RECR 4400 – W01

Effective Methods for
Lifeguard Retention
and Enhancing
Retention Strategies

Ellie Wong
3-24-2024

Table of Contents
Executive Summary .................................................................................................. 2
Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2
Background and Context ............................................................................................ 4
Literature Review ....................................................................................................... 6
Methods ................................................................................................................ 6
Retention Metrics ................................................................................................... 7
Overall Safety ........................................................................................................ 7
Professional Development and Opportunities .......................................................... 8
Management Strategies .......................................................................................... 9
Discussion .......................................................................................................... 10
Methodology ........................................................................................................... 11
Interviews ............................................................................................................ 11
Observations ....................................................................................................... 12
Content Analysis .................................................................................................. 13
Research Findings and Analysis ................................................................................ 14
Recommendations .................................................................................................. 17
Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 20
References (Works Cited) ......................................................................................... 22
Appendix A .............................................................................................................. 25
Appendix B .............................................................................................................. 29
Interview Transcripts ............................................................................................ 29
Appendix C ............................................................................................................. 48
Observations ....................................................................................................... 48
Appendix D ............................................................................................................. 50
Content Analysis .................................................................................................. 50

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Executive Summary
Lifeguard retention ensures the overall effectiveness and consistent safety of the
aquatic facilities. The shortage of lifeguards had caused significant challenges for
aquatic facilities, which led to inadequate staffing numbers, decreased morale among
lifeguards, and limited safety supervision. As a result of high lifeguard turnover rate
during the pandemic, there was a limited number of staff and new guards were hired
and trained to meet the appropriate staffing numbers. This caused a concern for the
general safety of the public, the efficiency of emergency situations, and shortened
operational (Butson et al, 2021a).
Lifeguard retention continues to be an important factor that must be considered in
lowering turnover rates and keeping the appropriate amount of staffing numbers to
maintain a safe and efficient aquatic facility. A few factors that were linked to sustaining
the retention of lifeguards were retention metrics, overall safety, job satisfaction, career
development, and management strategies (Buston et al, 2021b)
A study was conducted through primary research which included informal interviews
with lifeguards who were already working for the City of Richmond, visual observations
of Minoru Centre for Active Living on three separate occasions, and a content analysis
on City of Richmond Aquatics documents such as the lifeguard handbook, orientation
and training materials, and lifeguarding expectations. In addition, a literature review was
also conducted to review the existing research information on lifeguard retention. The
result of the study concluded 3 specific key findings: handling difficult patrons with the
support from the leadership team, more hands-on training, and opportunity to review
skills, and addressing boredom during guarding.

Introduction
Lifeguards are fundamental in ensuring the wellbeing of patrons, maintaining order,
responding swiftly to emergencies, and enforcing safety standards within aquatic
facilities. However, due to the shortage of lifeguards affecting aquatic facilities and
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outdoor spaces nationwide, has emerged as a pressing concern. “Employee turnover
has long been, and potentially will continue to be, a significant concern in the aquatics
industry” (Buston et al, 2021, p33). Having to attract and retain qualified individuals in
lifeguarding positions have become a significant challenge in the recreation field.
The turnover rates among lifeguards have presented multiple implications that caused a
stir in adequate staffing. With high turnover rates due to the layoffs during the pandemic
of 2020, it has disrupted staffing continuity as well as compromising the safety and
efficiency of safety protocols thus endangering the lives of patrons in the aquatic
environment.
Moreover, the costs and time associated with recruitment, hiring, and training of new
lifeguards could place a significant strain on resources of the organization. Hence, the
factors that are influencing lifeguard retention and devising effective strategies to
mitigate turnover is crucial for ensuring the safety, sustainability, and effectiveness of
the aquatic facilities.
This paper examines the factors influencing lifeguard retention and exploring some
viable solutions towards lifeguard retention to alleviate the aftermath of lifeguard
shortage while improving retention rates. Through synthesising existing research,
drawing real-world experiences, and analyzing industry trends, this paper aims to
provide an extensive understanding on lifeguard retention dynamics and offer
actionable recommendations for aquatic facility managers and stakeholders.
The research question that is the basis for this paper is, “How can the retention of
lifeguards be enhanced to ensure the sustained safety of aquatic environments,
considering factors such as job satisfaction, professional development opportunities,
and effective management strategies?” The key concepts revealed within the research
question were:
1) Retention Metrics relates to the quantitative measures used to assess and track
employee retention. It includes turnover rates, retention rates, average length of
employment, and reasons for employee departure.

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2) Overall safety refers to the comprehensive approach taken by the organization to
ensure health, wellbeing, and physical security of stakeholders. This covers the
measures that are enforced to prevent accidents, the response time to emergencies,
and a culture of safety among staff and patrons.
3) Job Satisfaction is the level of fulfillment and satisfaction that employees experience
within their roles in the organization. It comprises the factors of work environment,
compensation, job responsibilities, opportunities for growth and advancement, and
relationships between coworkers and the leadership team.
4) Career development includes the process of learning new skills, experiences, and
knowledge to advance to a higher position and/or achieve professional goals. It includes
support initiatives from organizations such as training and development programs,
mentoring, coaching, and opportunities for promotion and advancement.
5) Management strategies encompassing the approaches, techniques, and practices
used by the organizational leaders and managers to effectively lead, motivate, and
support employees. This involves fostering a positive work environment, providing
feedback and recognition, offering competitive compensation benefits, and
implementing policies that promote a work-life balance and overall employee wellbeing.

Background and Context
Lifeguard retention is crucial in keeping a safe aquatic facility for the community.
Lifeguards serve as the frontline leaders and guardians of safety throughout the aquatic
facility. They are responsible for ensuring that rules are being adhered to, responding to
immediate emergencies as first responders in the scene, and surveillance of patrons
utilizing the aquatic environment (MacMillian, 2008, p.1). Even though lifeguard
retention had been, and still is, a nationwide concern, many municipalities are
scrambling to ensure that the aquatic facilities can run properly and meet community
needs for water based recreational activities (MacMillian, 2008, p.2).

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The study was conducted in the City of Richmond, specifically at Minoru Centre for
Active living. The demographic of the lifeguards at Minoru Centre ranged from 16 years
of age to approximately 30 years of age. This range included high school students,
fresh graduates, university students, and working adults.
The mission statement for the City of Richmond was to “protect and enhance the city’s
livability and economic well-being for current and future generations through: Visionary
leadership and responsible decision making, accountable and sustainable fiscal
practice, development of a unique and beautiful city, product and service excellence and
efficiency, and community consultation” (City of Richmond, 2024, Departments Section).
In the City of Richmond Recreation and Sport Strategy 2019-2024, the vision statement
revealed that “Richmond is a leader in the planning and delivery of recreation and sport
opportunities, inspiring individuals and communities to be active, connected and healthy
for a lifetime” (City of Richmond Recreation and Sport Strategy 2019-2024, 2019, p3).
The Agency Advisor for this paper was Julie Kaufman, who had been working for the
City of Richmond Aquatics for over a decade, is the Aquatics Supervisor at the Minoru
Centre. Her responsibilities include day to day operations, program planning, writing
reports and memos, reviewing budgets, hiring, and scheduling staff, as well as providing
general supervision of the lifeguard team. Her role in the research paper was to provide
guidance on the research topic of lifeguard retention through access to related
documents, observations of the aquatic environment, and access to interviewing staff.
The researcher of this paper, Ellie Wong, is currently a lifeguard at the Minoru Centre.
Her interest on the topic of lifeguard retention stemmed from her general experience of
lifeguarding for City of Richmond Aquatics over the last couple of years. She had gone
through the experience of having many staff available to work, having an extensive
phone list to call staff to come in, and little to no shifts needing coverage. She has also
experienced that as a shift supervisor during the lifeguard shortage, it was hard to find
coverage and had to offer overtime opportunities in order to meet the appropriate
staffing numbers to keep the facility and all of its amenities running. She wanted to learn
more about the effects of lifeguard retention and what she could do to help the City of
Richmond Aquatics and her colleagues.
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As a researcher, Ellie has gone through confirmation bias during her research. She
overcame this by recognizing the existence of her biases and acknowledging the
potential influence it can have on her research. Ellie would question her own
assumptions and preconceptions by actively monitoring them through out her research.
She also found that interviews with the diverse team of lifeguard staff were very helpful
in learning the different perspectives and experiences each interviewee had.

