Resources in chapter Hire and Manage Staff

1. Bring an open and positive attitude to work and participate actively. 
2. Communicate openly and with respect.
3. Exercise patience with yourself and others. 
4. Stay calm, manage emotions, and de-escalate tense situations.
5. Share your experience and knowledge and listen to and learn from others.
6. Communicate questions, concerns, ideas, and observations. 
7. Identify and communicate what makes you feel motivated, excited, or inspired.
8. Know your own as well as your team’s respective roles and responsibilities.
9. Help to create and insist on a safe work environment by following safety protocols and emergency procedures. 
10. Be organized and use care when observing, recording, or reporting.
11. Know your own as well as your team’s respective skills and strengths.
12. Recognize where you feel less confident or in need of more training or experience. 
13. Be open to learning new things and taking on responsibility. 

Special thanks to Nanwakolas Guardians for contributing their ideas and experience to this resource.

1. Think about how to create a well-rounded crew. This means considering the specific qualities, skills or experience you need to complement your existing crew members before you post a job for additional guardians. Also be sure to include any mandatory requirements in the job posting (i.e. driver’s license, grade 10 completion, small vessel operator ticket, etc.
2. Spread the word about new jobs well in advance of the application deadline to ensure it gets out widely and that people have lots of time to respond. Use social media or ask for recommendations from trusted advisors to encourage applications.
3. Be sure to ask questions during job interviews that are related to what you need to build a strong team. Ask situational questions to help you assess whether a candidate is suitable for the day-to-day realities of the job, including remote work, physical demands, travel and overtime, close quarters with the crew, and comfort with dealing with the public.
4. Establish a transparent and objective ranking system to evaluate applicants. A hiring committee can help you be objective when weighing the pros and cons of each applicant.
5. Use internship, summer student or youth training programs to mentor and train youth for guardian positions and add to your crew during the busy field season.

1. Ensure staff have detailed job descriptions and employee contracts that describe responsibilities, work duties, reporting expectations, salary and benefits, work hours, overtime policy, and compensation for overnight travel.
2. Develop an employee code of conduct and policies related to drug and alcohol use. Be clear about expectations and consequences.
3. Review employee performance and compensation on a regular basis each year.
4. Provide a solid orientation for new staff. Orient them to the broad program and stewardship goals shaping their work, standard safety policies and procedures, personal responsibility and performance expectations, risk management, equipment use, reporting.
5. Have regular meetings and get constructive feedback from staff. Consider having weekly check-ins to ensure effective work planning, scheduling and logistics. Monthly meetings can focus on field observations and overall program direction.

1. Ensure you have clear policies that describe what it means to be ‘fit for duty,’ expectations for conduct while wearing a uniform, and expectations to ensure all staff have a safe workplace free from discrimination, bullying or violence.
2. ‘Fit for duty’ means being physically and mentally prepared to do the job safely and efficiently. Zero tolerance drug and alcohol policies ensure that each person and other staff are not put at risk.
3. If you have to take action with a staff member and issue a warning or suspension, provide them with clear terms and conditions. Document all incidents and conversations.
4. Identify elders, community leaders or experienced staff to model expectations for employee conduct, be a strong influence with staff if problems arise, or provide support in making HR decisions. 

1. Communicate openly, respectfully, and set out clear expectations for projects, data gathering protocols, and deliverables.
2. Debrief with your crew regularly and encourage your team to proactively voice their concerns, questions, or need for more training or information.  
3. Prioritize and follow strict safety protocols and set clear expectations of the team to maintain a safe working environment.
4. Be organized and expect the same of your crew.
5. Be able to accommodate fluctuating staff needs and have backup plans (e.g., plans to keep crew busy when weather is poor, equipment needs and repair, etc.).
6. Recognize team members for their contributions, celebrate results and success, and connect accomplishments back to the purpose of Guardian work.
7. Know team members’ individual strengths and experience levels and encourage your team to be the best they can be and to stretch themselves in new ways. 
8. Trust your team to take on work and new responsibilities and allow the team to make and learn from mistakes.
9. Encourage a hands-on learning mindset and increase responsibility and delegate more as the team succeeds. 
10. Support crew members to gain the skills they need to feel fully ready and confident to undertake the work (and watch for signs of discomfort or fear). 
11. Provide regular training, drills, and skills refreshers. Involve the crew in work planning (e.g., understanding budgets and other constraints, safety planning, emergency procedures, etc.).

Special thanks to Nanwakolas Guardians for contributing their ideas and experience to this resource.