In this edition of Us!...
- Our Y Associate Community
- ALL IN Associate Podcast
- Hot Jobs
- Earn a $500 Bonus!
- Shout Outs
- Community Kudos
- Payroll Information
- How Long Does It Take?
- A Note from John Hoey
- Organization Announcement
Y ASSOCIATE OPPORTUNITIES
STRENGTHENING OUR Y ASSOCIATE COMMUNITY
Several new Y associate benefits and opportunities were shared in the US! Special Edition at the end of June. In case you missed that edition, we are re-sharing our good news!
These new developments came about from Y associate participation and feedback in our Associate Engagement Surveys and other forums. Thank you to the hundreds of associates who took time to share their suggestions and honest opinions. We hear you and greatly value your engagement. We are committed to strengthen our Y associate community .
Y PODCAST FOR Y ASSOCIATES
The ALL IN Podcast brings you enlightening conversations with Y colleagues discussing what they are most passionate about in their work; the things they are "all in" on! Hosted by Riquelle Harris, Manager of Learning and Development, these entertaining podcasts are sure to make your day and give you new perspective on your work at the Y.
Click below to listen to episode five, "Just Say ARG!" with Shannon Kowal, Associate Executive Director of Social Responsibility.
HOT JOBS! HOT JOBS!
We are actively filling the positions listed below with both internal and external candidates. To view these positions in Dayforce: log into Dayforce, select Careers > Search Jobs from the upper left menu, and search by keyword or requisite ID#.
- Y Head Start Teachers (search for Head Start)
- Group Exercise Instructors (search for Fitness)
- Lifeguards (search for Lifeguard)
Y ASSOCIATE REFERRAL PROGRAM
If you know someone who would be a qualified candidate for our Y Head Start, Group Exercise, Personal Trainer, Lifeguard, and Youth Development teams, please refer them to the Y and potentially earn up to a $500 referral bonus if they are hired!
Learn More and Make a Referral
GOOD VIBES
Y ASSOCIATE SHOUT OUTS
We have only one Y Associate Shout Out, but it exemplifies the cross-organizational teamwork that is a hallmark of our culture. To accomplish big things, we need everyone to chip in. This is what success looks like!
Click the blue "Shout Out" icon above to read about Julie Burall, Yasmeen Yancey and Shantel Wilson.
If you have a colleague you'd like to "Shout Out", simply click below to fill out the nomination form.
COMMUNITY COMMENTS
The good work you do doesn't go unnoticed. Enjoy reading these real comments from our Y community and soak in the praise!
Joseph, Send a Kid to Camp Donor
"My parents could send me to a Y Camp when I was a child. This is to repay them for their love."
Neimiah, Fit-N-Fun at Sandalwood Elementary
“I love this program and so does my son. The coaches are awesome. Thank you for providing such great care for our children."
Ky'Anni, Y Head Start in Baltimore City - Fayette
“This school isn't just great, it’s amazing! My daughter started attending the East Fayette site when she turned 3. She had problems with talking and more. She is 5 now and is talking my head off! Not only do the teachers, Ms. Partlow, Ms. Williams and others, take very good care of her, but we feel like family. Ms. Miller and Ms.Copeland have made our experience one of the best. I would recommend this school to any child and to everyone. Sadly, my baby is 5 and this is her last year, but if I have another child, this is where he or she will go. 😊😊"
Richard, The Y Swim Center in Randallstown
"EVERYONE is SO FRIENDLY! THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE! I CALL THE Y my paradise all year; around-the-clock. It's so clean wand has the best programs -- the aquatics therapy is a miracle drug. Love this place forever!"
Nicholas, Y Before & After School Enrichment - Millersville Elementary
"Samantha Fuse and her team are the greatest at Y Before & After School at Millersville. We couldn't ask for a better team. They are the most caring, have the best communication, and treat the kids like their own."