Literature Review
Lifeguards are crucial for keeping a safe and enjoyable aquatic environment for patrons
in the community. They “protect lives and provide first response in fatal and nonfatal
emergencies” (MacMillian, 2008, p.363). High turnover rates could cause an increase in
employee burnout, lack of work-life balance, slow response times, and increased
chances of risk and accidents occurring in the facility. This literature review aims to
identify factors that influence lifeguard retention as well as address the lifeguard
turnover issue and explore strategies that were used to address turnovers.

Methods
The research question that is the basis for this literature review is “How can the
retention of lifeguards be enhanced to ensure the sustained safety of aquatic
environments, considering factors such as job satisfaction, professional development
opportunities, and effective management strategies?”
Key words such as “employee retention”, “lifeguard”, “employee turnover”, and
“retention strategies” were used to search for relevant articles. The inclusion criteria
include strategies on lifeguard retention and employee retention. The exclusion criteria
include criminal law, hospital staffing, and other skill retention related terms that were
not related to lifeguarding.
Factors that influenced lifeguard retention were divided into several themes which
include “Safety of aquatic environments”, “Job satisfaction”, “Professional Development

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opportunities”, and “Effective management strategies”. These factors play an important
role in determining the retention rates of lifeguards.

Retention Metrics
Ever since the shortage of lifeguards have occurred due to the pandemic, there is an
increase in demand for lifeguards after the re-opening of aquatic facilities and
recreational waterfront spaces. Due to the pandemic, “leisure and hospitality industries
have a high turnover rate of 51%” (Popescu & Ciorei, 2023, p62). Lifeguard retention
was affected when lifeguard trainings were stopped for 2 years (Kelly, 2023). Many of
the auxiliary lifeguards who did not receive any shifts or were temporarily laid off have
sought other jobs during the pandemic, there were no replacement lifeguards (Rios,
2022). This is reflected in Figure 1 (See Appendix A) where a significant absence in
lifeguards was reflected in the bar chart due to layoffs.
Additionally, high turnover rates and hiring new staff can be quite time consuming and
costly for the organizations. This increases the “financial resources and loss of talent
and expertise” (Popescu & Ciorei, 2023, p.62).
Young employers and university students were also more likely to leave after a few
years because they are “less attached to the organization” (Buston et al, 2021a, p.1).
University students often work lifeguarding jobs because they offer flexibility around
their busy school schedules.
There was also the generalization of Lifeguarding being “monotonous and unappealing”
since it was seen as a “temporary stepping stone for other positions” and not a career
that could be done long term (Buston et al, 2021a, p.1). Because of the generalization,
lifeguards were more likely to seek other opportunities that would be more appealing,
interesting, and had a higher salary.

Overall Safety
Safety of Aquatic environments is something that needs to be addressed hand in hand
with lifeguard retention. Because lifeguard shortages have diminished the number of
staff working in aquatic facilities, operational hours and effective response times toward
emergencies are affected.
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Lifeguarding can be a repetitive and uneventful at times, this could affect the quality of
lifeguarding when “lifeguards are distracted with other staff or patrons” (Griffiths, 2003,
p320). This leads to a decrease in safety at the pool and possible risks in drowning due
to a lack of prevention. Another factor to consider was the RID Factor, discovered by
Frank Pia from 1919-1980. It explains how lifeguards can miss drownings by the
combination of three factors: “Failure to Recognize signs of distress, Intrusion of nonlifeguard duties, and Distraction from surveillance duties” (Palm, 1993, p.23). With these
three factors coming into play, it could increase the possibility of drowning incidents.
Lifeguards must eliminate such distractions in order to properly supervise and decrease
any potential accidents. To alleviate boredom, it [was] important for lifeguards to have
“regular in-service training to refine lifesaving skills” as well as “increasing motivation
and good communication skills” (Griffiths, 2003, p.332).

Professional Development and Opportunities
When addressing professional development and opportunities, lifeguards are looking for
opportunities for growth after they have reached the maximum pay grade. “Lifeguards
leave their current position after gaining enough experience to move up to a higher
paying position” (Buston et al, 2021, p.38). Lifeguarding is also seen as a “temporary
position” that provide skills and learning opportunities to promote to other careers
(Buston et al, 2021, p.37). Although there are much higher paying positions related to
lifeguarding, there are very limited available positions.
On the other hand, lifeguards can be provided opportunities for growth through another
perspective. Lifeguards can benefit from having “input during Inservice, establishing
policies and rules, as well as being part of the decision-making process at aquatic
facilities” (Griffiths, 2003, p332). Lifeguards will have the opportunity to utilize their skills
for the public good. In addition, providing continuing education in forms of paid
additional training beyond what is received at the facility made lifeguards felt
appreciated and loyal to the workplace (Griffiths, 2003, p.333).
There are also lifeguards who are happy to remain lifeguards since they were satisfied
with the amount of responsibility they had. For instance, some lifeguards who had some
experiences in head guarding and overseeing the lifeguard team and pool operations
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would prefer to go back to regular lifeguarding due to having more responsibilities that
were too overwhelming for them. Some lifeguards came into work just for the sake of
making money and performing their tasks then go home right after their shift, opting for
simplicity and focusing on generating income.

Job Satisfaction
In job satisfaction, a content analysis from a study proved that lifeguards leave due to
four main reasons “Lifeguarding being a temporary position, a negative working
environment, pursuing employment in a higher paying lifeguard position and location”
(Buston et al, 2021a, p.1). Individuals also leave their positions due to “ineffective
communication related to job expectations and requirements, lack of opportunity for
career advancement, and ineffective training” (Anvari, JianFu, & Chermahini, 2014,
p.187).
Lifeguarding heavily relies on “Team-building activities [to] increase lifeguard morale
and motivation” (Griffiths, 2003, p.332). Team building activities encourage
communication between employees while deepening a sense of understanding and
camaraderie. A statistic-based poll was conducted in the US, and it was found that
lifeguards in the US were also around the average age of 26 years old (Zippia, 2023).
Since most lifeguards are around the range of teenagers to young adults, it was advised
that “socialization should be encouraged during the appropriate time and after hours”
(Griffiths, 2003, p.332). Because the lifeguards are within that age range, they are also
attending university and required flexibility and balance between the two.
Post secondary students have specific needs that need to be met, and this was met
through shorter shifts or flexible working hours (Buston et al, 2021a). Flexibility also
offers lifeguards an opportunity to balance between personal life and work life. “Flexible
working arrangements increase employee retention” and this benefits the lifeguards
who are still studying in school or working a second job (Popescu & Ciorei, 2023, p.67).

Management Strategies
A few effective management strategies that motivate lifeguards include creating reward
systems and “work engagement through training empowerment” since it led to an
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increase in job satisfaction and retention” (Deery & Jago, 2015). This encouraged
lifeguards feel valued and appreciated in their position since they are being recognized
for their efforts in providing excellent customer service and going out of their way to
better serve the community and becoming a strong asset to their team. More
opportunities for recognition foster a “positive work environment and improve employee
morale” (Popescu & Ciorei, 2023, p.68). Finding “timely and meaningful forms of
recognition” is also beneficial in showing recognition for the work that lifeguards do to
keep the community safe (Romine, 2000, p.62).
Managers could also encourage retention through “enhanced learning experiences,
supportive cultural acceptance in the workforce, and offer flexibility at work” to create a
safe and meaningful work environment (Roberts et al, 2002, p.44). Career
advancements such as “clear career paths, promotions, and opportunities for
employees to take on new responsibilities and challenges” encourages them to commit
and remain with the organization” (Popescu & Ciorei, 2023, p.68). Providing “attractive
benefit programs” would also encourage more lifeguards to stay, especially those who
are in auxiliary positions (Macmillan, 2008, p.364).

