Gym staff: character traits to look for when hiring your team for day 1
How to start a gym and what to envision at your fitness studio on day 1? A long line of people ready to get their workout on? A surplus of full classes? Happy and smiling customers walking out your door? These are all our dream happenings after opening a fitness studio, and they’re very achievable. A lot of the work will stem from you and your efforts, but you can’t do it alone. Who else do you need at your fitness studio to ensure the most amazing experience for all guests? We’ve got a solid list you can check off to make sure no customer is left in the dark.
The general manager that handles everything
A general manager should keep you organized and informed. They will handle regular meetings, new customer tours, and instructing new staff on how your fitness studio works. You should hire a general manager that shows up excited and knows what’s happening and when it’s happening.Hiring a general manager that takes the lead will make your job easier. They should have a love of fitness but know that without the right tools your fitness studio wouldn’t be able to run itself. Additionally, they should be your partner in growing your business. Try to hire a general manager that has customer service experience or a bit of a sales background. They’re the ones essentially delivering your business model to new customers and clients daily. You want them to represent your professionalism while getting people excited about your studio.
The instructor with an infectious spirit
It’s a great idea to hire a fitness instructor with a spirit that makes everyone comfortable, excited, and ready to come back for more.The instructors will lead customers in the gym that might not have enough confidence to step out on the weight floor. It's likely this person has a bit of niche experience in the fitness industry as well. These hires will likely work part-time for you, or on a freelancing basis. They will be the ones instructing your awesome classes as early as 5 AM, and as late as 10 PM.These instructors will be your yoga teachers, barre teachers, and martial arts instructors. It goes without saying that you’ll want to hire them based on their experience in their given field. Though you might not be an expert on Zumba, you’ll want to know that your clients are in good hands. After all, they may be exclusively taking fitness classes, and not using your gym facilities otherwise. Finding a fitness instructor that encourages members to step out of their comfort zone is a winning combination.
The personal trainer ready to inspire change
General personal trainers need to have flexibility and strong knowledge of how best to create change in a person’s health. We like to express the importance of hiring someone with patience and creativity. Your personal trainers will grow to know the clients like their family. If you find someone who has the ability to create awesome, unique workouts while keeping your clients motivated, you’ve found a winner.Personal trainers will obviously need to eat, sleep, and breathe fitness. Hiring a personal trainer that has new and inspiring ideas on day 1 at your fitness studio will incite excitement right off the bat. Your personal trainers should have a portfolio or clients to reference from past experience. If they don’t, you may want to conduct a quick “test” workout of what they would do with different types of clients. Ask them how they’d handle clients that are bouncing back from injuries, or clients who want to improve certain fitness metrics. Not everyone is able to think on the fly and maximize an hour time slot to make the biggest difference for their clients. If you find a personal trainer that embodies this, it’s a great sign. A truly winning combo is finding a personal trainer with a nutrition background. In this case, they will not only be able to get your clients sweating, they’ll get them on the track to eating right. Hiring the right staff on day 1 communicates to new members that you’re serious about their fitness goals. If you’re able to build a strong staff from day 1, you all will only continue to grow together. Build loyal, communicative relationships with your new staff and put yourself in the best position to make a positive first impression. On day 1, you all should feel confident in each other to grow your new business to the best of its abilities.