| IHRSA Report | Ask the Entrepreneurs
Dollars & Cents? Sense of Self-Worth?
In addition to paying your employees well, what do you do to make them feel valued by your club?
u ALAN HANFORD, Owner Penfield Fitness and Racquet Club, Rochester, NY
To answer this question as accurately as possible, I interviewed four long-term employees who work in fitness and club sales and at the front desk. They agreed that they feel valued and explained that the club’s unique culture plays the greatest role in creating a positive sense of self-worth. Club management encourages employees to develop their own solutions to problems that arise, which makes them feel autonomous and trusted. But it’s interesting to note that members are also instrumental in the process. Member feedback, such as ‘You’re my role model’ and ‘When you say it, I believe it’, enhances employees’ confidence and sense of value both to the business and the community. —|
u NICKI ANDERSON, Owner Reality Fitness Personal Training Center, Naperville, IL
If you want your staff and trainers to be loyal, you have to make them feel valued—not just by compensating them appropriately, but in other ways, as well. My suggestions: 1. Be open to their ideas, and, if you use one, make sure they know you’ve implemented it. 2. Make them feel as though they’re part of something big. Look to them for solutions to problems. 3. Offer team-building opportunities. The closer they become, the more likely they are to work hard and remain longer. 4. Highlight staff successes throughout the entire year. 5. Tell them you appreciate them. This is easy to do, but also easy to forget. 6. If there are opportunities for growth, mentor them so they can progress within the company. —|
u
MATTHEW COFRANCESCO, Executive Director Brooklyn Sports Club, Brooklyn, NY
We want each of our employees to feel as though they’re a valuable part of our team. In the same way that we try to cultivate strong relationships with our members, we also want to have positive relationships with our staff. This may sound simplistic, but a good way to foster that is simply by knowing all of their names. We ask for their input on different issues, and try to address any concerns they may have in a fair and timely manner. We also conduct regular meetings with every department, as well as occasional off-site parties and events. Our goal is to maintain an environment of respect and professionalism for all staff—at every level. —|
Editor’s note: If you’d like to be profiled in this column, please contact Kristen Walsh, IHRSA’s associate publisher, at
kwalsh@ihrsa.org. 112 Club Business Internat ional | APRIL 2012 |
ihrsa.org
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