The people you start hiring for your spin studio will determine the quality of your studio and your customers’ experience. It’s not always easy to choose who should work for your studio especially when you’re just starting out. You should hire people that you would want to be in a studio you attend. From the front desk to the instructors, every single person you hire matters. Depending on how involved you plan on being in your studio, you will most likely not have the chance to interact with every one of your customers. This means that the people who you hire may be the only point of contact between your customers and your studio. Hiring people who have excellent customer service skills, friendly dispositions, and a passion for what they do will help make your studio successful. Below are some things to consider when hiring for your spin studio.
Hire People Who Believe in What You Do
In Simon Sinek’s recent TED Talk on great leadership, he said, “Hire people who believe what you believe and you’ll never fail.” The trick to this bit of wisdom is to figure out what you believe in before you hire people. What are your motivations for opening a spin studio? What do you want the guiding principle of your spin studio to be? Finding inspiration in other fitness studios you’ve been to and thinking about what drives your own fitness journey is a great to way to figure this out. Really connect with yourself to determine whatyou believe in. From there, you begin to hire people whose priorities are similar. By ensuring the people you hire are as passionate about your business as you are, you can assure your members are in good hands. People who are passionate about their jobs won’t need to be pestered about showing up on time or leading a class with full energy. Hiring people who truly love spinning will likely stay long-term in your studio. In return, this brings you more loyal, community-driven clients.
Employ vs Contract
When hiring for a spin studio you have two options—employ or contract. So, what’s the difference? Hiring an employee as an independent contractor means that they are responsible for paying their own state and federal taxes. These instructors work essentially as freelancers. This means benefits you would receive for a full or part-time employee like healthcare or vacation time aren't guaranteed. This also means that these instructors are often working for multiple studios or gyms at the same time. One of the keys to building brand loyalty will involve letting members play “favorites” with their instructors. If one of your instructors is also teaching at another studio, this can draw members away from your studio. On the other hand, hiring instructors as employees means that as an employer you withhold federal tax, social security, and Medicare. Both full-time and part-time employees generally receive some paid vacation, sick pay, healthcare, and an hourly wage or yearly salary. All of these things can cost your business money but may be worth it for retaining the exclusivity of your instructors. There is a major non-compete factor in hiring an employee versus a contractor. And the option to maintain more control over the style of teaching at your studio plays a role, too.
Gather Client Feedback
Since your customers are the most important part of your business, it’s a good idea to get a feel for what they think of your instructors and staff. Encourage members to leave feedback after their class by sending them an email with a link or rating. You can also make commentary cards available at your front desk, or use a tablet where people can rate their class experience and leave feedback. Make it as easy as possible for your members to leave feedback, both positive and constructive. This way you can get a better sense of how your instructors are performing. With valuable customer feedback, you can let your staff know how great of a job they’re doing. Then, you can begin to help them work to strengthen their weak areas. Making hires that inspire your members is an important step to running a successful spin studio. Your instructors will determine the quality of your classes and your customers’ experience. Hiring passionate people, determining whether you want to employ or contract your instructors, and gathering feedback can help you make the right decision when it comes to hiring instructors and staff. If you’re a Spin Studio owner tired of old studio management software that’s constantly raising prices without increasing value, then talk to OneFitStop, where their modern spin studio software platform is constantly evolving to meet the needs of growing studio businesses.