Labor Day, this year was late. September 7, 2027. The holiday traditionally marks the end of the summer season at many private clubs. It should also mark the beginning of next summer’s hiring process.

On the Beyond The Baselines latest podcast, Magnus Gustafsson, one of the country’s leading Directors of Racquets at Louisville Country Club, reflected on how clubs once worked much harder to identify candidates who truly fit their culture. I believe part of today’s problem is timing. Many clubs still view January as the beginning of the hiring season, but by then, a significant portion of the strongest talent pool has already committed to another position. January is no longer the beginning of the process—it is often far too late.

The Hiring Calendar Has Moved Forward

Across our portfolio of managed clubs, we have already spoken with every professional about whether they intend to return next season. We have also begun discussing compensation, housing requirements, program calendars and staffing needs with the lead professionals at each facility. These conversations are taking place in September—not January.

The strongest professionals are planning their next move earlier than ever. They want to know whether they will be invited back, what their compensation will look like, where they will live and whether the position continues to support their professional and personal goals. Clubs that wait until the new year to begin these discussions risk discovering that their preferred professionals have already committed elsewhere.

For clubs anticipating a leadership change, the calendar must begin even earlier. Time is needed to gather member feedback, establish a search committee, clarify lines of authority, finalize the position description and actively recruit candidates. January should be the month in which a successful candidate is preparing to build a staff and program—not the month in which the club first begins its search.

Housing Is Becoming Part of the Recruitment Strategy

Edgartown Yacht Club published its recruitment advertisement this week for a position beginning next Memorial Day. Although compensation and responsibilities matter, one of the first questions strong candidates will ask is simple: What is the housing like?

In expensive seasonal communities, a housing stipend alone may no longer be enough. Suitable rentals are increasingly scarce, and even a generous allowance cannot secure a property that does not exist. As a result, more clubs are recognizing that providing quality housing—particularly housing capable of accommodating a spouse or family—can be one of their most effective tools for attracting and retaining top seasonal talent.

Clubs Must Define Who Is Actually Doing the Hiring

Members often have strong opinions about the type of person they would like to see succeed in the role—and sometimes even a particular candidate in mind. That input can be valuable, but without a clearly defined hiring structure, the process can quickly become fragmented. The general manager may be evaluating candidates against broader operational and leadership responsibilities, while committee members may be focused primarily on teaching ability, playing credentials or relationships with particular groups of members.

Strong candidates notice this lack of alignment. A divided search committee, an uninvolved general manager or a particularly influential member exercising disproportionate authority can raise immediate concerns about governance. Candidates begin wondering not only who will make the hiring decision, but also whom they will actually report to after accepting the position.

Before launching a search, the club should clearly establish who will gather member feedback, who will evaluate candidates, who will make the final decision and who will supervise the successful hire. Committee members should understand that their responsibility is to assess candidates against the club’s agreed-upon priorities—not to promote individual preferences or negotiate competing visions for the department.

This clarity becomes especially important during the final interviews. A divided committee may attempt to draw the executive search consultant into choosing the successful candidate or resolving disagreements among its members. The consultant should provide objective assessments, conduct appropriate due diligence and help the club understand each candidate’s strengths and risks. The final hiring decision, however, must belong to the club.

Candidates are evaluating the club just as carefully as the club is evaluating them. A disciplined and unified process presents an organization with clear leadership and realistic expectations. A confused process may unintentionally reveal the very governance problems the club hoped its next director would solve.

Clubs Should Hire for Leadership – Not Playing Ability or Teaching Revenue

Every candidate should be evaluated on the qualities the position actually requires: the ability to recruit, develop and manage staff; create thoughtful programming; communicate effectively with members, employees and senior management; administer the department; and consistently meet member expectations while respecting the club’s culture.

Too often, members judge director candidates primarily by their playing level or performance during an on-court interview. Playing and teaching credentials matter, but they are not necessarily indicators of leadership ability. An accomplished player may deliver an impressive clinic yet struggle to manage a team, resolve member concerns, oversee a budget or communicate effectively with the general manager and board.

In reality, a successful Director of Racquets may teach only ten hours each week. The remainder of the director’s time is spent supervising professionals, developing the program calendar, managing court utilization, communicating with members, coordinating events, monitoring financial performance and handling the countless administrative details that determine whether a department operates successfully.

The search process should therefore evaluate candidates as department heads, not simply as teaching professionals. Clubs should ask how candidates have recruited and retained staff, handled conflict, introduced new programming, responded to member feedback and measured the success of their departments. A playing demonstration may reveal how well someone strikes a ball; it will not reveal how effectively that person can lead a complex operation.

A successful search is not simply about filling a position. It is about giving the new director enough time to recruit a staff, secure housing, an opportunity to better understand the club’s culture, build a calendar and arrive with a program—rather than arriving with a problem and late to the game. Don’t wait until that can’t happen and it’s too late.

Ed Shanaphy is President of SBW Associates, Inc and BeyondTheBaselines.com, one of the nation’s leading executive search firms and management consultancies within the private members club and boutique hotel arena. Receiving his B.A. from Duke University and gaining his Master’s at The London School of Economics, Shanaphy has governed private clubs on both sides of the Atlantic, has served as Managing Director of a $20million advertising conglomerate Haysbridge (UK) Ltd and has more recently served as COO at The Boulevard Tennis and Padel Club.