What to Look for in Gym Employees

Your employees are a crucial aspect of your gym. They are the face of the brand when interacting with your clients. They also determine how well the gym runs, from keeping everything clean to helping gym members perfect their exercises and everything in-between. As such, they should be perfect in their roles.

Finding the right employee for various roles in the gym can be a gamble – and hiring the wrong person can cost you. However, you can weed out the wannabes and hire the right person by considering the following factors:

1. Skills & Experience

The right person should be skilled and experienced in their role. For example, the manager should have managerial skills.

The trainer is the most important person to consider in this respect. He/she will be tasked with helping the gym members perform exercises that are sometimes difficult and complex. They should know how to perform even the most exotic exercises safely, lest your clients get injured. They should also be able to tell the best exercises for different people based on factors such as physique.

Many of the skills required to work in a gym are practical. As such, don't be afraid to ask your candidates to showcase their skills in different roles. For example, you can ask the trainer to perform different exercises. You can also present the receptionist with a situation whereby a client is unhappy and see how they handle it. You are well within your rights to test the candidates rigorously.

2. People Skills

Your employees are you're the face of your gym's brand. They are the contact point with your clients, and the gym is a highly social place. Consequently, they should have the necessary people skills to make the gym members feel at home.

Virtually every employee in your gym interacts with your clients at some point. The receptionist greets them as they come and wishes them goodbye as they leave. The trainer helps them feel good about themselves while motivating them to train hard and achieve their goals. Additionally, the employees interact with each other, working together as a team to ensure everything moves smoothly. No one is an island in the gym.

It takes a keen eye to tell whether a candidate has the right people skills. Observe them from the minute they walk into the interview room. Do they smile? How do they regard the other staff members? How do they respond to your questions? These are just some of the things to consider.

3. Enthusiasm & Motivation

Exercising isn't always easy. It is sweaty and tiring, and many people feel discouraged when they don't lose weight as fast as they hoped. However, gyms would be out of business if they just let their gym members quit. This is why employees should be enthusiastic and motivating.

Employees, especially the trainer, should show genuine enthusiasm for training. They should be driven, and this energy should light up the room and encourage members to keep pushing. A slacking trainer will discourage overwhelmed gym members just from the looks, while an energized one will inspire them to go on just by their presence.

The employees should also know how to motivate gym members to keep pushing despite the fatigue. Again, the bulk of the work here lies with the trainer and manager. However, the receptionist should also be motivating — for example, a simple phrase such as 'see you later' can encourage members.

4. Empathy & Compassion

Many people go to the gym to lose weight and keep fit. As explained, this isn't always easy, and it takes a lot of hard work to shed those extra pounds. However, it takes more than just hard work — it also requires some motivation and compassion from the trainer (and other gym employees).

Your employees should be empathetic to the gym members' woes. They should show that they understand that the members are working hard — they should also motivate and encourage members who seem discouraged or disappointed. Unfortunately, some unprofessional gym employees have been known to mock struggling gym members, ruining the gym's reputation and sending members fleeing.

However, gym employees should also know when to give gym members some space. Empathy and compassion are good, but they can be mistaken for pity. Clients don't want to feel pitied – they want to get fit.

5. Flexibility & Organization

Gym employees should be flexible and highly organized. This is especially important for employees on the front line, including the manager, trainer, and receptionist.

The manager needs to be highly organized to keep everything moving smoothly. He/she should be able to juggle all of their responsibilities, from holding regular staff meetings to showing new gym members around and teaching new employees how to fit in.

The trainer should also be well organized to juggle different gym members' needs, including training multiple people simultaneously. The receptionist, cleaners, and other employees should also be just as organized, ensuring that they play their roles flawlessly.

Flexibility is also important. A gym doesn't need a 9-5 employee. Instead, it requires an employee who will be available during the hours the gym is open — and when there is more work to be done. As such, look for someone who can change their schedule whenever needed — people with second jobs or other strict engagements may not fit the bill.

Get it Right!

You need to hire the right employee for any role in your gym during the first trial. As such, don't be afraid to test candidates rigorously during the interview. Don't take any candidate's word – ask to see their qualifications, contact their references, and give them practical and theoretical tests to make them earn their positions.

Ensure that you spell out exactly what you are looking for in your job advert. It is also advisable to conduct the interviews as a team by inviting other gym employees to see whether the candidates fit in. The right candidate will express most or all of these traits during the interview.

Final Thoughts

Employees are an integral part of your gym's operations, and the right employees can help your gym grow. The ideal employee should meet the requirements discussed above.

Contact us today, and let us show you what we can do for you and your gym.