Congratulations on making it to the next step in the hiring process! During our peak season, we do our best to move quickly in the hiring process, but please know that it can take 1-2 weeks to hear back from our team on a final decision.
Here’s what’s involved:
1. You interviewed: You talked, we listened, we answered your questions. Boom! Done. Nice job.
2. We review: The person who interviews you makes notes about your skills, mindset, location, and availability, and considers where you’d fit best in our camp staff puzzle.
3. We talk as a team: We discuss each candidate with our hiring team, share what we’re excited about, and why we want to bring them on board.
4. We follow up: This can go a few ways:
- We send you an offer letter! This will come via email from our talent system and include a digital offer letter for you to review and sign. READ IT ALL! And then sign (we hope) because you’re so pumped to join us at camp this summer.
- We ask to chat some more – We may have a few more questions or want to talk about shifting you to a different role. This can happen if a role was filled or we think you’d be a better fit in a different program.
- We say, “Sorry, not this year” – Sometimes it’s not the right fit. This could be from experience, skills, or not being qualified for a position.
5. Then, the ball’s in your court. We ask all candidates who receive an offer letter to reply in THREE BUSINESS DAYS. Yep, three. That helps us keep things moving. We will reach out at least once if we don’t hear from you, but after that, we may rescind your offer or move onto other candidates.
6. After you sign… (We hope you will!) We will be in touch about upcoming paperwork, trainings, live video Q&A sessions, and deadlines. There’s a lot to do before camp starts!
We interview upwards of 700+ people from January to August in a given year, so please, check-in with us if you have not heard anything within one month of your interview, please reach out to the Talent representative with whom you spoke.
You should receive an update via email — not by phone — regarding the status of your application.
So you had a great interview and you received an offer letter! Congrats!
Q: What’s included in my offer letter?
A: Your offer letter includes important details and we recommend you review them carefully. They include, but are not limited to:
- Your site location and address
- Role and program
- Weeks offered (Remember, your scheduled weeks may change based on enrollment, performance, or other onsite logistics)
- Compensation rate
- Training compensation rate
- Details about provided materials
- Training dates & expectations
Q: Once I sign, can I make edits or propose changes?
A: Any changes to your offer letter need to be discussed before you sign. When we receive a signed offer letter back, we take that to mean you reviewed it and agree with all that’s included.
Q: I need to talk to someone about my offer letter.
A: No problem. Please get in touch with your Talent point of contact or submit your message to the Talent Helpline here.
Step 1: Celebrate!
- We’re pumped to have you on the team to make it a great summer.
Step 2: Refer friends
- Use our Referral Survey to submit names and contact information for friends, colleagues, or family members you think could be a great fit and we’ll reach out to them about open positions.
- You could earn $25 per person!
Step 3: Onboarding
- In late spring, you’ll be added to our Onboarding portal to complete online paperwork tasks related to payroll and background check. (Some sites require in-person actions as well.)
Step 4: Virtual training
- In the month before camp starts, you’ll be added to our online webinar training portal to view and respond to virtual trainings that cover camp policies, procedures, and practices.
- Virtual training also includes opportunities to meet your site-specific team members!
Step 5: In-person training
- Apply your new knowledge – get to know your team and site in-person!
- Each team will have a day onsite before campers to cover carpool, curriculum, and more.
Step 6: Camp begins!
Congratulations on receiving an offer to join our team! We completely understand that it can be a confusing process, and want to make sure that it is as straightforward as possible.
Please check your junk mailbox for an email from our online hiring platform, iCims.
When you locate that email, it has a direct link to login to your profile using the same credentials you used to apply.
If you can’t find your password, or forget your login, please just reach out to us at talent@headfirst.com.
We’re here to be a resource for you! If you cannot find what you need here, please reach out to us through our Talent Helpline.
Use our Referral Survey to submit names and contact information for friends, colleagues, or family members you think could be a great fit and we’ll reach out to them about open positions.
You could earn $25 per person if they sign on and work their contracted weeks!
Please note: Only new candidate referrals are eligible for the bonus; individuals referred who have worked for Headfirst before do not qualify for the source to earn the bonus.
Q: How do I get paid?
A: Team members have two options to receive their pay – direct deposit or paper checks.
- Direct deposit: The payroll will be deposited in the account by/on the pay date.
