10 Steps for Hiring Top Talent

Alan Cohen, the founder and president of FitnessJobs.com, shares strategies for hiring top talent.

Club owners across the country know hiring top fitness talent has been a struggle. To stay ahead of the pack, it is time to refine your recruitment plan. Below are ten proven strategies to help ensure your success. 

1. Whether you are a franchise, studio owner or big box gym, make sure your recruiting manager is qualified for this critical role.

2. Evaluate your current organization chart and team and then make adjustments. Hire the most qualified, experienced team members you can find; they will pay for themselves tenfold.

3. Review and revise all job descriptions and compensation plans. Compensation packages will need to be adjusted based on current market conditions.

4. Determine your budget and marketing funnels. Do not put all your eggs in one basket. Create a wide net so you do not come up short-handed. Use a combination of niche job sites, national job boards, industry association websites and employee referrals. Do not forget your competitor’s top producers.

5. Create dynamic recruitment ads. This is one of the most important ingredients for your success. Enlist the help from your marketing staff. If you do not have the luxury of a marketing staff, review successful organizations in your vertical market and borrow some of their concepts. Do not use your job description as a recruitment ad. That is a mercenary approach. Job seekers want to know, “What’s in it for me?” Your opening paragraph should be for branding and getting top talent to read more. If you turn off candidates in your recruitment ad, they will not go much further, including not visiting your website.

6. Make certain your recruiting lead knows the importance of getting back to applicants quickly. Top talent does not remain unemployed for long. Try to set up a phone, Zoom or in-person interview within 72 hours.

7. Make sure hiring managers have pre-choreographed/approved, interview questions for all positions. 

8. Make certain all hiring managers that are involved with specific hires are available for timely interviews.

9. Check all references based on company protocol.

10. Create offer letters for all positions, which include compensation plans, job descriptions, start dates and onboarding/training schedules.