What Does Successful Employee Management Look Like in the Fitness Sector?

As a fitness professional, you’re required to switch hats and juggle priorities to navigate the business towards success.

The wellness industry is one of the fastest growing, most resilient markets, which has been consistently growing year over year. As more and more individuals become increasingly health-conscious, the fitness industry has grown 2.6% internationally, with a whopping 7.6% growth in the U.S alone, according to IHRSA.

While this growth provides ample opportunities for businesses, it takes more than a keen eye to make the most of an opportunity. Without a goal-oriented team that’s on the same page, the levels of attainable success are minimal at best.

It’s essential to have someone with honed leadership skills to guide team members. Not only does it help make success more achievable, but high staff retention leads to a greater, more consistent customer experience that can help differentiate you from competitors.

Every manager has his or her own approach to employee management. Successful employee management will look slightly different from business to business, but there a few characteristics that are always present.

We’ve put together some advice about what great employee management looks like.

Everyone is passionate and engaged

Seeing passionate employees is one of the core signs that employees are being managed well. Regardless of how passionate employees can be about their industry and roles, if they are not looked after and feel that they’re nothing more than cash machines, then their passion can quickly dissipate.

Often, little signs of gratitude and appreciation for their hard work is all it takes to show that their work matters. Enabling employees to have enough downtime to recuperate and maintain work-life balance is massively important—putting employee well-being first helps shape the company culture. Using employee management tools that can assist with flexible scheduling have a huge impact on the working environment by positively boosting the mental state of employees and enhances the customers’ experience.

There’s a strong sense of teamwork

No one can do everything alone when it comes to business. That’s why teamwork and cohesion are such important factors when it comes to managing teams. Teamwork rarely happens naturally. It has to be nurtured from the hiring stage. It doesn’t end there, though. From onboarding, training and well-planned employee schedules, everything will affect how well your team interacts with one another.

Employees are knowledgeable

While continual training and education of your team may require investing time and money, in the long run, it pays off. By continually offering opportunities to challenge your team, employees will push themselves to expand their knowledge, stimulating ongoing interest and engagement.

Lack of stimulation eventually leads to boredom and poor job satisfaction, which ultimately forces employees to leave. The continued development of employees not only assists in retention and job satisfaction, but it is essential for communicating your brand’s message effectively.

Employees share their thoughts

Regardless of the industry, communication is key. In a workplace where employees are managed well, employees are feel comfortable to share their viewpoints and suggestions with regards to the business. Because employees provide unrivaled insights into customer-facing operations, they are able to provide in-depth knowledge and first-hand experiences of what customers are experiencing.

Smaller teams may be capable of communicating effectively through face-to-face interactions, but for larger teams, it is often necessary to implement an alternative solution. A manager who is capable of listening, assessing and acting on information displays that employee input is valued, and the direct effect of employee input is a greater insight to drive better employee and customer experiences. Looking after your employees is more than a means to reduce turnover; it’s a way to shape the workplace into a positive environment for employees and customers alike. Effective employee management has the ability to humanize your brand and create a way that connects to your customers in a truly personal way, developing lasting relationships that simultaneously promote customer, employee and business development.