How to Hire the Right Staff

Of course, the reputation of your club is important. But the people who walk through its doors, the employees at the cash register and the personal trainers who support your members will ultimately determine the success of your gym. Hiring the most talented staff for your fitness business is essential, as they will reflect the face of your business to its main shareholders, the clientele!

The job market is growing in the fitness industry. Every year, more and more people are entering the GIGAFIT franchise to become fitness professionals. This also means that as a fitness company, your talent pipeline will be overflowing with many different types of fitness personnel.

This article will provide you with some key information before you start recruiting for your franchise.

When you start hiring staff for your gym, it’s normal to feel like you don’t know where to start. The ability to get off to a smooth start and grow efficiently will largely depend on how quickly you can hire new employees.

Getting Started:

Front Desk Staff – Hiring a front desk receptionist for the gym will allow you to focus on the business itself. This will be the first face most customers see and should have excellent customer service skills.

Service Staff – Imagine a scenario where your equipment needs servicing and you can’t fix it yourself. Hiring an in-house technician or an on-call contractor is one of the first positions you need to fill.

Cleaning Staff – The people who will keep your gym floor clean and tidy should be considered before you open your doors. Professional hygiene standards are non-negotiable in GIGAFIT fitness clubs, especially in a post-pandemic environment.

Growth and Development:

Sales and Membership Manager – As your business grows, you probably won’t have much time to spend attracting new members and finding ways to compile leads. This is where a sales and membership manager becomes essential to growing the gym’s customer base. He or she liaises with current and potential members to keep them happy with their current membership and to encourage new ones.

Personal Trainers – Initially, a gym can operate without personal trainers. Regular gym-goers can use the facilities without assistance. But to target broader demographics, personal trainers are a valuable asset. Personal trainers are always in vogue among those who value close instruction when exercising, and they often bring their clients from outside your gym.

Group fitness instructor – If your gym is equipped to host group fitness classes, it would be wise to hire an instructor. The popularity of group fitness has increased significantly in recent years. It is the only way many people want to exercise.

Expansion:

Membership Consultant – When the amount of work exceeds what the sales manager can accomplish, it may be time to hire specialized membership consultants. Their main job is to find potential clients, invite them to the gym and persuade them to join.

Group fitness manager – The more demand there is for group fitness, the more cumbersome the schedule becomes to manage. This may not be a full-time role, but having a staff member dedicated to coordinating schedules and recruiting instructors will save you a lot of time and hassle.

Personal trainer manager – Asking for a personal trainer to oversee your peers is a smart business decision. They are responsible for setting standards and hiring the best in the business while promoting your gym to their network of contacts.

Steps to interviewing candidates

To hire the best staff, you need to use an effective and streamlined interview process to select potential employees. Here are some of the steps you should follow before, during and after the interview.

Pre-Interview Stage

Before the interview, there are a few important steps to consider. One is to write and create a compelling job description. The other is to understand the factors that will make some candidates better than others. Writing a great job description is all about highlighting all of the requirements for the position being filled. Be sure to include relevant academic and professional qualifications and similar experience gained. It is essential to state the main objectives of the position so as not to mislead potential candidates.

To find the best fit, consider only the most promising candidates. Generally, the best candidates meet all the requirements of the job description. One way to do this is to evaluate their previous roles to determine where their skills may intersect with the position.

During the interview

Use the interview phase to engage with the candidate personally and get to know them more informally. It is helpful to be calm and make the interviewee feel relaxed. Ask questions about previous work experience, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. If the answer given is vague and without any verifiable information, you can press for more specifics.

Here are some practical questions to ask:

• What certifications/qualifications do you hold that are relevant to this role?
• How do you think you can positively influence a successful fitness session?
• What would you do to improve our clients’ experience?
• What ideas do you have for increasing membership in this gym?
• If a member came to you to cancel their membership, what would you do?

Important characteristics to look for in staff

If you don’t have a clear idea of what it takes to be a valuable gym staff member, here’s a starting point of what to look for:

Excellent communication skills

One in four people consider a friendly personality to be the most essential characteristic of a personal trainer. This statistic holds true for any gym staff member as well. The ability to communicate with other employees and critique gym members is essential for any candidate. Listening skills are also essential; the candidate must speak and converse with a wide variety of people. Therefore, the candidate’s interpersonal skills will need to be honed to succeed in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Compassion and empathy

Each team member must empathize with the challenges that overweight and unfit people face in their quest to get fit. If the staff member can show an interest in connecting with their efforts, they will show compassion and empathy. Not only will this increase their productivity, but your members will feel comfortable and welcome.

Knowledge and skills

A good education doesn’t always make for a good doctor, and the same goes for personal trainers or business managers. Education isn’t everything, but it does teach you and help you hone various life skills and sharpen your discipline. Candidates who want to learn more about the role and industry or who already have experience will usually make the best hires.

A strong passion for fitness

This point comes last, having a fitness oriented lifestyle certainly helps. You want to create an environment where people are there because they love it, not because they have to be. This type of contagious behavior spreads throughout the club and creates a healthy atmosphere where members want to push their peers to achieve their goals. According to a recent survey, 25% of gym members are not satisfied with their gym. Fostering a gym that wants to bring out the best in everyone needs people who are passionate and committed to fitness.

Finding the right employees and hiring them at the right time will help your franchise build a strong foundation and give you the best chance to stand out.