Six Steps to Build the Ultimate Fitness Dream Team and Community

As the owner of a fitness facility or the manager of a team of coaches, your number one responsibility when it comes to hiring new practitioners to join your team, is to protect the community and the family which you have built for your brand and business. During our 16+ years of experience in owning and operating DIAKADI Fitness, we have honed the multi-step new trainer hiring process listed below and it has proven to be incredibly helpful in:

• Providing multiple checkpoints for assessing the punctuality, attention to detail, communication and vibe/glow of each applicant.

• Evaluating the personality, work style and ‘like-ability’ of individuals in respect to their potential connection with your team members.

• Thoroughly analyzing the fitness assessment and programming skills for applicants.

• Understanding the complete customer experience which trainers will provide to their clients during their intake, on-boarding and training sessions.

I. NEW TRAINER ONLINE APPLICATION

As a first step, we ask all applicants to complete this New Trainer Application, which can be found on our website. Not only will this application give us all pertinent information about their education and experience, the essay questions are an excellent method to learn more about their goals, openness to share information which goes above and beyond the basic, one word type of answer. We are looking for trainers and coaches that are hungry to be a part of our community and will therefore take the extra time to connect well with us on their application. This is the same reason we have this extensive six part interview process. We only want the folks that are driven to join your team.

II. FACILITY TOUR + INTRODUCTORY INTERVIEW

If their application meets our expectations, we will invite the applicant to come by our facility for a tour and brief explanation of how our business operates. We have a specific team member in charge of recruiting and they are responsible for reviewing applications and handling these tours. Our goal is to give each applicant several different personalities to interact with during the interview process, in order to gain feedback and references from multiple staff members. Therefore, ideally this tour is not handled by the owner or manager.

III. INTERVIEW WITH OWNER(S) + MANAGEMENT TEAM

If the applicant’s tour with your staff member in charge of recruitment goes well, then they will recommend the applicant to meet with your owner, manager and/or management team. This initial live interview is mainly focused on personality, passion and like-ability. We want to make sure we are only bringing people in house that we would look forward to waking up with seven days a week at 6am. Ask questions to learn about their personality, experience working with a team, life challenges, major successes, etc. 

During this interview, as well as throughout this entire interview process, we stand strongly behind the decision making rule of ‘Hell Yes or Hell No’. If an applicant does not feel like a ‘Hell Yes’ they are a good fit, then you must rule them a ‘Hell No’ and not allow them to come onboard.

IV. SAMPLE INTAKE AND ASSESSMENT SESSION

If the interview goes well, it is time to dig deep into the applicant’s fitness knowledge and skill set as a trainer and coach. In this sample intake and assessment work, the applicant will treat the owner/manager as a new client. 

We provide applicants with the two expectations lists below as a guideline for organizing their initial communication, confirmation email and first assessment sessions. They will then use the data gathered during this assessment session in programming an ideal first workout day for the owner/manager.

Expectations for Initial Email
(Due to me at least 72 hours prior to session):

• Confirmation of date/time for initial session

• Brief Introduction of Trainer*: Details on your practice, your education, your experience

• Details* on your assessment, programming, practice, rates

• How your education/experience* can directly relate to specific client’s needs

• Where* you train your client, directions, parking advice, links

• Full contact info* for you

• Attachment of any intake forms, e-forms, or documents that client needs to fill out and submit ahead of session (i.e. demography, health history, goals, nutrition, lifestyle, etc)

• Any of the above info can be presented as links to trainer’s website

Expectations for Sample Assessment Session (60 minutes max):

• Sign Trainer Liability Waiver

• Review of Health History, Goals, Nutrition (if applicable), Lifestyle (if applicable)

• Assessments including, but not limited to: Body Measurements, Posture Screen, Flexibility/Range of Motion/Mobility, Full Body Movement Screen, Core Strength Test

V. SAMPLE DAY ONE PROGRAM DESIGN

In this next step, the applicant uses the data gathered about the owner/manager during their sample intake and assessment to go home and write a day one workout program. This is an excellent way to learn more about their ‘programming brain’ and exercise selection. Once the applicant completes their sample program, they email us a copy of their assessment tracking document and their day one workout plan, as listed below. This provides us with valuable data about their organization skills in writing, sharing and tracking program data.

ASSESSMENT DATA TRACKING DOCUMENT

A completed electronic document for assessment data tracking containing all observations from our assessment together. Please include a complete list of exercises, mobility and movement screens. For each assessment exercise or test, please list all details observed including but not limited to reps, weights, ranges of motion, and/or notes pertaining to the assessment.

‘DAY ONE’ WORKOUT PLAN

A sample first workout session program plan based on our assessment data and stored in a shareable electronic program tracking format (i.e. spreadsheet or fitness program app). This ‘Day One’ workout must include a complete list of warm-up movements, exercises and/or cool down movements. For each exercise/movement, please include suggested weights, reps, sets, tempo rest periods, etc.

Upon receipt of these documents, the owner/manager schedules a phone call with the applicant so that they can walk through their assessment findings and each exercise selection. (Note: The applicant never actually performs this workout plan on the owner/manager.)

VI. SHADOW SESSION WITH CURRENT CLIENT

Lastly, after the successful completion of the above steps, the final appointment with the applicant is a shadow training session where the applicant brings in a current client or friend and takes them through a complete workout within the facility. We ask that the applicant submit an electronic program to us 24 hours prior to the shadow session for another chance to review their program tracking. During this shadow session, we are looking for coaching and cueing technique, attention to detail for correct form and quality of movement, safe selection of load and volume, and a positive connection with the client. The majority of the time, once an applicant reaches this stage, they are a ‘shoe in’. However, we have definitely had applicants fail the on-boarding process during this final stage.

When it comes to owning, managing, or running a fitness facility and a team, protecting the community and the family which you have built for your brand and business is always going to be your largest responsibility. We hope that some of these experiences from 16 years of owning and operating DIAKADI were helpful and beneficial to you and your fitness business.