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COMPANY CULTURE: More Important Than Ever


Perking up your workplace culture is critical to attracting and retaining top talent in 2017


BY DEBBY CARREAU A


dvances in fitness equipment, classes and apps happen with increasing speed every year. But in 2017, expect the big-


gest changes to be in workplace trends as the competition for employees con- tinues to heat up. To win the war for talent, consid-


er adopting these four strategies from award-winning employers:


1. Focus on culture before strategy As business visionary Peter Drucker


once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” And in the ever-changing hyper-competitive fitness landscape, organizations would need to re-write their strategies every month to keep up with trends. Alternatively, you can help keep


your organization on top by creating a strong culture where employees feel valued and supported and where they focus on doing the right thing instead of following an outdated plan. Nordstrom department stores has


known for years that empowering em- ployees instead of micromanaging them is the key to developing both a healthy culture and strong brand am- bassadors. One simply needs to look at its employee handbook to see this come to life: It is a single card that says, “Use good judgment in all situations.”


2. Shift the “member experi- ence” focus to the “team member experience” Normally, you hear the phrase


“member experience” in strategy and training sessions. In 2017, top compa- nies will shift their focus from the mem- ber experience to the employee experi- ence. If you take care of the team, it will take care of members and clients. This shift in focus starts with


26 Fitness Business Canada January/February 2017


reworking the recruiting and candi- date experience. The recruiting world has run on keyword-based Application Tracking Systems for decades, and em- ployers are starting to see it doesn’t work. Too many great candidates are excluded from the search process when they don’t use the employer’s ex- act keywords. Despite having our largest popula-


tion and highest percentage of educat- ed workers in history, the Canadian fit- ness industry is still discussing “talent shortages.” The reality is that talented people are out there—we just need to tailor our hiring and recruiting prac- tices to attract and engage them. This starts with a strong employ-


ment value proposition and a candi- date experience that aligns with what they need in a work environment. Great employers are shifting toward


a high touch and more-personal re- cruiting experience across the board. Employers must also realize that


the onboarding process sets the tone for the entire new employee experi- ence. Employees feel either welcomed through the process or feel over- whelmed, unsupported or even exclud- ed. Keep in mind the first five days on the job is when 70 percent of employ- ees decide if they will work with your organization over the long term.


3. Re-evaluate how you evaluate Boiling down employee perfor-


mance to the number of personal training sessions delivered or the num- ber of memberships sold is like tell- ing a child that his or her self-worth is based on this week’s chemistry mark. It misses the importance of improving performance, which is what everyone truly wants. Instead of yearly performance


reviews, follow the lead of Soul Cycle’s “SOULccolades” or International Fitness Holdings “Kudos” that regu- larly and frequently recognize and re- ward hard work, creativity, resource- fulness and actions that embody the spirit of their brands. In 2017, the fitness industry will see


a significant decline in formal perfor- mance reviews because employers are learning that they simply aren’t effec- tive. As an alternative, start with fre- quent regular touchpoint meetings that feel more like a target update and member experience check-in instead of a pass or fail exam. Consider shifting the focus from in-


dividuals to the team unit, emphasiz- ing group deliverables, value-based be- haviour, effectiveness of collaboration and long-term goals over short-term sales objectives.


4. Support team members representing your brand internally and externally One just needs to look at Tosca Reno


from Oxygen magazine or celebrity trainer Akin from Soul Cycle to understand how encouraging team members to promote their personal brands, alongside the corporate brand, is a win-win. Today, these brand ambassadors can make or break a fitness brand. More trainers and nutritionists are


communicating with their clients via text and inviting them to join their personal Facebook groups where all their clients interact and motivate one another. This change is slower to oc- cur within bigger organizations, but it is happening whether organizations en- dorse it or not. The best approach today is to support it, but to enforce parame- ters to protect your corporate brand. FBC


Debby Carreau is the CEO and founder of Inspired HR and author of The Mentor Myth. She was recently recognized as one of Canada’s TOP 25 HR professionals and inducted into Canada’s Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame. She is a fitness enthusiast and can oſten be found run- ning, spinning or kickboxing. Contact her on Twitter at @DebbyCarreau.


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