When you're hiring staff, you have responsibilities in three directions:
1. Do the right thing for your clients;
2. Do the right thing for your new staffer;
3. Do the right thing for the business. For a happy, productive relationship, all three must be met. Agree?
To that end, you owe it to everyone involved to provide the staff member:
- A staff handbook, to remove the variables and let them be creative and independent;
- A staff uniform (or specific guidelines), to help them maintain a professional appearance and carry the confidence of their clients;
- Clear, written expectations about behaviour in and out of the gym, to eliminate 'grey areas';
- A tool for performance measurement that doesn't change;
- A nonsolicitation contract, in case they're not sure how to tell you they're leaving;
- Scheduled arrival times before clients;
- A key, to symbolize your trust and their independence;
- Clear rules about after-hours use;
- A clear view of the road ahead. Most Coaches leave because they can't imagine making a career of being a Coach. They leave because they want a FUTURE, not necessarily a business.
- Ongoing education, through instruction, books, collaborative lecturing, rip 'n read files, and Certifications
- Opportunities to be entrepreneurial (let them start their own new program within your Box.)
- A clear wage, as well as potential increases in the future;
- A healthy, strong business behind them;
- A contract that spells out all of these elements.
You're not forcing them to do uncomfortable things. You're helping them do the job they want to do, without worrying about all the tiny decisions that surround that job. You're empowering them to make their own decisions by removing the little bureaucratic hangups. You're freeing them to be as creative as they like, without worry of "how Jim would do it...." because they'll already know the answer.
We have sample staff contracts available here.
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