Discussion
Work culture is a major factor that needs to be considered in the retention of lifeguards.
A positive work environment can create a welcoming and safe environment for staff to
connect with one another. If the work environment becomes too negative, lifeguards
were more likely to leave because they felt unsafe in their working environment. A
negative organizational culture could cause lifeguards to leave their workplace if the
team culture has not improved” (Buston et al, 2021a, p.38). Workload and staffing levels
are crucial to create an operational facility and a safe environment for the community.
Another related controversial topic is the public perception and trust towards lifeguards.
Turnover rates can affect the safety of pool operations and adequate response times
(Buston et al. 2021a). With these factors being affected, it can lead to increased
oversight and higher risk of public safety.

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Furthermore, another consideration is the work to life balance factor and how shortage
of staff can hinder this. It has been known that “employees with heavier workloads
lacked work to life balance and demonstrated poor job performance” (Deery & Jago,
2015, p.1).
Factors related to poor job performance include stress, overwork, exhaustion, and
boredom and this eventually leads to burnout and a group of unmotivated employees
looking for a career change. Lifeguards are looking for “shorter or fewer shifts” and this
could be a solution to prevent overworking and burnout (Kelly, 2023, p.1).
More intensive research is needed for this study to evaluate the long-term effects after
the strategies have been implemented in aquatic facilities to increase staff retention.

Methodology
The primary research plan was to seek recommendations and personal experiences in
relation to the research question through interviews, observations, and content analysis.
The research methods used to collect data in relation to the research question were
interviews, observations, and content analysis.

Interviews
When requesting for volunteers to interview, a mass email was sent to the entire City of
Richmond Aquatics staff on to ensure everyone can participate. Most of the interviews
were conducted via phone since it was the most convenient form of communication for
the staff that participated in the interviews. On some days, there were a few meetings
conducted over zoom when the participants had enough time to spare during their day.
To ensure the participants could participate in the interviews, it was essential for both
sides to communicate back and forth to make sure everyone was on the same page
with the chosen meeting time and date. Everyone who participated in the interview were
given the choice to remain anonymous or have their answers cited with their names
within the paper.

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The interviews started on February 27th, 2024 and remained open until March 8th,2024.
The times and dates were scheduled from February 29th,2024 to March 3rd,2024 with
most interviews occurring on February 29th. 18 participants were interviewed during
through out the week and all interviewees City of Richmond - Aquatics staff ranging
from junior lifeguards to shift supervisors and senior guards (See Appendix B).
The lifeguards were the best source to gather primary research information because
they have experienced firsthand what lifeguarding was like throughout their career. They
had expertise in their field of work and had access to valuable data from trainings and
inservices. This was the reasons as to why they were chosen to participate in the
interviews.

Observations
The observations were conducted on March 5th, 2024, until March 9th, 2024. During the
observations, the following interactions were observed: staff to staff, staff to leadership
team, staff to patrons, and staff to user groups. Two types of observations were
conducted: Special Status and General Status observations.
The observations were planned with having morning, midday, and evening observations
varying from weekday to weekend environments. This allows a general perspective of
the facility and the comparison between peak hours and slow hours throughout the days
of the week.
The research was done on three separate occasions:
•

MCAL - March 6th from 10:00 am-12:00 pm (General and Special Status
observation)

•

MCAL - March 7th from 6:30pm-7:30pm (General observation)

•

MCAL - March 9th from 2:00 pm-3:00 pm (General and Special Status
observation)

Some ethical considerations during research include the privacy, dignity, and rights of
the lifeguards. This included permission from the shift supervisors, confidentiality of the
staff, and minimizing disruptions to lifeguards during observation.
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Content Analysis
The contents were provided by the Agency Advisor when requested. The documents
that were analyzed in the content analysis process were from the City of Richmond
Aquatics Department:
Instructor Lifeguard Orientation Manual – The handbook gives the general overview
of the City, Lifeguard positions and duties, swim instructor expectations, facility layout
and operations, online scheduling system (Schedule Force), and shadow guarding
expectations. This is a good overview of the general tasks and expectations that new
guards can learn what to expect when they first start their job as a lifeguard for the City
of Richmond.
Aquatics FAQ – The FAQs is a small packet that states the different temperatures of
the pools, the general rules and etiquette that patrons must follow, and how to use
certain equipment around the pool. This is good for guards who need a refresher on the
rules and etiquette as it can be found readily available in a designated binder at the
guard room.
Aquatics Instructor Lifeguard - Orientation Checklist (See Appendix A, Figure. 4) –
The orientation checklist exposes new staff to where things are located around the
facility and how they can find them. Some items include AED and focal points, Teach
boxes, Fire panels, and general guidelines and procedures. Generally, a designated
senior staff or head guard leads the new staff to the items on the check list, similar to a
game of “I Spy” in an aquatic setting.
Aquatics Facility Orientation Lesson Material (Figure 3.) – The Lesson Material
explains the equipment that is needed for swim lessons which include report cards,
attendance sheets, and other materials for teaching. The Lesson Material sheet also
includes asking any Aquatic Leader or Head Guard for assistance when required during
lessons, swim evaluations, and report card writing.
Ripple Effects Presentation – The presentation provides a general description of the
lifeguard shortage throughout the years (Figure 1.) and how the pandemic has caused a
major decrease of staff in 2020. It also highlights the general onboarding process for
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soon-to-be lifeguards (Figure 2.). It includes leaning about pool safety plans, FAQs,
emergency procedures, swim lessons, first aid, guarding expectations, and shadow
guard training procedures.
Some obstacles during the research phase include time constraints. Having a tight
deadline was somewhat of an obstacle especially during data collection through
interviews. The interviews were also stacked on top of one right after another and it felt
a little bit rushed near the beginning of the interviews. To fix this obstacle, the interviews
were scheduled to be more spaced out to ensure more time to prepare and compile the
typed-out transcripts as the calls and zoom meetings went by.
Another obstacle was the access to participants, this includes privacy concerns and
reluctance to participate. Potential participants had a week to think about participating in
the study and some participants have offered to participate right away. It was important
to state the clear instructions and expectations for the participants to ensure they know
what was going on during the interviews. Some participants offered to participate in
exchange for having the interview answers remain anonymous. Other participants were
happy to share their answers regardless of the privacy concerns.
The last obstacle was the limited resources on lifeguard retention, it affected the scope
of study in the beginning. There was a solution that helped with expanding the research
further and it took searching key terms that was related to retention and hospitality to
access more information that was related to lifeguard retention. Building on secondary
research in related topics and collecting solid primary research evidence provided an
opportunity to overcome the obstacle. The solid proof and experiences from lifeguards
helped solidify the points that were found in the secondary research phase.

