camp directors and leaders to identify, assess, and select counselors who are prepared, capable, and camp-ready. You'll learn how to plan interviews that reveal character, judgment, and skill; ask competency-based questions that uncover motivation and camp fit; and evaluate candidates thoughtfully, focusing on strengths, competencies, and potential. Counselors create healthy relationships with campers, bring spirit and enthusiasm to your program, and maintain physical and emotional safety. Doing all these things often requires knowing how to maintain calm in stressful situations. In this second edition, Bob adds a new chapter that addresses staff mental health from the point of self-care habits to ensure you are enlisting candidates who have the coping skills to manage the natural stress of their jobs. With the strategies covered in this book, you'll build a team that's confident, capable, and ready to make every camper's day safe and fun.