Allison Breunig on Best Hiring Practices

This month we sat down with Allison Breunig, the hiring and enculturation manager at Gainesville Health and Fitness, to discuss best hiring practices.

What should clubs keep in mind when hiring new employees? 

We focus on our applicants being a culture fit over anything else. Just because someone has amazing experience, or you really need to hire for a certain position, doesn’t mean they are going to be the right fit for your company. Establish set standards and do not sacrifice them, no matter the experience or hiring need.
       The next thing to think about is not only are they a good fit for you, but are you a good fit for them? This is important because it can help you predict if they are going to be with your company for at least a year. They may seem like a culture fit for your company, but maybe their passion is with another industry. If you aren’t meeting their needs or passions, then they will leave when things get tough.

How can clubs ensure they are hiring staff who will fit in with their culture? 

The No. 1 thing to do is make a list. Write down your core values, mission, vision and purpose. When interviewing the applicant ask yourself:  Does this person embody our core values? Will they benefit from being at our company besides monetarily? If I had to be locked behind the front desk with them for five hours, would it be enjoyable? This question is important regardless of the position they are applying for. You may think “they are nice,” but if you can’t see yourself enjoying working a shift with them, your staff won’t either.

How do you ensure you are setting new hires up for success? 

Transparency and timely communication. As soon as someone signs up for our hiring fair, we make sure they know the expectations for each department in the company, their starting pay, uniform, requirements for scheduling and our professional image standard. During our hiring process we also follow up with everyone. Our applicants wait no more than 48 hours to hear back from us, regardless of if we are bringing them further or not. We have at least three interviews in our hiring process and don’t want to lose applicants because they haven’t heard from us. 

How should clubs manage and evaluate performance of new hires? 

It is imperative to always give your staff set standards so they know what they are trying to achieve every time they come to work. Plus, let them know the timeline for performance reviews. 

We also think it’s important to have feedback from multiple supervisors and managers so it can give them well-rounded feedback. It’s important to add in company and job knowledge when evaluating them and when on shifts to always remind staff of the basics. 

To learn more about Allison Breunig and her position, connect with her on LinkedIn.