Research Findings and Analysis
According to the current primary research that was conducted through-out the research
process, the results were akin to the articles in the secondary research.
Difficult patrons and situations can also create a stressful situation for lifeguards since
they must maintain a professional control over the situation to ensure a positive and
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peaceful environment. The lifeguards that were interviewed were hoping for immediate
support from the leadership team when dealing with rude or ill-mannered patrons that
consistently break pool rules. This includes learning to remain composed and assertive,
as well as establishing clear protocols for handling tough situations, providing consistent
rules and expectations, and when to seek assistance from supervisors.
A key finding during the interview phase of the primary research was learning from the
lifeguards that it was difficult to communicate to angry or difficult patrons. Dealing with
difficult patrons can become a significant challenge for lifeguards tasked in ensure
safety for all in aquatic environments. An example was when a staff voiced her concern
over being sexualized by a patron and it left her feeling unsafe in the workplace (Shift
Supervisor B, personal communication, February 29, 2024). Since it was unpleasant for
the lifeguard to experience for something that is out of their control, it dampens the
general lifeguarding experience.
Through observations, the lifeguards were generally performing their duties and
ensuring that the pool was operational even during the hours when it was short staffed.
(See Appendix C). There was evidence of teamwork between lifeguards when it came
to adjusting lane ropes for user groups and reconfiguring the pool for feature use. Most
lifeguards seem to be respectful with one another and would occasionally assist or
show other lifeguards where things were located when equipment was moved to
another spot. The general group chat for lifeguards were also useful in finding
immediate coverage and have inquires answered as needed.
A key finding from the observation method was seeing the interaction between staff and
other staff. Due to the nature of the job, it can become quite tedious for staff, especially
when staff were guarding for more that 30 minutes. This causes staff to become quite
“distracted with other staff or patrons” (Griffiths, 2003, p.320). To cut down on boredom
and increase lifeguarding knowledge, it would benefit staff by notifying and encouraging
them to participate in opportunities such as lifeguarding workshops and conferences,
lifeguard competitions, and professional development opportunities that help build work
related skills.

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During the Content Analysis, the training and orientation materials generally provided
policies, expectations, and detailed items to look for and where they were located.
Contents such as lesson checklists and questions that help lifeguards reflect their
teaching styles and evaluations prompted them to seek improvements and feedback.
Although there were some lifeguards who did not reach out for feedback for their own
reasons, support and constructive feedback was delivered to staff in order to help them
become good instructors that deliver quality swim lessons to the community. The
orientation provided opportunities for new staff to ask questions and review important
materials such as emergency procedures, pool safety plan, facility operations, review of
first aid, and opportunities to shadow guard at multiple aquatic locations in Richmond
prior to working their first shift. New guards “spend a specified time to job shadow a
senior lifeguard to hone their skills” and learn how to keep the facility operational
(MacMillan, 2008, p.3). Job shadowing ensures that new guards could slowly assimilate
into the lifeguarding team and become a strong team player in maintaining a safe and
welcoming aquatic environment.
A key finding during the content analysis method concluded that it would be very
beneficial for new lifeguards to have more hands-on approach with the daily operational
tasks such as water tests. Although there were checklists and videos provided during
orientation, junior lifeguards wanted more opportunities to review and memorize the
steps to complete specific tasks. A lifeguard voiced her opinion on how she often felt
pressured to finish everything up on time and it led to stress and accidental mistakes
that could have escalated to a bigger issue (Junior Lifeguard C, Personal
Communication, February 29, 2024). Thus, it would take time to fix the mistakes which
can be quite time consuming.
Although there were a few concerns and weaknesses that were brought up during the
interview that correlated to the literary analysis, staff were generally quite content with
their jobs and overall appreciated the “chill” workplace environment.
A contradicting factor in the research was the correlation between motivation and
intrinsic rewards versus extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards include “interesting,
challenging work and opportunities that allow room for growth to attain greater
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responsibilities” (Malik & Naeem, 2013, p.1033). This was something that lifeguards
wanted to see more in the workplace, they want more opportunities to feel recognized
and valued in the workplace. On the contrary, extrinsic factors include “benefit programs
that offer significant salary increases and bonuses to retain staff” (MacMillian, 2008,
p.3). The City of Richmond provides a decent benefits package for part-time and fulltime staff. Auxiliary staff also receive in lieu pay instead the benefits that add up in their
paycheque. It was also noted that “motivation can be monetary or nonmonetary in
nature” (MacMillian,2008, p3). Depending on the staff and what type of rewards they are
seeking, both motivational options were beneficial in encouraging overall lifeguard
retention. Although extrinsic rewards are out of the leadership’s scope of control, they
are able to provide intrinsic rewards and such.