Meadow, Y Chipmunks Preschool
"Our experience with the Y Chipmunks Preschool has been super amazing. All of the teachers work very hard to provide a fun loving, safe, educational experience for our children. Y Chipmunks Preschool provided the foundation needed for our little ones to excel. The hard work, dedication and love for our children does not go unnoticed. Thank you all!"
WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU!
The Us! associate enewsletter is published monthly and we need to hear from you! Share your stories, what’s new in your Y world, and what you are proud of. We want to know and we want to share your news! The next Us! enewsletter will be published on August 17th. The submission deadline is Monday, August 7th.
RESOURCES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
GET PAID!
| PAY PERIOD | PAY DATE |
|---|---|
| July 2-15, 2023 | July 25, 2023 |
| July 16-29, 2023 | August 8, 2023 |
| July 30 - August 12, 2023 | August 22, 2023 |
TRAINING HOURS: HOW MANY ARE THERE?
Many associates have asked how long it takes to complete our four assigned learning plans in Dayforce. Here you go! If you still have questions, please email trainer@ymaryland.org.
OUR WORK TOGETHER
Dear Colleagues,
Coming off a strong second half of 2022, and with the implementation of our inclusive membership community-centric strategic plan, I’m very pleased to report that Y membership growth in the first half of 2023 broke every conceivable record and surpassed both our budget and our most optimistic projections. June sales alone totaled 4,081 membership units, a whopping 174% of our goal for the month, and even higher than our very strong January sales total. We ended June with 39,571 membership units (a unit can include a one person membership or an entire family membership; the average number of total members per unit is roughly 2.5), which puts us at 91% of our pre-COVID level, and up 23% from year-end 2022, which was only six months ago!
The member comment below is the opening line of a lengthier comment on a recent Listen 360. The member goes on to elaborate on her excellent, welcoming and healthful Y experience, but it’s this first line of her note that really struck me:
“I always get a friendly hello and goodbye. Cheeriness seems to be a hiring attribute.”
This comment speaks to so much, and from what I see from all data points and direct observation, it is certainly no anomaly. While our associate shortages (which we’re working very hard to address) frustrate us all, being friendly is free, fun, reciprocally rewarding and a key component of what is needed to build real community and a sense of belonging for all. It’s also an expectation set by our brand reputation and our strategic plan. I personally believe that it’s an essential part of our membership turnaround story.
What else is fueling our surge of membership? Here’s a few obvious reasons:
- Our marketing efforts are landing well and yielding great leads
- Our sales and online marketing teams are converting leads to members at a high rate
- Our family center experience, operations, and property teams are partnering to provide a member experience that delivers on our brand promise and is proving to be valuable and essential to our members
- And, we are using data to identify and leverage opportunities to target and welcome members from historically and currently under-represented groups in our Y community.
Strong lead generation and sales conversations are crucial, but member retention is essential. That goes back to the member’s “cheeriness” observation. So much great work is being done to engage and retain members, including:
- Mitigating class cancellations and pool closures
- Engaging our members in an authentic manner
- Keeping our buildings and spaces clean, safe and in working order
- Doing whatever it takes to retain members who are scheduled to terminate
- Fully present leadership providing an exceptional experience for our associates
- And, boldly living out our commitment to inclusion and belonging every single day.
Although we know that we’ve historically (in pre-COVID times) lost ground on membership in the second half of the year (for a variety of reasons related to consumer habits), opportunities abound to reverse that pattern and actually gain additional members by year-end 2023. We will have an intense focus on engaging our members from youth development programs, including camp, so that we retain them as members of our Ys as their children age out of their programs.
We have a lot of exciting momentum right now. Continued focus on engaging members in an authentic and “cheery” manner throughout the remainder of the year will practically guarantee us that we’ll have leapfrogged all expectations for 2023. A lot of great work has been done. A lot of great work is ahead. And a whole lot of folks will hugely benefit from their membership in the Y community.
All the best,
John Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland
ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCEMENT
We've had some movement within our workforce since the last regular edition of Us! Here are the highlights.