During the New Year’s rush, seasonal employees play a critical role in your club’s success. More people are walking through your doors than ever before — therefore you want to ensure you have a sufficient amount of manpower at the front desk and on the gym floor.
Because some of these new employees will only be with you for a short time, it may be tempting to hire the first person whose resume lands on your desk. However, it’s important to be attentive to what kind of help you’re bringing in. After all, they’ll be representing your brand.
Knowing the right seasonal hiring practices goes a long way in helping you thrive during the New Year’s rush.
“Hiring seasonal employees begins with hiring the right people consistently throughout the year,” said Hannah Trice, the onboarding and culture manager at Little Rock Athletic Club in Little Rock, Arkansas. “By bringing in employees who are strong matches for our clubs, we increase our exposure not just to seasonal staff, but to their friends who may also be good fits.”
Finding quality individuals to fill seasonal roles can be difficult without the help of your current employees. Chances are at least a few of your workers know one experienced person who could use some extra holiday hours.
If you’re having trouble generating referrals from your staff, try offering an incentive for recommending a candidate. Make the reward a little sweeter if the person they referred remains on staff for a certain amount of time.
“Hiring referrals has worked well for us,” said Tracy Stepp, the director of human possibilities at The Claremont Club in Claremont, California. “When you hire great people, they refer other great people.”
How do you know if you’ve hired great people? Your interview process should weed out poor candidates. “All new members of our employee family go through a unique interview process to ensure they are both a culture and performance match,” said Trice.
Little Rock’s management staff requires a minimum of two interviews for every candidate. Two hiring managers conduct each interview, and a candidate must get an undisputed “yes” from both managers to move to the next stage of the hiring process.
Using a multi-step interview process will afford you a chance to really get to know a candidate, as well as uncover any potential red flags. It may seem like an intimidating process, but finding the proper fit is well worth the time and effort.
“While two interviews minimum may sound [excessive] just to get someone working behind our front desk, we recognize that they each provide the opportunity to protect and contribute to our club’s integrity and culture,” said Trice.
Open and honest communication throughout the entire hiring process is important as well. You club’s values and expectations should align with the person you’re looking to hire. If those values don’t align, you shouldn’t waste your time or theirs.
Remember: Every hire matters, seasonal or full-time. “I think the most important thing for any operation is making sure you take care of your greatest asset: your people,” said Stepp.
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Bobby is the former assistant editor of Club Solutions Magazine.