Recommendations
1) More recognition and reward opportunities for staff to increase motivation. Having
recognition opportunities motivate lifeguards to perform better at their jobs. It offers
them a self-esteem boost and helps them realize that they are performing their tasks
correctly (Lifeguard E, Personal Communication, February 29, 2024). “Meaningfulness”
was considered a major factor that “positively influences employee retention, and it was
strengthened overtime” (Popescu & Ciorei, 2023, p.65). Kudos boards and guard of the
week posts are effective in showcasing the efforts of the staff that perform an
outstanding job, it also motivates other lifeguards to perform better on their duties while
boosting morale. An example of recognition and reward opportunities would be offering
a certificate for becoming the employee of the week or lifeguard merchandise such as
customized whistles, fanny packs, sunglasses, and caps.
2) Quick and immediate action from leadership team on handling public relations, health
concerns, and banning/removing patrons who are consistently breaking rules. A staff
mentioned how he did not receive enough support to help with dealing with rude and
difficult patrons (Lifeguard A, Personal communication, February 28, 2024). A few staff
members also felt uncomfortable reaching out to the leadership team because they
believe it was too much of a hassle or they may receive judgement or reprisal, so they
keep it to themselves (A. Liu, Personal Communication, February 27, 2024).
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A solution would be to create opportunities for lifeguard staff to address their concerns,
this could be in a form of meeting slots that can be scheduled in-person or over zoom to
encourage open dialogue discussions. Instead of focusing on the problem and blaming
someone or something, redirecting the focus on understanding each other’s perspective
and coming up with a solution to resolve the problem would be much more effective in
resolving conflicts and problems in the workplace.
3) More opportunities for professional growth and effective Inservice sessions with new
knowledge and hands-on activity. A lifeguard voiced his concern over the lack of training
opportunities offered. Some lifeguards also do not have access to the trainings because
they did not realize that additional trainings within the city existed. In addition, it was
important to focus on “employee engagement and satisfaction” since they were the “key
drivers of retention” (Popescu & Ciorei, 2023, p.62).
Most lifeguards would like Inservice sessions to provide more fresh insight and
engagement. Some lifeguards described that the Inservice sessions were “repetitive,”
especially for those who have worked in the organization for more that two years (T.
Davies, Personal Communication, February 27, 2024). Some even voiced their concern
over the topics that needed most coverage were not included in the Inservice sessions
and they were hoping that the topics will be included in the next Inservice.
To address the demands, a survey could be conducted through google polls and mass
emailed to all staff regarding the possible Inservice topics they could recommend.
Additionally, a lifeguard training committee could be created by lifeguards who are
looking to help improve the Inservice trainings just to turn these ideas into reality. The
lifeguard training committee could also be an excellent environment for lifeguards to
learn from each other and bond through socializing and teamwork activities.
4) More hands-on approach training during orientation. Junior guards found valuable
insight during orientation, but they wanted more hands-on experience to boost their
confidence in completing the operational jobs. A guard mentioned how the water test
videos were useful but when it is incorporated with real life experience, it would help
them learn better (Junior Lifeguard C, Personal Communication, February 29, 2024).
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On a similar note, there are instances where junior lifeguards needed a bit more time to
complete their tasks due to feeling inexperienced and not wanting to make mistakes for
the sake of being reprimanded by more senior colleagues. Based on the availability of
lifeguards, morning, and evening training sessions a few times per month could be
created to help guards refine and hone their lifeguarding skills. For lifeguards who are
looking to review their skills prior to recertifications and coming back to work after an
injury, this would be quite beneficial in boosting their confidence in their lifesaving skills.
5) Enforcing respect, accountability, and empathy in the workplace environment. Most of
the lifeguards that were interviewed felt like there were general lifeguard rules that were
not being followed, with some lifeguards having double standards when enforcing rules
(Junior Lifeguard A, Personal Communication, February 29, 2024).
It was noted that a “negative organizational culture was an additional reason for
lifeguard turnover” (Buston et al, 2021a, p.1). This was also evident with senior guards
enforcing rules to guards who have lesser seniority, but also breaking the rules
themselves. This included cellphone use and late rotations that bore into the off-deck
time that other lifeguards had, this reduces the efficiency of rotations and the completion
of tasks. To some lifeguards, they felt like they were not being treated fairly (R. Ng,
March 2nd, 2024). It is important for lifeguards to create a positive work environment by
also holding their own actions accountable (Shift Supervisor A, Personal
Communication, February 28, 2024). Introducing the platinum rule where lifeguards
“treat others the way they want to be treated” offers a more empathetic approach and
could encourage staff to be mindful of their actions and how it can affect others.
6) Maintaining a work-life balance within the organization. Regular check-ins with the
staff to see how they are doing and scheduling adequate staff during peak hours to help
lessen the stress. Stress and burnout were major factors in contributing towards
employee’s intention to leave the organization (Deery & Jago, 2015). This was evident
for lifeguards who frequently dealt with patrons face-to-face, this includes supervisors
and senior guards who step up to handle tough situations. To promote work-life balance
in the workplace, it was critical for the leadership team to monitor the staff for their levels
of work life balance (Deery & Jago, 2015).
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Conclusion
In summary, lifeguard retention is heavily influenced by factors that include job
satisfaction, work to life balance, safety in the aquatic environment, opportunities for
growth and development, and strategies that management use to retain lifeguards.
Retention strategies include professional development and growth opportunities,
prioritizing the health and well being of lifeguards through job satisfaction, and
increasing public trust and community safety by enhancing retention rates. This includes
offering recognition and acknowledgement to increased motivation, opportunities to
grow by learn new and challenging tasks, and fostering a culture of appreciation and
respect.
Moreover, effective management strategies also significantly contribute to lifeguard
retention, and as a result, improves the safety of aquatic environments. This includes
having clear communication, regular check-ins with staff, and creating a positive and
safe work environment. Lifeguards who feel supported and valued by their supervisors
were more likely to remain engaged and dedicated to their roles.
By acknowledging the factors that cause increased turnover rates by implementing
retention strategies would not only benefit overall community safety, but also the
lifeguards who are already working in the aquatic facilities by creating a stronger and
united workforce. Aquatic facilities could create an environment where lifeguards feel
valued for their work, supported and motivated, which could ultimately contribute to an
effective, safe, and sustainable aquatic environment.
At the end of the day, most of the lifeguards working for the City of Richmond had a
positive outlook on the general workplace environment and were very likely to introduce
lifeguarding to their friends and family. Lifeguarding offered the flexibility that the
students enrolled in school needed and appreciated the guidance provided by the
leadership team in completing tasks. Most of the lifeguards have chosen to become
lifeguards because they wanted to help their community flourish and had a desire to be
near water. The pool brought back their memories of swimming in lessons and swim
clubs, including their love for swimming.
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References (Works Cited)
Anvari R., JianFu Z., Chermahini S. H. (2014). Effective strategy for solving voluntary
turnover problem among employees. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences,
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Butson, M., Tower, J., & Schwarz, E. C. (2021a). Lifeguard turnover in aquatic and
Recreation Centres: Perspectives from managers. Australian Journal of Career
Development, 30(1), 33–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/1038416220983489 (A)
Butson, M., Tower, J., & Schwarz, E. C. (2021b). Understanding Lifeguard Recruitment
and Selection Practices in Victorian Aquatic and Recreation Centers (ARCs).
International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education, 13(3), 1. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.13.03.01 (A)
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and%20beautiful%20city (B)
City of Richmond. (2018). Recreation and Sport Strategy 2019- 2024. Retrieved from:
https://www.richmond.ca/__shared/assets/recreation_and_sport_strategy_2019_
202460006.pdf (B)
Deery, M., & Jago, L. (2015). Revisiting talent management, work-life balance and
retention strategies. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management, 27(3), 453–472. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-12-2013-0538 (A)
Griffiths, T. (2003). Section V: Safety, Supervision and Risk Management: Chapter 24:
PREVENTIVE LIFEGUARDING. In The Complete Swimming Pool Reference
essay, (pp. p.317–p.355). Sagamore Pub. Retrieved from:
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Kelly, A. (2023, June 10). Lifeguard shortage? B.C. communities find success with
unique tactics. Tricity news. https://www.tricitynews.com/highlights/lifeguardshortage-bc-communities-find-success-with-unique-tactics-7124892 (D)
MacMillan, B. (2008). Overcoming lifeguard shortages: Strategies to effectively recruit
and retain lifeguard candidates. International Journal of Aquatic Research and
Education, 2(4), 363–366. https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.02.04.09 (A)
Malik M. E., Naeem B. (2013). Towards understanding controversy on Herzberg theory
of motivation. World Applied Sciences Journal, 24, 1031–1036.
https://doi.org/10.5829/idosi.wasj.2013.24.08.2442 (A)
Palm, J. (1993). Alert: Lifeguarding in action, 2nd edition. Royal Life Saving Society
Canada. p.23. (A)
Popescu, M. A. M., & Ciorei, M. A. S. (2023). State of the art in employee retention.
FAIMA Business & Management Journal, 11(2), 61-71. Retrieved from
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Rios, V. (2022). The power of images: Using an equity and inclusion lens in municipal
advertising. National Civic League. Retrieved from
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Roberts, N. S., Outley, C. W., & Estes, C. A. (2002, April). Innovation and
resourcefulness: recruit and retain a diverse staff in the 21st century. Parks and
Recreation, 37(4), p39. Retrieved from: https://eds-p-ebscohostcom.ezproxy.langara.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=c90886f3-dcd049f1-8e36-91aa00eb57f4%40redis (B)
Romine, J. (2000). Lifeguards: Knowing When and How to Hold Them. Parks &
Recreation, 35(2), p.58. Retrieved from:
https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=8&sid=8b6139e68cde-4ffe-8a75-b830b2a0e64d%40redis (B)
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Zippia. (2023). Pool Lifeguard Demographics and Statistics in the US. Zippia Inc.
https://www.zippia.com/pool-lifeguard-jobs/demographics/ (C)

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Appendix A

Figure 1.

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Figure 2.

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Figure 3.

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Figure 4.

