Sports Facility Trainer Series (Part 1): Evaluating and Hiring Trainers for Your Sports Facility
What separates your sports facility from your competitors is one thing – your trainers. They are the backbone of every program and revenue channel in your facility. They build relationships and gain the trust of your athletes to help them reach their goals. With that in mind, evaluating and hiring trainers for your sports facility is essential to success.
Hiring trainers is different from any other interview process. Here are a few things to consider and prepare for once you are ready to add to your staff.
Pay
There are various options to consider when paying your trainers. Your potential hires might have preferences or situations that make the decision for you. However, it is ultimately your choice to make.
Salary
For team-based facilities or facilities with consistent programming (strength program, speed classes, etc.), salary is the best option. It gives you a consistent trainer that is loyal to your facility (doesn’t do lessons or classes in other facilities) and that can be responsible for running your programs. However, with the salary option comes the extra human resources and administrative work such as taxes, benefits, and other HR issues.
Independent Contractor
For most facilities, independent contracting is the easiest option. It offers freedom for both the trainer and the facility. Trainers will oversee their own finances, don’t require as many HR needs, and have the freedom to handle their own scheduling and client relationships.
We’ve written in more detail on trainer pay here.
Evaluation
To find the best trainers, an intensive, non-traditional interview process is necessary for proper evaluation. Here are the two things to consider, and how to determine if the trainer fits your needs.
Teaching Ability
To assess teaching ability, potential trainers must get a chance to teach. Many facility owners are hesitant to do this at the risk of lessening the quality of that class or lesson. However, it is necessary to protect the quality of instruction. There are a few routes you can take.
- Group Classes/Lessons – Being able to command a room is essential for group classes and lessons, so the trainers must be able to prove that they are capable. The best way to do this is to have a potential trainer observe various classes, and then run a few classes under the supervision of an experienced trainer.
- Private Lessons – Testing teaching ability in one-on-one instruction can be trickier. The key is to find a trusted client or friend of the facility that can be your guinea pig. Then, have them complete a lesson with the potential trainer and provide feedback.
Their performance in one or both lesson settings will give you an idea of their fit for the role. Keep in mind – Some trainers are built for one-on-one, but the best can give individual training and command a room. Keep reading to find out why.
Trainer Value
Finally, you need to determine the value of the trainer. Do they have a developed book of business? Do they offer a new service? Are they capable of teaching various classes and lessons?
Here’s one that has a huge advantage: Can they build out a program to draw in more athletes? For example, if the trainer specializes in catching, pitching, etc. they can build out a position-specific program that can include group lessons, private lessons, class packages, and more. This is extremely valuable! (Special note: this might lead to a different pay style referred to as a “percentage-based style,” in which this trainer takes a percentage of the profit from the program.)
To completely optimize your sports facility management, trainers are huge factors in the successful operations of the facility. Stay tuned for the next part of the Sports Facility Trainer Series focused on developing and motivating instructors.
Find out how to spend more time evaluating and hiring trainers with a sports facility management software so you can secure the best team for your facility. Schedule a demo here.