What Departments Overlook When Preparing for the Summer Season

Summer is not just a busy stretch on the calendar; it tends to define the year for club membership. Expectations rise, traffic increases, and patience narrows. Most clubs feel the same pressure points season after season, not from lack of effort, but from a few preparatory disciplines that quietly get delayed.

The clubs that move through summer with confidence are rarely the ones scrambling to add bodies in June. More often, they are the ones that made staffing decisions earlier, clarified expectations in advance, and invested in focused training before the first surge arrived.

Staffing: The Cost of Waiting

A familiar pattern emerges when hiring begins only after reservations climb and events stack up. By that point, the strongest seasonal candidates have committed elsewhere, and leadership teams are left reacting instead of selecting. Core staff absorb the strain; onboarding gets compressed, and inconsistency shows up when visibility is at its highest.

A steadier approach is to plan backward. Review peak weekends, tournament schedules, banquet volume, and historical pinch points. Build the staffing model around those realities early enough to hire with intention rather than urgency. It protects both the team and the member experience.

Timing and Hiring: Move Quickly, Not Carelessly

Seasonal hiring does demand pace, particularly with high school and college candidates who commit quickly. The clubs that perform well here simplify their interview process, set clear availability expectations, and extend offers without delay.

At the same time, standards remain firm. Transparency around schedules, accountability, and culture prevents surprises later. Temporary employment should not translate into temporary expectations.

Where Strong Seasonal Talent Comes From

Experience in a private club setting is helpful, but it is rarely the deciding factor. Many reliable seasonal team members come from:

• Local high schools and colleges with hospitality, culinary, or athletic programs

• Returning seasonal staff who already understand the culture
• Referrals from trusted year-round employees
• Community and athletic organizations where teamwork and discipline are emphasized

Attitude, reliability, and coach-ability tend to outweigh résumé lines. Skills can be taught. Character is harder to instill mid-season.

For many younger seasonal employees, this may be their first professional role. Overloading them with policies and procedures often dilutes what truly matters.

The most effective summer training tends to be:

• Role-specific: Focused only on what drives success in that position
• Structured and brief: Short modules, clear checklists, and consistent pre-shift reinforcement
• Culture-centered: Explaining the purpose behind standards so expectations feel intentional

Daily pre-shift meetings, consistent service language, and visible leadership presence do more to stabilize performance than lengthy classroom sessions.

A Measured Perspective

Summer success is rarely about pushing harder once volume hits. It is built through earlier preparation, clearer alignment, and disciplined follow-through. When seasonal staffing is treated as a strategic initiative rather than a recurring inconvenience, the ripple effect is noticeable: core teams remain steadier, service culture holds, and members experience consistency when it matters most.

By the time the first major weekend arrives, much of the outcome has already been decided. The clubs that recognize that reality tend not only to manage the season but also to strengthen their foundation for the year ahead.

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About the Author:  Pat Fleming, SHRM-CP
Pat brings over 30 years of multi-faceted experience to the RCS team, from a corporate, human resources and club level perspective. Pat has previously served in a variety of capacities at the club level: Communications Director, Membership Director and HR Director, working directly with the club’s board of directors, committees, executive leadership team, member sand staff. Her passion is employee relations, which encourages appreciation and respect for each and every department and how ongoing employee engagement plays a vital role to the success of the club in order to provide best in class service to its members. With a well-rounded background in club administration, technology, communications, and human resources, Pat’s understanding and experience lend a professional and down to earth perspective to help clubs align their mission, vision and values for both members and staff.