So you’ve grown your gym or studio to the point where you need to hire some assistance? Congratulations! Not only is this a major milestone but a good employee will only make your gym more successful and take a load off your shoulders.

Hiring can be a pain though if you don’t follow the right procedures. Here are four considerations to help you make the right hiring decision.

Consideration #1 — write down your expectations

Before you ever go in search of an employee, make sure you know exactly what you are looking for. Sometimes your brain can be a messy place, so sort all your thoughts out by writing them down. You don’t just want to record a job description — write down the type of person you want, how you want them to handle certain situations, and any other expectations you’ll have of them. The chances are slim you’ll find someone who fits your exact description, but knowing what you want will help you ask the right questions of applicants to test if you’ll be able to get along with them.

To grill an applicant and get the best sense of who they are, use open-ended questions. For instance, if you want to know how they would handle a client who never shows up on time, don’t start by sharing a story of your last trainer who messed the situation up and how it angered you. Instead, just say something like, “This is a situation I’ve run into before. How have you handled similar situations in the past or how would you handle them if given the chance.” The idea is not to give the applicant hints of what kind of answer you want. That way, their true colors are more likely to come out.

Again, you may not find the perfect candidate, but look for teachability and some level of excellence.

Consideration #2 — Use the same procedures with all employees

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is being lax with an employee you know outside of your work life. It is not safe to assume that you will always get along or that you know them perfectly before hiring them. Make them go through the same interview process as everyone else and use the same communicational procedures with them as you would with any other employee. Remember, you’re running a business here.

Consideration #3 — Prescreen applicants

Meeting with potential employees in-person can eat away much of your valuable time, so always prescreen applicants. You will likely do this over the phone. Go over all non-negotiable qualifications and if the applicant doesn’t meet them, well! you just saved yourself an interview.

Consideration #4 — Hire professionals

This is obvious, but it includes more than you might think. Naturally, you’re going to hire professional coaches because you’re a real gym. A gym business doesn’t run solely on coaching though. There are also administrative tasks that must be carried on to a T if the ship’s going to stay afloat. As soon as you get the chance, hire this out to a professional as well. After all, it doesn’t make sense to treat your gym members to professional care but not treat your gym itself to professional care.

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