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Appendix B
Interview Transcripts
Introduction script – Hello, my name is Ellie Wong, and I am currently completing a
major research project in lifeguard retention for the Langara Bachelor of Recreation
Management Program. I am interviewing you today because I would like to know your
general perspective on lifeguard retention. My research question is “How can the
retention of lifeguards be enhanced to ensure the sustained safety of aquatic
environments, considering factors such as job satisfaction, professional development
opportunities, and effective management strategies?” The information that I will be
collecting from this interview will be cited into my work as evidence in relation to the
topic. I will be recording the interview by typing out your answers on Microsoft word.
1) Person Interviewed – Shift Supervisor A
Date and time of Interview - Feb 28 at 10am
Location interviewed - Zoom
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
What motivated me was seeing the lifeguards relaxing at a beach guard station made
me see it as an enjoyable job. The money when employed by the city made me stick in
it. Sure, I'd recommend it as a job.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
Work culture in this workplace is split into 80% a social circle where gossip, bonding
through socialization and discussion of non workplace related things dominate the
scene. The other 20% are split equally between a buildup of toxicity and negativity, and
formation of outside of work ships of relations that flourish into meaningful friendships. If
I could minimize the toxicity and gossip in the workplace I would, but human nature is
hard to overcome.
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• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching? How did the
leadership team assist you when you needed support?
As a shift supervisor, my challenges in the workplace are split pretty evenly between
dealing with employees and dealing with the public. This includes making sure senior
staff are treating junior staff fairly, making sure junior staff are trained properly, dealing
with the reasonable and unreasonable concerns form the public, and most importantly
balancing my integrity as an employee versus my personal wants. This sometimes
means saying no to friends, and this sometimes means disagreeing with what I
personally believe to be right in favour of what is prescribed as proper by the employer
(i.e. making concessions in rules for the sake of customer service). I would say that one
out of four or five times there is a problem, I don’t receive any meaningful support form
the leadership team. It feels like I get left out to dry most of the time.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
Most training opportunities given to me by the city seemed pretty meaningless. The
training sustained during them did not increase my field of knowledge, nor did it
positively impact my job satisfaction. On the contrary, it frustrated me that my employer
invested money in training that was meaningless and unhelpful.
2) Person Interviewed- Shift Supervisor B
Date and time of Interview - Feb 29 at 2:30pm
Location interviewed- Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
I really enjoyed swimming and being a part of a team that works towards safety as a
team that brings different perspectives. I would not recommend to friends and family
though as the standards are tough and should be routinely kept up, and i would want
them to show interest first before supporting them, but would support and warn them if
they brought it up first
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• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
Depends on your pool really and who is in "charge" but generally goofy and yet
sexualized. We have a level of stress in the back of our heads as we are the first
responders to situations, so we try to keep each other up and light, and yet sometimes
we are sexualized by the public and each other, which still brings us up in way, but
could risk excluding people who don't feel that way or don't want to feel that way. Which
turns to what I would change, we shouldn't be sexualized by anything as we are to be
respected for working so hard being ready to help with any kind of crazy that happens,
we should be respected enough by our bosses that when we say someone needs to be
spoken to, removed, or banned, to be taken seriously.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching? How did the
leadership team assist you when you needed support? I was not respected for my age,
the staff was not even taking what I'm saying seriously, as I'm trying to remind them
kindly, then sternly, then factually. I can only do so much to discipline the team, I do get
some tips from Aquatic Supervisors but its not enough, I believe they should be
handling disciplinary actions much more effectively. I don’t believe that reprimanding the
team should fall directly on me to risk my relationships that keep the pool staffed.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
Training opportunities are great, lots of them, and are usually left lacking, or missing the
point entirely. Inservice is the same, and they ask the seniors to help run which is fine,
but it's a break from the everyday which is the main point and appreciated as a change
is already upbringing.
3) Person Interviewed – Lifeguard A
Date and time of Interview - Feb 28 at 3pm
Location interviewed - Zoom
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Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
I was motivated to become a lifeguard because our family friends were lifeguards too,
so it was my dream job even as a little kid. I guess I would recommend it.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
It is a pretty chill culture. One thing I would change is the interaction between lifeguards
since some lifeguards can be quite toxic or lack empathy. Overall, I made some good
friends working here.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching? How did the
leadership team assist you when you needed support?
Some challenges were dealing with aggressive patrons, although patrons were given a
place to complain about us, we had no similar place to do the same and reflect our side
of the situation. As well, they are barely given a talking to while we get in trouble for
enforcing the rules.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
In-service l find is a good time to bond with new staff and I do find the customer service
training and some of the emergency procedures that we practice for each specific pool
are very helpful to review.
4) Person Interviewed – Junior Lifeguard A
Date and time of Interview - Feb 29 at 1 pm
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
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As a newcomer to Canada, I need a reliable job to survive, and lifeguarding has great
meaning for saving lives. Yes, I would recommend.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
Everyone is equal, and willing to take their responsibility. One thing I would change is
no workplace bullying such as special no double standards.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching? How did the
leadership team assist you when you needed support?
Yes, I believe it’s workplace bullying. One example would be a guard who would be
really strict to others guards about having no cell phones, no eating, and must rotate on
time, but he would play on his phone with his friends in the guard room, eating and
being late for work and not rotating or rotating late when it was time for him to rotate.
Not seeking for support as I’m not working with him often.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
Training has made me feel much comfortable in dealing with emergencies.
5) Person Interviewed - Lifeguard B
Date and time of Interview - Feb 29 at 5pm
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
I became a lifeguard because some of my friends from swim club wanted to do it so I
did it with them, and I would recommend it to my friends and family.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
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In my perspective, the work culture here is very open and diverse because the age
range of the workers, if I can change one thing about the work culture it would be having
the managers being more strict on hiring process.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching? How did the
leadership team assist you when you needed support?
One big challenge I faced during lifeguarding is two summers ago during a heatwave
and due to staff shortages and the AC was broken at Watermania, the work
environment was unbearable, and that I don’t think the leadership team did enough for
it.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
I don’t think Inservice has any significant impact on our knowledge on lifeguarding, but I
do enjoy Inservice as a team bonding opportunity.
6) Person Interviewed – Lifeguard C
Date and time of Interview - Feb 29 at 4:30pm
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
My main motivator was that this job made good money and had a high pay. I would
recommend this job for those who are looking for a high pay entry level job.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
Work culture is mixed, kind of toxic with people who stick around for a long time
(depending on the type of people), I have also met people who were nice and made
good friends. Management could put in more effort in caring about our health in general

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when we have complaints. For the work culture, I’d change the acceptance of others
and understanding.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching? How did the
leadership team assist you when you needed support?
One of the main challenges was elitism, allowing incompetent people to become
supervisors. Another challenge was the health issues such as the air quality of the pool
and high trichloramine levels. I did not receive much support from the leadership team
until it was absolutely necessary. There is not much intervention by management
regarding to the behavioural issues that people have.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
Inservice is only useful for your first two years, after that it becomes quite repetitive and
pointless besides the one with the first aid recert.
7) Person Interviewed - Lifeguard D
Date and time of Interview - March 3 at 12pm
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
What motivated me to become a lifeguard was that when I was 15, I had a family friend
who was a lifeguard and he told me a lot about it and it made me want to do it as well. I
had always really enjoyed swimming, so this was a job that seemed interesting to me. I
would recommend this job to family and friends, especially if they are interested in
swimming and first aid. It’s a great job to have as a student, it allowed me to move to
Canada and study here so I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is studying.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
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I think in Richmond the work culture is good. I always enjoy coming to work and get
along with my coworkers. One thing I would change is that I find the nature of the job. It
can be so boring at times, and sometimes there is not much to do. I would also change
the leadership (especially some supervisors) to become less micromanaging because
the work can be very slow. They compensate by delegating/micromanaging too much
what everyone should be doing. However, in Richmond it’s rare I see this happening
compared to other workplaces where it was more frequent and extreme, but it does
occasionally happen with certain people. Overall though I am extremely happy with the
workplace culture of Richmond, it’s the best place l I’ve worked at in BC.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching? How did the
leadership team assist you when you needed support?
One challenge I have faced as a lifeguard is dealing with rude or creepy patrons. In
situations where I felt uncomfortable, I told my supervisor, and they immediately
supported me and dealt with the situation. I felt happy with the outcome and that the
leadership team has always supported me when this happens.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
I think that Inservice and trainings are helpful to me as an employee because I learn
new things and it gives me refreshers of certain aspects of my job. As a lifeguard there
is so much of your knowledge and skills that you don’t have to use in everyday life, so
it’s nice to have the refreshers and makes me a better lifeguard.
8) Person Interviewed – Lifeguard E
Date and time of Interview - Feb 29 at 4:30pm
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?

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I like the feeling of swimming personally, and I think if I could be the lifeguard I could
save others’ lives, which makes me get the sense of achievement. I would recommend
this job to my friends and family for sure. It is a good paid job as a startup part-time
individual. It could be helpful to improve our teamwork, cooperation, and leadership.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
The culture would be similar like military. Focusing on the priority and finishing the
assigned task accurately and efficiently. Trying to focus on the prevention instead of
making up. The structure is good enough.

