all aspects of the job—the good, plus the bad and the ugly. For example, don’t gloss over it if working on week- ends, late evenings and holidays is a requirement. Quickly determine who is and who isn’t a good fit for the job requirements. According to Turco, Disney uses this


screening-out process, and approxi- mately 20 percent of its candidates de- cide not to pursue the interview pro- cess any further.


LOOK FOR SPARKLE Proceed with caution if candidates don’t immediately exude an upbeat at- titude and a passion for their work, a must-have for any role in the fitness business. To quickly get a sense of this, ask candidates casual questions about where they’re from and what they do for fun, suggests Darrik Smith, program supervisor of adult fitness, wellness & inclusion services at the Canada Games Complex in Thunder Bay, Ontario. “In an interview or at a meet-and-greet, look for people who shine, who can keep the conversation going and who have solid social cues. Ask yourself, ‘Would this person be able to have a friendly, easy going con- versation with one of our members?’” Another great question? Ask can-


“Be upfront early in the process


good, plus the bad and the ugly.”


about the job and company to their second interview. “Stay away from people whose questions focus main- ly on what your company can do for them versus those who ask how they could contribute and grow with your company.”


TRY TO TALK CANDIDATES OUT OF THE JOB Be upfront early in the process about


about all aspects of the job—the


didates about the qualities that make an excellent personal trainer or group exercise instructor, depending on the position they’re interviewing for, says Smith. “People who are serious about a job will have thought long and hard about this question. You want to hear that they love working with people and that they derive satisfaction from making people happy.” Even in a municipal fitness facility


setting—where the interview process is extremely formal and structured and the design allows for little or no casual conversation—it is important to de- termine each candidate’s personality. “When you ask for concrete examples and stories in an interview, be sure you have questions that give people the op- portunity to show that they are com- passionate and positive people,” says Art McDonald, a recreation supervisor at the City of Vaughan, in Vaughan, Ont. “For example, you could ask how the person would handle the situation if a colleague was clearly not complet- ing his work and it was affecting oth- ers around him.”


RE-THINK YOUR APPROACH TO REFERENCE CHECKS Although some past employers will only confirm a candidate’s previous employment with their firm, feedback from those who are willing to share more information is invaluable. Instead of simply asking about per-


formance in general terms, ask the reference person to rate their former employee from 1 to 10 in five areas that are important to you, says Brenda Abdilla, founder of Management Momentum in Denver, Colorado. To relieve the pressure from a liability standpoint, clarify that explanations for the ratings are not necessary, she adds, and consider any rating under an eight to be a red flag.


“Consider flipping the traditional


hiring steps: start with reference


checks first before even meeting the candidate and beginning


the often lengthy interview process.”


Complete the reference check by


asking if the person has any addition- al comments about the former em- ployee. According to Abdilla, one “no” response shouldn’t count against the candidate, but it could be telling if two or more references have no positive comments to add. Also track how long it takes a refer-


ence to return your call. If you don’t hear back within 24 hours, move for- ward cautiously. Former employers are in a bind if they didn’t have a good ex- perience with the candidate, so they may put off returning your call or not call at all.


SWITCH UP THE STEPS Consider flipping the traditional hiring steps: start with reference checks first


» March/April 2018 Fitness Business Canada 27


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