My gyms have steadily grown and I’ve been fortunate to have had little turnover with my staff. I have coaches who have been with me for 20+ years and coaches who were former athletes here who after college came back to coach. That being said, you still need to reach out and hire coaches from outside to keep you fresh.
I’ve interviewed a few hundred people in the last 20+ years in business. Some were college students looking to teach a few hours a week. Some were coaches with many years experience looking for a change.
In general I am never looking for a certain position to fill. I am looking for a certain personality. I really believe that the gym is just an extension of my family and I am looking for someone that is a compliment to the talent I already have.
Hiring the best talent is a massive and never-ending challenge. It was hard to hire our first employee, it’s hard to hire our 50th employee, and it’s still going to be hard when we hire our 100th employee.
While every company has a different culture, there are few questions that I like to ask to help me identify if a candidate is a good fit.
There is no such thing as batting a thousand with hiring. You’re going to make mistakes no matter how good you are at it. That said, in my personal experience I’ve found these questions to be hugely helpful in determining culture fit.
1. How did the culture at your last job empower or disempower you?
This is a really interesting question, because it will get candidates talking about their previous gym through the lens of how they were affected by my gym’s culture. Getting candidates to talk about their past employer can be very telling. Do they openly throw the gym under the bus? Do they recognize the positives even though it ultimately didn’t work out?
Asking specifically about the culture of their last gym also tells you a lot about how they view the importance of culture. Their response will tell you if they’ve thought a lot about “company culture” or if they don’t really know what it is. The question will also reveal how they think they are empowered or disempowered, which will give you a look into their motivations.
2. What were the characteristics of the best boss or teacher you’ve ever had?
I like this question as a follow-up to the culture question, because it’s somewhat similar but from a different angle. If you didn’t get a sense for a candidate’s view on culture and what motivates him or her, you likely will from this question.
Did the candidate thrive under a boss who was extremely direct and valued performance above all else? Did he or she thrive under a boss that put as much emphasis on communication and interpersonal skills as results within the role? Did they have a teacher who made a lasting impact on their lives? Those who did will most likely want to pass on that message to the children they coach.
3. Describe how you handled a conflict with one of your co-workers or a parent in the last gym?
It’s always helpful to ask candidates about how they dealt with a conflict. As people, we tend to be more open and honest when recalling a specific event versus describing characteristics about ourselves. Understanding what the candidate perceives as a “conflict with a co-worker” will likely reveal information about the person’s level of self-awareness.
Understanding how someone dealt with a conflict will also give you insights into what he or she perceives as a reasonable and positive response to a conflict. No matter how wonderful your culture is, conflicts will arise. How your coaches and front desk people deal with conflicts is the true test of YOUR culture.
4. What kind of feedback do you expect to receive in this role and how often do you expect to receive it?
Understanding a candidate’s desire or hesitation to receive feedback tells you a lot about the person’s expectations. The frequency and type of feedback that is shared within a gym tends to be highly correlated to culture.
Does the candidate expect feedback to be tied to core values? Does the person think feedback is only about performance in the role? Does he or she see feedback as a once-a-year formality or as part of a constant process of growth and improvement?
At Atlantic Gymnastics, we value feedback and continuing education. You cannot have one without the other. I get a feeling I will be writing more about feedback in an upcoming article.
The previous questions I may not ask everyone. I do have some prospective employees who are still in school and have little experience in which to answer those question. I do ask everyone the next 2 questions. It helps me get to know them and their thought process as well as set the tone for their possible employment.
5. What will you do to make those around you better?
At time I have to explain that I mean their coworkers but I need them to realize that we are a TEAM. We must not just do our job, we must help others do their job. I expect to get a variety of answers depending on their age and experience. The other day a relatively young (college student) candidate said, “I am really a happy and energetic person. With me in the gym I think I will bring everyone UP. I will keep the energy high. You can’t really teach gymnastics in a low energy environment, can you?”
6. How do you take your coffee?
Drinking coffee is not a prerequisite for the job but everyone has a reason for how they take their coffee or why they don’t drink coffee. This has started some great conversations and helped me get to know a prospective employee.
A constant word of caution- if you are in a position to hire it is your duty to also do your research. Call previous employees, call other coaches in their area who may know them.