•What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching? How did the
leadership team assist you when you needed support?
Sometimes, accidence would be coming without expectation. We need to calm down
firstly before the public and act quickly and correctly as we trained. Multi-tasking would
be difficult sometimes, but it is crucial for lifeguard. I received the support when it is
needed. The teammates always try to cover each other and give the support in time.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
The training could make sure all lifeguards could deal with the tasks based on the
procedure and regulation. Inservice training could help us get to know the latest policy
update and what we should improve based on the observation while we are working.
Pointing out the problem with the constructive suggestion is so important.
9) Person Interviewed – Junior Lifeguard B
Date and time of Interview - Feb 27 at 9pm
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers

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• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
My dad used to be a lifeguard and it was the first job he planned out for me ever since I
was in grade 8. So, I just did all the bronze courses and NL until I got hired. Yes, I would
recommend this job to family and friends.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
The work culture is chill. At times, I do get intimidated by older lifeguards, but I think
that's normal for every job. If I could change one thing it would be to have a little more
sympathy regarding intimidation towards younger lifeguards such as I, but I understand
it does give us the experience we need to work.
•What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching? How did the
leadership team assist you when you needed support?
Some challenges I've faced during lifeguarding was often zoning out or getting
distracted easily. Another thing is preparation and worrying about forgetting lifeguarding
procedures. The leadership team have been very nice and understanding.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
Inservice is fun. I enjoy them. Although at times I sometimes feel like the pool should be
shut down from the public during Inservice for clarity and organization.
10) Person Interviewed- Junior Lifeguard C
Date and time of Interview - Feb 29 at 3pm
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?

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For Med school, it is a good first step, helps with understanding and thinking critically,
lots of hands-on experience with first aid, I do recommend this job and it pays lots of
money, a positive community when I rotate off deck and connect with other guards.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
Pretty chill environment but would like change on expectations of knowing everything
immediately after shadowing/orientation. Through orientation it was learning through
videos of how to do a water test, wish there was a more hands-on in-depth orientation.
More guards needed especially at Minoru because there would be no rotations for 1
hour most times.
•What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching? How did the
leadership team assist you when you needed support?
Chill shifts overall, only time that was difficult was a major and not enough guards until
whistle is blown. The guards were off doing jobs or rotating around changerooms at that
time.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
Inservice can be helpful, my first Inservice was a lot of time filling activities and redoing
online courses as a group, they felt repetitive and a waste of time, but we got paid for it
and didn’t really care much about the training. The Inservice could have been more
productive, we sat in class and did not feel engaged through watching videos and
presentations instead of having a more hands on experience and overall engagement.
11) Person Interviewed – Alexander Liu - Lifeguard
Date and time of Interview - Feb 27 at 2:30pm
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers

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• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
I became a lifeguard because of a person I knew who convinced me to give it a go. That
and given my swimming background, it made sense to me to pursue it. I would
recommend this job to another person.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
Work culture can be quite fun given the right team of people but there's also definitely
palpable tension here and there between people. One thing I would change if I could is
the way management functions for us. I'd hope that they would help us guards and have
our backs more often. Have them be more present so that issues that the guard team
experiences aren't completely foreign to them, as it currently feels like it's management
plus patron vs guards.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching?
How did the leadership team assist you when you needed support?
Not knowing some emergency procedures that are "real life" as all I had previously
learned was from NL, which I found to be not fully sufficient for me to do my job
properly. No, I didn't receive support from the leadership team, partly because I didn't
speak up but also partly because the work culture at the time seems to view lack of
experience/knowledge as a negative first, educate second sort of thing.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
In-services are useful every once in a blue moon, but most often I found them to be
unrelated from points that I think needs more attention. It doesn't make me like or dislike
the overall experience as an employee.
12) Person Interviewed – Tyler Davies - Lifeguard
Date and time of Interview - Feb 27 at 2pm
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Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
My mom had me in swimming lessons for as long as I remember. She claims she only
recommended that I work as a lifeguard, but I remember her explicitly telling me that I
will be a lifeguard. I am grateful she pushed me to such a good job. I would recommend
it to younger people as they have the time and their parent’s money to take the required
certifications. As people get older, they just can not afford the time and money
investment of becoming a lifeguard.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
The culture is generally relaxed. I remember thinking when I first got hired that I really
enjoyed the people I work with, I still do. We forgive each others genuine mistakes, we
cover for each others needs, and we talk like friends, many people are close friends. I
think it can get too relaxed, and people start rotating late.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching?
How did the leadership team assist you when you needed support?
Difficult patrons. From the angry, arrogant, and egotistical to the downright stupid.
Everyone for their own reasons always wants to do things their own way, even though
the guy who is guarding their life is telling it’s a bad idea. My main takeaway from being
a lifeguard that I always tell people is “people are never as smart as they think they are”.
Senior guards and head guards have always had my back and I am quite grateful for all
the times I was put into a difficult situation, and they helped me out of it, because they
literally dealt with the same thing last week.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
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I don’t think Inservice and impact my satisfaction all that much. Perhaps I feel a little
disappointed, because we could be focusing on things like packaging wounds or niche
emergencies. But we generally focus on something well known and missing person
searches (which is good to practice). Recently I am generally disappointed in the
leadership as there is a serious health concern and I feel like nothing is ever being done
and any official information is corporate and half truths.
13) Person Interviewed – Linden Redekop - Lifeguard
Date and time of Interview - Feb 29 at 10:30am
Location interviewed - Zoom
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
I was motivated by my parents and was further encouraged by the wage that
municipalities competitively offer. I would 100% recommend this job to friends and
family.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
Work culture is relaxed but serious when required. If I could change anything I would
modify how management interacts with lifeguards.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching?
How did the leadership team assist you when you needed support?
I struggled to make it through long days of work, especially long teaching shifts. I was
not provided support on this because I did not reach out regarding it.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?

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I appreciate the training opportunities that are brought to the guards’ attention through
external workplace group chats, but I do not believe Inservices offer much room for
growth.
14) Person Interviewed – Ryan Ng - Lifeguard
Date and time of Interview - Mar 2 at 1:30pm
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
My mom pushed me to take swim lessons as a child and eventually, she heard about
lifeguarding courses and found out that it's a really good job that pays well for the
teenage demographic and forced me to do it. When I was younger, I didn't like it, the
courses were long and took a lot of effort, but I don't regret it now and I'm glad my mom
pushed me to do it. I would recommend it to others; however, I wouldn't recommend it to
those who are uninterested in swimming, or aquatics or are not proficient at swimming.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
I think the current state of the work culture is toxic. I feel like the workplace is run by
teenagers and it gives a high-school vibe. I don't like it. I think a more forgiving and
supportive management and higher-ups would be beneficial. I also feel like people who
are regular headguards tend to have a power trip over others. There are no clear
leaders in the workplace, and it makes it extremely difficult to feel like I'm working
towards a greater cause.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching?
How did the leadership team assist you when you needed support?
A lot of micromanaging throughout my duration as a lifeguard. I don't like it when I feel
unsafe at work, where I feel that people are always watching or judging me for what I'm
doing and finding every moment to make me feel bad about the things I messed up on.
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The leadership currently is very lacklustre, and I feel like we have very few strong
leaders at the moment which is why I try to avoid certain work times and locations.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
Inservice doesn't tackle the main issues, I honestly don't think that Inservice has been
helpful for me in the last 4 years. I think it does a good job of educating younger guards,
but for someone like me who has been around for a while now, nothing that has been
taught during Inservice is new or interesting.
15) Person Interviewed – Jashan Dhillon – Junior Lifeguard
Date and time of Interview - Feb 29 at 3:30pm
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
So, when I was little my parents sent me to the YMCA very often for swim lessons and
just because they also wanted to go to the pool. Because of this frequency I developed
a close relationship with the guards through swim lessons and the Junior Lifeguard Club
(JLC) and eventually I was recommended to join bronze by one of my instructors that I
was very close with. I would go on to complete the rest of the lifeguarding courses as
well, mainly because I just wanted to hang out with my lifeguard friends more often. I
would recommend this job to friends and family but they often do not want to do it
because of the pre requisites.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
The work cultures pretty chill and I would not change much about the work culture but I
would make way for more innovation to reach the higher ups so that some changes can
be made more quickly to minor things without having to contact the supervisors.
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• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching?
How did the leadership team assist you when you needed support?
I’ll be honest I haven’t really faced many challenges but the one time I did, I received
help and guidance to accomplish the task because the NL training did not cover how to
do water tests.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
The Inservice sessions are good reminders and refreshers to new rules and old
procedures that may be obscure or unfamiliar. Job satisfaction wise I don’t really think
it’s changed too much other than a few quality-of-life things.
16) Person Interviewed - Amelia Tang – Junior Lifeguard
Date and time of Interview - Feb 29 at 4pm
Location interviewed – Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
The desire to help others and to gain first-aid training skills motivated me to become a
lifeguard. I feel very accomplished and delighted when I help and support others and
was very interested in the first-aid training courses I took over the summer. I started
swimming when I was in elementary school and every summer, I would spend time at
the pool and develop my swimming skills. The pool always felt like a second home to
me, and I thought that working at a pool would be a suitable environment for me. I
would recommend this job to my friends and family because this job has a significant
impact on others and the communities. The sense of duty and responsibility creates a
meaningful influence on this position and contributes remarkably to your personal
growth.

