What’s your least favorite part of business ownership?
Many of you would answer, “Marketing.”
Others of you might say, “Never being able to get out of work-mode.”
And LOTS of you would say, “Hiring and managing staff.”
Hey, we get it. Hiring new staff, onboarding them, and managing a team of employees are all time-consuming and more complicated than we’d like them to be. Unlike the exercise and nutrition science you use everyday to help get your clients results, managing your staff is much less straightforward–people can’t be led and supported with scientific principles and proven equations…
We’re much more complex than that!
The good news is knowing your team and managing them well can be SO MUCH SIMPLER when you’re confident you have the right people on your team. And having the right people on your team happens when you hire the right people.
We’ve worked with countless fitness businesses, and the ones that hire well are the ones that thrive…and we want you to one of them. We’ve compiled four sure-fire strategies that the most successful gyms are using to ensure they’re hiring their best next team member.
Determine Who You’re Looking for Before You Start Hiring
Hiring and recruiting a new team member is not unlike attracting and marketing to prospective clients! Just like you have an ideal client that your business is designed to serve, you should also have an “ideal team member” profile for each position in your facility.
Once you have your “ideal team member” profile, you’ll be ready to move on to the next step–clearly defining the job’s qualifications, main functions, and prerequisite skills. You’ll also need to consider the type of person you’re seeking…is there a particular personality trait or characteristic you’re looking for? How will you know if someone is a culture-fit with your gym?
Clearly defining the job requirements and ideal candidate characteristics will ensure the right candidates are applying, AND the wrong candidates are not (because they’re certain it isn’t a good fit).
Decide on a Recruiting Strategy (and Stick to It!)
Now that the job and ideal candidate is clearly defined, it’s time to create a plan of attack from the time in which you post the job to when you close it and begin onboarding your new hire….
…Will you be the one managing the hiring process, or will a manager at your facility be leading the charge?
…Will multiple employees be involved in the final interview, or will the hiring manager alone make the decision to move forward with a candidate?
These are the questions you need to have answers to.
Whomever is responsible for hiring must have a comprehensive plan at their disposal, including a hiring timetable, ideal candidate profile, vetting process, and budget. Well-laid plans ensure you (or your manager) are staying on track, and aren’t skipping important steps or forgetting important details.
Investigate Candidate Credentials Carefully
The work of reviewing resumes and cover letters is a time-consuming, yet crucial step. Make sure to screen all applicants against the list of qualifications, skills, experience and characteristics you’re looking for.
Effective background checks are also important. You need to verify the candidates you’re considering actually possess the skills on their resume. This can be done pretty simply by requesting references from candidates and actually following up with them.
Ask the Right Questions
If you do the candidate investigation step well, you should effectively narrow down your pool of candidates to a final few. So how do you separate the average candidates and mediocre team players from the standout candidates?
With the right interview questions.
It’s not going to hurt you to ask the standard interview questions that everyone is familiar with (ie. “Tell me about yourself,” “What is your biggest strength and biggest weakness?”, “What would your last set of colleagues say about you and your work?”).
Standard interview questions certainly bring some value, but oftentimes, candidates will expect those questions and be prepared to answer them.
If you really want to identify the best candidates, don’t be afraid to ask questions that require some quick, critical thinking. Real-life scenarios and “Tell me about a time when…” questions are great for getting candidates to think on their feet and demonstrate how they might think and problem solve as one of your team members.
Hiring a new team member can be a daunting and stressful process. After all, you hope after investing so much time in finding a good candidate that he or she ends up being a great fit on your team and a longtime employee! If you follow the strategies we outlined above, you’ll be well on your way to extending an offer to your next best team member.
Once you’re done HIRING a new team member, you’re then facing a whole new set of challenges–onboarding! Naamly’s zero-learning-curve platform is designed to put all client data and progress tracking, all client communication, and all team task management under one roof to make leading teams and onboarding new staff a breeze. Schedule a FREE Naamly demo and see how our software can centralize and organize everything your team needs to impress customers and win sales.