In recent years the fitness industry has been presented with the greatest challenges any of us have ever experienced. 

High among those challenges is the sourcing and retention of staff - many are not just leaving our businesses, they're leaving the industry - many in search of greater job security, higher rates of pay, flexible working arrangements and more.

So how do we fix our staffing issues?

There was a time when we'd simply post an advert and sit back and watch all of the applications roll in. Your biggest concern was how long it took to filter applications to find the best of the bunch.

Unfortunately, this is no longer a thing.

With a huge dropoff in the number of applications for all jobs, employers are advised to apply a multi-faceted approach to their recruitment efforts.

Here are 4 ways to approach recruitment for the best results.

1. ADVERTISING

You are probably thinking 'Hang on you just said that this option doesn't work?'

Advertising does work when done correctly. Specifically, we need to shift the thought process from "advertising" our available roles towards "marketing" the role.

We need to think of the recruitment process as a "Sales" one. We need to market and sell both our businesses and our available roles to future employees. For insight into writing better job ads, check out the articles on this page.

Need to post a job ad, it starts here.

2. HEADHUNTING

Headhunting is a time-honoured recruitment strategy employers can use that removes the need to wait for people to apply for your available role.

When you are selling your memberships, your team is out there calling prospects and selling the facility to get them to sign up. We need to take the same approach when recruiting/headhunting. 

• Search for skills or qualifications or behaviours that you want and contact those people. If you're on HealthyPeople, don't worry about how long it's been since they were last active, because...
• The best people in the market are the people who are not actively applying for roles and the ones who sometimes just need a tap on the shoulder.
• If a candidate is not available right now, but you like them, make sure you "pool" them correctly and stay in touch with them. Keep them warm so they remember you when they're ready
• If you find people who you think are great, find a role for them. If you want a great team, think about the person first, and the position second
• Target people who work for companies where you've had great people come from in the past

Where to search for these candidates?

A Business Membership with HealthyPeople is an obvious choice. 

3. TAP INTO YOUR OWN NETWORK

Sometimes we forget to reach out to people we know to see if they are looking for new opportunities or to see if they have referrals.

Being the hiring manager means you're likely to have been in the industry long enough to be connected with fitness professionals and thousands of members across your facilities. 

• Access your own personal network (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn etc)
• Implement staff referral campaigns - happy staff refer people they like and want to work with
• Target your members - If they've been enjoying your facilities and loving the vibe of your club they could be great prospects for your team. Or might share your employment opportunities with their network.

You just never know who might see your post or one that has been shared within your network. It's a very cost-effective way to find that next superstar employee.

4. ALWAYS BE RECRUITING (aka TALENT POOLING)

We all fall into the trap of only recruiting when we have a need. Too often, we're blindsided when someone hands in their notice and find ourselves 'panic-recruiting' to replace them.

• We always need to be recruiting (using all 3 strategies above)
• Talent Pooling is key - make detailed notes, keep them engaged and keep them warm
• Have a business card on you at all times as you may come across someone you meet and think wow they would be a great employee.

We hope this provides some insight to help you build your superstar team and smash your business targets.

If you need any help with any of the above please get in touch.