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• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
From my perspective, work culture encompasses feeling valued, supported, and having
a sense of belonging among team members. It encourages the team to collaborate,
have open communication, show mutual respect, diversity, and inclusiveness among
each other. If I could improve one thing about the work culture, I would hope for an
improvement in team collaboration; since when the pool becomes busier,
communication becomes difficult which impacts the overall organization of the team.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching?
How did the leadership team assist you when you needed support?
Some challenges I’ve faced during lifeguarding are communicating with patrons and
staying on pace with the team. Since lifeguarding was my first job, I was slower at
picking up the duties and responsibilities. However, as I gained more experience, I
learned to work more efficiently and collaborate with the team.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
Inservice opportunities impacted my job experience as an employee by updating me
with new information and reviewing the duties and responsibilities of a lifeguard. From
the past several in-services, I learned the importance of this role and the importance of
maintaining professionalism and having responsibility in my workplace.
17) Person Interviewed - Kai Sun – Junior Lifeguard
Date and time of Interview - Mar 2 at 8am
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers
• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
I wanted to become a lifeguard because I want to serve the community and give back
the kindness I received from them. I want to make Richmond a water-safe community.
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Second, I want a place to spread my swimming skills as a national swimmer for 13
years. I want to teach efficient, effective, and exquisite swimming skills to future
lifeguards or swimmers.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
The work culture is relaxing, laid back, and it includes diverse cultures (people from
many places come to work here) in which creates this most special culture system. Not
only that this culture system brings people together here in Richmond, but we as
lifeguards get to share a common goal and that is to promote safety. If I were to change
one thing, I would want that all lifeguards to actually go into the steam room and check
on all the patrons instead of just a glance at the shades in the smoke. I have seen
people who pass out in the steam room sitting upright and it is an extreme safety
hazard.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching?
How did the leadership team assist you when you needed support?
Minoru is notorious for difficult patrols and situations. Over the past month I had several
cases of patrols harassing me and swear at me. However, the leaders such as Samson
and Tim always have my back covered and handled the situations swiftly. So yes, I got
all the support I ever needed.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
I have not been to enough in services to have an opinion.
18) Person Interviewed – Jamie Leung – Junior Lifeguard
Date and time of Interview - Mar 1 at 12pm
Location interviewed - Phone
Interview Questions with Answers

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• What motivated you to become a lifeguard? Would you recommend this job to your
friends and family?
The flexibility and working environment. Yes, I will recommend this job.
• In your perspective, what is the work culture like for Richmond Aquatics? If you could
change one thing about the work culture in the organization, what would you change?
The working culture is welcoming, supportive, collaborative, inclusive and challenging. If
I could change one thing about the work culture, I would add a bit more rewarding
components into the system.
• What were some challenges you’ve faced during lifeguarding/teaching?
How did the leadership team assist you when you needed support?
I found that remembering the first aid procedure would be the most challenging. I see
some of the ICs would take the initiative to share their experiences and review with the
team after some incidents. I hope we could do this systematically daily with the whole
team.
• How do (training opportunities - if they have done them) and/or Inservice impact your
overall job satisfaction and overall experience as an employee?
I have a good experience with the Inservice training, and it is a good overall refresher
for every season.

Appendix C
Observations
Date and time of Observation: March 6th from 10am-12pm (General and Special Status
observation)
Who/ What was observed: Lifeguards and their interactions with other lifeguards,
patrons, leadership team, and user groups.
Location: Minoru Centre for Active Living
Checklist:

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•

There were instructors teaching adults and children swim lessons, the
participants seemed to be quite active and enjoying the class.

•

The parents of the children in swim lessons were observing from the
sidelines.

•

Many parents and children were utilizing the pool space

•

A guard asked one of the children to flip the boat over

•

No interaction seen between management and lifeguards

•

Lifeguards were interacting with each other during rotations

•

Shift supervisor and lifeguards assisting with lane rope changes and lesson
equipment.

•

Pool was shut down due to a fecal incident and lifeguards asked the patrons
to hop out of the pool

•

It was an effective teamwork in getting the pool shut down quickly and
cleaning up.

•

There were some guards on their phones and/or eating.

•

Guards were communicating in the room and laughing or talking about their
later plans, sports, or pop culture topics.

Date and time of Observation: March 7th from 6:30pm-7:30pm (General observation)
Who/ What was observed: Lifeguards and their interactions with other lifeguards,
patrons, leadership team, and user groups.
Location: Minoru Centre for Active Living
Checklist:
•

Instructor and parents were conversing after a swim lesson, it looked like an
inquiry related to lessons and swim skills from the patron.

•

The lifeguards were actively interacting with the children in swim lessons, the
children looked like they were having fun.

•

Rotations were effective and lifeguards rotated each other on time.

•

The pool was somewhat busy with patrons utilizing the pool space.

•

A lifeguard told a child to slow down when they were running on the pool
deck.
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•

A lifeguard asked a patron to not film the patrons due to respect for other
patrons and privacy issues.

•

A lifeguard asked a patron to move the mats away from the lazy river.

Date and time of Observation: March 9th from 2pm-3pm (General and Special Status
observation)
Who/ What was observed: Lifeguards and their interactions with other lifeguards,
patrons, leadership team, and user groups.
Location: Minoru Centre for Active Living
Checklist:
•

Staff came in early to work on their report cards, the staffroom was quiet due
to the lifeguards being focused on writing their report cards for lessons.

•

Some staff were communicating with other staff, and they were generally
smiling and happy.

•

Staff rotation was effective and generally on time every 15 minutes, exchange
of information lasted around 30s.

•

Saw some staff greet regular patrons by waving and smiling.

•

Lifeguards did communicate with the Aquatic Supervisor, but the room
became quiet when they entered.

•

Lifeguard asked a patron to take their shoes off prior to entering the pool
space, it was a respectful request.

•

The pool was busy and there were lots of patrons, some lifeguards were a bit
tense due to the influx of patrons.

Appendix D
Content Analysis
The documents were requested from Julie Kaufman and were sent through email as
PDFs. The documents were accessed on March 4th, 2024. Below were the documents
that were requested to aid in the research:
•

Instructor Lifeguard Orientation Manual
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•

Aquatics FAQ

•

Aquatics Instructor Lifeguard – Orientation Checklist

•

Aquatics Facility Orientation Leson Material

•

Ripple Effects Presentation

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