FBC UPFRONT» Sales Training » Recruitment 10 Tips for BY PAULA COMFORT M


10 Tips for Recruiting Great Membership Advisors by Paula Comfort Membership advisors are often the


Recruiting Great Membership Advisors


first impression of your brand. Owners must be experts in the recruitment process. My company preaches to our mem-


bership advisors to ABC or Always Be Closing. And, because the membership advi-


sor role is one of the highest turnover positions in a club (the average tenure is usually less than one year) we tell our general managers to also ABC or Always Be (re)Cruiting! Use these tips to hire the qual-


ity membership advisors your club requires:


Tip 1: Prospect each and every day


for new possible leads. Make it a recur- ring activity.


Tip 2: Know exactly who you are


looking for. Update the job description. Review characteristics of your best membership advisors


Tip 3: Have a strategy in place.


Review historical turnover rates. Know your current stock. Break down your need into monthly goals, objectives and actions.


vertisement. Make it catchy and brand specific.


Tip 5: Take a multimedia approach.


Include employee referrals, social me- dia, networks, your website and indus- try-specific recruiters.


ity membership advisors your club requires:


resume from candidates. Review all musts and preferred qualities. Rank candidates on paper first.


Tip 1: Prospect each and every day for new possible leads. Make it a recurring activity.


Tip 6: Request a cover letter and


phone. Be prepared with formal ques- tions listed. Membership advisors spend a lot of time on the phone, so evaluate their phone skills at this time.


Tip 8: Create a short list for first interviews. Give candidates specific


Tip 4: Create a well-articulated 18 Fitness Business Canada May/June 2013 18 Fitness Business Canada July/August 2013


Tip 2: Know exactly who you are look- ing for. Update the job description. Review characteristics of your best membership advisors


Tip 7: Screen all candidates by tele-


Tip 3: Have a strategy in place. Review historical turnover rates. Know your current stock. Break down your need into monthly goals, objectives and actions.


sor role is one of the highest turnover positions in a club (the average tenure is usually less than one year) we tell our general managers to also ABC or Always Be (re)Cruiting! Use these tips to hire the qual-


y company preaches to our membership advisors to ABC or Always Be Closing.


And, because the membership advi- Tip 4: Create a well-articulated ad-


instructions. Use a set of interview questions to be consistent.


Tip 9: Invite your top candidates


back for a second interview, and ask them to bring 10 questions about the role, your company and the opportuni- ty. Be specific with these instructions. Their questions will give you a sense of what is important to them. Have an- other team member attend the final interviews to provide another perspec- tive. Check references. Tip 10: Don’t hire people based only


Membership advisors are often the fi rst impression of your brand. Owners must be experts in the recruitment process.


upon resumes. Recruit and hire based on talent and attitude, and then teach the necessary skills. Recruiting and hiring effectively is partly science and partially about being creative. Having a consistent plan will make your re- cruiting a success.


Paula Comfort has more than 20


years experience in the fitness indus- try and has performed in almost every role in a health club setting. She is cur- rently a partner in her own consult- ing company 360impact Group and specializes in recruiting top industry talent. 360impact Group has an exten- sive database of candidates for all roles in the health club industry. Contact her at paula@360impactgroup.com or 416-565-6025.


advertisement. Make it catchy and brand specifi c.


Tip 5: Take a multimedia approach. Include employee referrals, social media, networks, your website and industry-specifi c recruiters.


Tip 6: Request a cover letter and résumé from candidates. Review all musts and preferred qualities. Rank candidates on paper fi rst.


Tip 7: Screen all candidates by tele- phone. Be prepared with formal ques- tions listed. Membership advisors spend a lot of time on the phone, so evaluate their phone skills at this time.


Tip 8: Create a short list for fi rst inter- views. Give candidates specifi c instruc- tions. Use a set of interview questions to be consistent.


Tip 9: Invite your top candidates back for a second interview, and ask them to bring 10 questions about the role, your company and the opportunity. Be specifi c with these instructions. Their


questions will give you a sense of what is important to them. Have another team member attend the fi nal inter- views to provide another perspective. Check references.


Tip 10: Don’t hire people based only upon résumés. Recruit and hire based on talent and attitude, and then teach the necessary skills. Recruiting and hiring effectively is partly science and partially about being creative. Having a consistent plan will make your recruiting a success.


Paula Comfort has over 20 years of experience in the fit- ness industry. Most recently she was managing director of fitness for Spa Chakra Inc., a luxury spa and health club company where she started


the division. Previous roles include area vice- president of The Sports Clubs of Canada/Bally Total Fitness. She is currently a partner in her own consulting company, 360 Impact Group. Contact her at paula@360impactgroup.com or 416-565-6025.


Paula Comfort has more than 20 years experience in the fi tness industry and has performed in almost every role in a health club set- ting. She is currently a part- ner in her own consulting


company 360impact Group and specializes in recruiting top industry talent. 360impact Group has an extensive database of candi- dates for all roles in the health club industry. Contact her at paula@360impactgroup.com or 416-565-6025.


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