RACINE, Wis. — With summer just a few months away, seasonal hiring is ramping up across Wisconsin. From waterparks to frozen custard stands, it seems like everyone is working harder to fill open summertime positions. 

While some fields have long struggled with hiring, others haven’t seen the difficulty until recently. 

The Racine Zoo hires for a wide range of summertime positions, ranging from working the gift shop and food stands, to driving the zoo train. Racine Zoo Executive Director Beth Heidorn said in the past the lure of getting to work at a zoo was enough to entice potential employees, but said in the last two years, it has grown increasingly difficult. 

“We have businesses just down the street that are paying more than we are, and we have skilled staff here, so sometimes our challenge is showing them that the benefits of working at the zoo might outweigh that extra dollar down the street,” said Heidorn.

Heidorn said the zoo has stepped up recruiting efforts, including hosting in-person job fairs. Heidorn said the job fairs have been beneficial in finding talent, but there remains a ways to go. The zoo has also begun their seasonal hiring efforts earlier this year in order to be fully staffed in time for summer. 

One challenge the zoo faces is that they need staff seven days a week. In an increasingly competitive job market, Heidorn said when she has a good job candidate, she finds herself being more lenient with scheduling that she would have been in years past. 

“Five years ago we would have put our jobs out there and would have had a laundry list of people who have applied,” said Heidorn. “Now, there is so much competition that if they really want a Tuesday afternoon off, I have got to figure out how to give them a Tuesday afternoon off." 

Heidorn wants potential employees to know that there are opportunities to grow a career at the zoo beyond part time work. Cassie Sanchez is one example. Sanchez began working at the zoo in high school. Now, Sanchez serves as a Conservation Education Specialist at the zoo in her full time job. 

“No matter what department you are in, it really gives back to these animals here at the zoo as well as their wild counterparts. That’s something super meaningful, that is my favorite thing,” said Sanchez.

The Racine Zoo is still hiring for the summer season, as well as for year-round jobs. To learn more, you can visit their hiring website.