Gym trainers with training certifications are no longer uncommon. In fact, these people are a dime in a dozen that gym managers are no longer impressed by fitness certifications. These days, gym trainers who are good at both sales and training are of the highest priority during the hiring process. These are trainers who never run out of clients and are always fully booked for every available time slot.
Hiring the best gym staff for your fitness enterprise is critical to the value and image of your business. The quality of your staff affects the client workflow, especially if you want to earn their trust in the fitness services you offer. But to hire a solid gym staff, you need to have a basic understanding of the roles you look for and the types of fitness services you will offer.
If you’re a gym manager looking to hire a professional gym trainer, there are a lot of things to consider to find the right candidate. This will help streamline the application process, especially during the pre-employment skills and talent assessments. Online hiring tools offer assessment tests to measure the basic competencies required for a gym trainer.
Below are some important factors to consider when hiring a skilled gym trainer. Take note of these suggestions to make the hiring process easier.
Evaluate special skills
The last thing you want to happen is to end up with a bad hire. The quality of your hire has a significant impact on overall employee morale and customer workflow. An unskilled gym trainer can affect the reputation of your gym, making you spend more money and effort to clean up the mess than taking time to find the best applicant in the first place.
Experience is an essential factor in today’s job market. Every recruiter or hiring manager will tell you that candidate experience is necessary for a successful hiring process. That being said, it is important to look for a set of skills when looking for a gym trainer. This means going beyond the candidate’s employment experience instead of their basic functions in their previous job.
For example, look for an applicant who offers different fitness classes instead of specializing in just one. Even if you don’t have initial plans of offering more gym classes, you will eventually need someone on hand to offer the type of fitness class you’re looking for. You may also prioritize gym trainers who demonstrated leadership positions in their previous jobs. This will give you confidence that they have the leadership skills and the initiative to make running a gym business easier for you.
A skill test will give you an idea if they’re a potential candidate for the position. An on-the-spot demonstration will help identify the strengths and weaknesses of a gym trainer. For instance, if you’re hiring a fitness instructor, organize a mock class to know about their teaching style.
Basically, your gym staff serves as the image of your fitness brand, that’s why you need someone who can showcase the expertise and quality of your gym business.
Be specific on the job description
A job description should state exactly what your fitness establishment looks for a gym trainer. The more detailed it is, the more likely to attract the best candidate who’s really qualified for the job. This can also help you create a more structured questionnaire during the interview process.
When developing a job description for a fitness instructor, consider their knowledge on health, nutrition, supplements, physical fitness, exercise tools, and other fitness-related topics. During the interview, ask about their ideas on how they can affect a successful training session, enhance the gym clientele, increase gym membership levels, and form a relationship with gym clients.
Hire based on the candidate’s values
Most recruiters make the mistake of hiring an applicant after their interview because of their amazing personality. It might be someone who they assume is so perfect for the job that they’re ready to make an offer on the spot.
Every employer wants to work with the staff they like, but having a great personality is not only the most important factor. Their great people skills may bring more clients to your door, but if they don’t have the value to fit in your gym culture, you’ll likely encounter more problems in the long run.
When hiring a gym trainer, go for the most qualified instead of the applicant you like. If you and the candidate share the same value and working objective, it’ll be easier to form a more motivated and stronger gym staff.
Like any business, opening a gym is a daunting process. Apart from considering specific factors, such as the location, financial ability, and niche, it is critical to understand how to hire the most skilled set of gym staff. The quality of your gym trainers is a determining factor in whether your business will fair or successful. Follow our suggestions above to hire the best gym staff for your fitness enterprise.