When it comes to training new staff, it can be hard to decide where to start. There are a lot of “daily processes” that go into running a club, and while every club will have different processes, there are two skills that should not be overlooked in the onboarding process of new employees.
Those skills are having a sense of urgency when it comes to their work, and being able to prioritize tasks at hand. These skills alone will maximize the amount of work someone is able to do in any given day, week, month or year. It also helps keep your new team members from getting complacent once they get the hang of their new job.
But how do you train someone to establish these skills? It starts with setting expectations from Day 1.
Let’s start with a sense of urgency. In a business setting, a sense of urgency implies that one should act promptly and with decisive action. Leading by example is a great way to set the tone for expectations of your new hire. If you are talking the talk but not walking the walk, how can you expect your new team member to follow suit?
Shadowing and role playing are two of the most commonly used hands-on training techniques for new team members and are a great opportunity to coach your new hire on the pace at which they should work.
When it comes to coaching a new hire, it is also important to explain the “why” behind what you are asking them to do. Helping them understand the vision you have for your business is paramount to building a strong team of hard working, self-motivated individuals who enjoy coming into work each day. When your team feels they have a sense of purpose at work, amazing things can happen.
The next skill to coach your new hire on is how to properly prioritize their daily tasks. If you simply give them a list of things to do for the week, but don’t tell them which ones should be done first, you are setting them and your club up for failure.
For example, would you want your new club manager to focus on inviting every prospect into the club for a tour before ensuring the club was clean? If you plan on selling that prospect, my advice would be no. Club cleanliness is one of the top priorities to running a successful health club. If there are dust bunnies in every corner and several pieces of broken equipment, every prospect that comes into your club that day will leave with the opinion your club is dirty and not properly maintained which, news flash, isn’t good for business. Coaching your new hire on the priority of the tasks at hand is a great way to maximize the efficiency of their day.
In conclusion, coaching your new hire to create a sense of urgency when it comes to their work and properly prioritizing their daily tasks is crucial to setting them up for success in the workplace. These two skills will help maximize the amount of work they get done each week and it will also prevent complacency in the workplace.
Whether your new hire is a trainer, manager, weekend worker or simply there to clean the club, helping them understand the vision you have for your business and setting expectations during the onboarding process is a great way to ensure long-term success.
Ariel Zimmerman Walker is the head trainer at Anytime Fitness in Sandy, Utah. She can be reached at SandyUT@anytimefitness.com.
