Three Questions to Ask New Hires in the Fitness Industry
July 31, 2023
Trainers have the power to boost your business—or lose your business—so you need to make sure you make good decisions when hiring.
What should you find out about your fitness professionals?
A key part of the hiring process is asking the right questions and doing your research. We asked The Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs), the leading regulatory body for the health and fitness profession, which three questions should you put to new hires or prospects. They said:
Are they qualified?
There are numerous job titles people can appoint themselves, and these are not all protected by law. As an employer, you should check if titles on CVs match qualifications and fit with what you’re looking for. Titles could range from Instructor and Teacher to Personal Trainer or Fitness Coach.
What do their qualifications mean?
As the number of training methods and accreditation bodies increase, remember to check trainers and their qualifications meet UK (and international) standards. One way to do this is to search REPs online database.
What are their specialisms and do their qualifications match your clients' requirements?
If your studio or certain classes are highly specialised, you want to employ trainers and teachers who have the necessary skills, knowledg, and experience. This is what level two, three and four looks like for REPs, for example.
Data shows consumers want flexible memberships and motivating staff
We recently surveyed 2,000 UK adults who exercise regularly. We asked what they wanted from their trainers and instructors, and the most popular answer was a friendly personality (27%). Knowledge of the industry came a close second (22%) and 14% said they were after someone highly-qualified. As well as these traits, 10% of people surveyed said they found it difficult to stick to fitness routines. This is an opportunity for your fitness staff to motivate customers to keep coming back and improve your retention rates at the same time.
Finding the right instructors who can match what your clients are looking for, will really help in driving repeat visits—whether it’s retention or growth that you’re aiming for. They should mirror your brand, reflect your values and help you build your community.