- Paper checks: The payroll checks will be mailed on the pay date through US Postal Service, arriving anywhere from 4-7 days later.
Q: How do I access my paystubs and W2s?
A: When you are entered into the payroll system as a new team member, you will receive an email (sent to the email address provided in your onboarding paperwork) that will prompt you to create a username and password for access to all your paystubs and W2s on the ADP system. See the question listed below for more info.
Q: How is my “take home” pay amount determined?
A: The amount of pay you receive in your paycheck (i.e., that you “take home”) is determined by how much you worked during the pay period that corresponds to the pay date, minus taxes and withholdings.
For all employees, Headfirst is legally required to deduct FICA (Social Security and Medicare) and income taxes; the exact amount of income taxes withheld is determined based upon how you filled out your Federal and State withholding forms during the onboarding process. If you have yet to fill out these forms, we suggest discussing them with a tax professional, as we are unable to advise on how to complete them.
Q: What is overtime (OT)?
A: Overtime is what hours are called when you work over 40.0 hours in one week. Those hours may be paid at a different rate if you are a team member paid at an hourly rate. If you are a salaried team member, overtime does not qualify.
Q: Who should I contact if my question has not been answered to my satisfaction?
A: If you have any additional questions, submit them here at the Talent Helpline Form.
Last updated 1/11/2023
Q: What system is used for staff timekeeping?
A: Headfirst uses WhenIWork for both schedules and timeclock (aka timesheets and time tracking). Before your first day, we will add you to the system where you’ll create a login and find your When I Work employee ID in your profile.
–> Download WhenIWork for Android
–> Download WhenIWork for iOS
Q: What do I need to clock in or clock out?
A: You will need your When I Work employee ID to clock in/out.
- To find it: Go to the WhenIWork app > Profile > Employee ID (a 4- or 5-digit ID number).
- Please memorize these numbers so that the clock in/out process can be smoothly facilitated.
Q: What if I don’t clock in or out?
A: If you forget to clock-in or clock-out, please notify your Director immediately.
Not clocking in or forgetting to clock out impacts our ability to pay you, as no time is tracked for that day.
- Your clocked-in hours tell the Payroll Department how to calculate your earnings for that pay period.
Q: When should I clock in?
A: Please refer to your schedule for the time you are expected to begin work. You should clock in at the start time listed in your WhenIWork schedule.
- Please do not begin work any earlier as you will not be compensated for work beginning prior to your start time without prior approval. If you have any questions about your start time, please ask your Director.
Q: My question wasn’t answered here.
A: If you have any additional questions, submit them to the Talent Helpline Form.
During the summer, payroll is processed biweekly (i.e., every other week) for each unit.
Summer 2025 Schedule
| Work Period (Monday – Sunday) | Pay Date (Friday) |
|---|---|
| May 26 – June 8 | June 13 |
| June 9 – June 22 | June 27 |
| June 23 – July 6 | July 11 |
| July 7 – July 20 | July 25 |
| July 21 – August 3 | August 8 |
| August 4 – August 17 | August 22 |
| August 18 – August 31 | September 5 |
Please note there is a one-week delay between the compensation earned for the current week’s work and the pay received.
In other words, each paycheck will not include the current week’s work; instead your compensation includes the pay earned during the two weeks immediately before the current week.
- For example, the payroll running on Friday, July 11 will be for work done during the weeks of June 23 and June 30.
Please see the other FAQs for more insight on the methods and schedule.
During the summer, payroll is processed biweekly (i.e., every other week) for each unit.
Summer 2025 Schedule
| Work Period (Monday – Sunday) | Pay Date (Friday) |
|---|---|
| May 19 – June 1 | June 6 |
| June 2 – June 15 | June 20 |
| June 16 – June 29 | July 4 |
| June 20 – July 13 | July 18 |
| July 14 – July 27 | August 1 |
| July 28 – August 10 | August 15 |
| August 11 – August 24 | August 29 |
Please note there is a one-week delay between the compensation earned for the current week’s work and the pay received.
In other words, each paycheck will not include the current week’s work; instead your compensation includes the pay earned during the two weeks immediately before the current week.
- For example, the payroll running on Friday, July 4 will be for work done during the weeks of June 16 and June 23.
Please see the FAQs for more insight on the methods and schedule.
