Technology should be used to support clients, with staff helping members to interpret results
SW – David Cameron says obesity
and diabetes will be on the top of the prevention priority list for the next five years. This could be a challenge for the industry if we’re caught unprepared. We have a short window of opportunity to ensure the message is about weight and exercise, not just weight.
SW – Moving on to the workforce. We operate in one of those rare sectors where you can enter at the bottom level and end up in the boardroom. How do we create a long- term strategy to retain staff?
JM – We’re now looking at the people
in our business to see if they’re the right people with the sorts of qualities we need. It’s all about soft skills: we need to recruit correctly and then get the training right. We’ve just started analysing staff turnover – something that would have been unheard of in the past. In terms of payment reflecting the
skills we require, it’s a matter of supply and demand. If lots of people want to do a job, the salary will be low. It’s tough to find strong people in sales roles right now, so salespeople rates are going up.
SD – While our staff retention is already strong, we recognise that
July 2015 © Cybertrek 2015
training is key and have recently recruited a full-time training manager – a new position at a senior level. To complement our focus on gym
staff, we now run a very successful management development programme called Rising Stars. We’ve had great success and of the 100 colleagues, 93 per cent have stayed with the company. Meanwhile, lifeguards are a big issue
for us. We’re having to increase pay rates and create pathways for lifeguards.
Claire Moore, Nottingham Trent University (from the floor) – The
nature of our organisations is that we have plenty of frontline staff, but few senior positions. How can we motivate new staff when this is the case?
DM – Fitness staff can progress to
become a gym supervisor, but I believe it’s more important to let them see how they can they broaden themselves in their own area of expertise and how they can grow in that role. Our gym staff are now delivering
programmes for the NHS locally, and some have moved into work with the NHS. We’re giving people better training and getting them ready to work across the health agenda. Our goal is to get all our staff to REPs Level 3.
DM – But it’s not about us saying
‘buy product x or y’ – it’s about the customer having that information and staff helping interpret the resulting data.
SD – Technology is key across our
business. We’ve seen a huge growth in swimming as a result of Swimtag, and the use of ticketing kiosks at reception means we need fewer receptionists, who can be redirected to help in selling our facilities. ●
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 79 SW – How is the rapid pace of
technology impacting our sector? JM – The role of technology should
be to support clients: it can have a profound impact by giving useful analytics. It’s all about the collaboration of staff – how they use technology to provide members with advice regarding what they do outside the facility.
SW – Accuracy is going to be key, and making sure staff are able to deal with the data from wearables.
GH – We must ensure our fitness staff
can advise members about which apps and wearables might be best for them. Consumers are embracing wearable gadgets, so we must not be left behind.
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