HELENA — A recent increase to the City of Helena’s seasonal workers' pay may be affecting hiring. MTN spoke with the Parks and Recreation division to see how hiring has changed since the implementation of the new pay.
The temporary pay matrix was approved in April of this year and will be in place through the 2023 fiscal year on a temporary basis. Depending on its success, it could be extended into subsequent years.
Throughout the United States, seasonal and low-skilled workers have been increasingly more difficult to hire. Sometimes, even despite higher wages.
But for the Parks and Recreation division here in Helena, this recent pay change for seasonal workers has seemingly changed hiring for the better. Hiring seasonal workers to work at the Last Chance Splash Waterpark and Pool has been far easier this year when compared to last year.
“The difference between hiring from this season compared to last season has really been night and day. Last year I was hustling, scrambling, trying really hard to recruit every day. And then once we got that pay increase, we were able to get more candidates that were interested in the position. And the pay was more competitive with everything else that we're kind of seeing in Helena,” says Kait Perrodin, the Aquatics and Recreation Program Manager for the City of Helena.
Under the new matrix, a lifeguard 1 position now starts at $17.81/hour. Swim instructors start at $19.67/hour. In fact, Perrodin told me that they received more applications than they had jobs for.
Other seasonal positions under the new pay scale include civic center techs and golf shop attendants at Muni's. In fact, all but one position pays $15/hour or more.
While this pay matrix has seemed to make hiring easier for this summer, it has yet to be seen if the higher pay will remain past the 2023 fiscal year.
The Last Chance Splash opens on June 21st.
