Today’s fitness industry demands digital innovation to engage members and increase retention. Digital technology is revolutionizing the fitness industry and its potential for growth is endless. The demand for technology in the fitness industry has increased dramatically over the last decade, especially in regards to personal training, group training, cardio equipment, virtual coaches, and nutrition apps.
With a rise in millennial members who value convenience and personalization above anything else, this is the perfect time to implement digital innovation into your gym’s hiring process. Furthermore, research shows that on-site employees are more productive when equipped with mobile devices. They also help reduce operating costs by eliminating utilities and leasing costs associated with renting office space. In this blog post, we’ll explain why digital fitness recruitment is critical today and how it can help you hire better trainers faster while increasing member retention in your gym.
Digital fitness recruiting is the process of sourcing and attracting potential employees online through social media channels, job boards, and other online tools. Digital fitness recruiting can be beneficial because you can source a wider range of candidates than if you were limited to a specific geographical area. You can also use tools to help you track and manage the hiring process more effectively. Digital fitness recruiting gives candidates the opportunity to self-select themselves into the hiring process by completing an online application. This type of application process is especially useful when you’re trying to hire candidates in a remote location where you can’t meet them in person. A lot of the candidates who apply for jobs these days do so remotely. Therefore, it’s important for fitness businesses to use digital recruiting techniques to broaden their hiring reach. Digital recruiting will put your gym’s brand front and center, allowing you to attract candidates from all walks of life, including outside your local area.
As we just mentioned, fitness businesses are better off growing their talent from within their own walls. Hiring locally is important and there are few industries that can compete with fitness for the type of employee retention rates we see on a daily basis. However, the fitness industry is experiencing a huge talent shortage. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) predicted a gap of 470,000 fitness professionals by 2026. With that in mind, it’s crucial to implement digital technology into your hiring strategy as a way to source talent outside your local area. It’s also important to note that a large percentage of fitness professionals are millennials. The same millennials who demand convenience and instant results from their gym memberships.
One of the best ways to attract digital talent for your gym is to create a compelling job description. A job description does not only include salary expectations, but also outlines the duties and responsibilities of the position. If a candidate applies for the position and finds that the job description does not match their expectations, they will likely not pursue the job opportunity. That being said, it’s important to make sure that the job description reflects the brand of your gym so that the candidates feel they are a good fit. Furthermore, you have to be strategic when posting the job description on social media channels. First, it’s important to know your target audience so that you can post the job opportunity to the right channels. It’s also a good idea to post the job to as many channels as possible. It’s better to cast a wide net than a narrow one. You never know who might see your post and be interested in the job opportunity, especially if it ends up going viral.
Here’s how to ensure that your digital fitness recruiting efforts are successful:
Start Early - The best hiring managers in the world plan their hiring calendar months in advance. This is not only helpful for forecasting revenue forecasts, but it also helps hiring managers plan their time more effectively. Make sure to start your digital fitness recruiting efforts early to give yourself enough time to conduct the necessary research and implement the right hiring strategies.
Create a Compelling Job Description - We’ve already discussed how important it is to create a compelling job description. However, it’s also important to make sure that the job description reflects the brand of your gym so that the candidates feel they are a good fit.
Post the Job on Multiple Social Media Channels - It’s important to post the job to as many channels as possible. It’s better to cast a wide net than a narrow one. You never know who might see your post and be interested in the job opportunity.
As we’ve discussed, the fitness industry is experiencing a major talent shortage. Now is the time to implement digital hiring practices to attract talent from outside your local area. Most importantly, hiring digitally will allow you to track and manage the hiring process more effectively. You can also use tools to help you source a wider range of candidates than if you were limited to a specific geographical area.