Geared Up 2020 Issue 3 | Page 39

manager will interview member services representatives ,” said Bridget Nelson , director of human resources .
The more senior the open position , the more people involved with filling it . Managers at the company are trained on interview techniques , including using questions that derive the most effective and insightful information , while also incorporating company values and culture .
About three years ago , PFGP revamped its interviewing process so that it could similarly recognize candidates who would fit the company ’ s culture . It created internal interview guides specific for each position to help identify whether a candidate possessed the qualities that would make them successful . The questionnaire packet for each position includes a list of dos and don ’ ts for the hiring manager and a tool to use for evaluating the interview after the session .
For every interview , there is a standard operating procedure that lays out the steps to take when new team members are needed . It reminds supervisors of the qualities the company seeks in its ideal candidates and of the tools they should use and who should be present for panel interviews .
“ While we have different interview guides for each position , they are structured somewhat similarly when it comes to how we incorporate our organization ’ s ‘ House of Values ,’ which are the principles that make up PF Growth Partners ’ culture ,” Wolz said . “ Each questionnaire has specific questions designed to identify if the candidate ’ s values align with the values of our company .
“ The updated process has worked well for us . We are seeing consistency in our interviewing and are making more quality hires who are staying with us longer .”
National Fitness Partners made a more recent change to
its interview process when its clubs were closed because of the pandemic . “ During the shutdown , we took the opportunity to enhance our guide to create a more comprehensive resource for our hiring managers ,” Sholly said . “ Our revised tool guides hiring managers through the interview steps and includes interview questions that are specific to the job . These questions are also directly tied to our core values . With the launch of the revised guide , we will be monitoring our turnover of new hires , specifically those who leave NFP within their first 30 days of employment .
The interviewing process is no less formalized at smaller franchisee organizations like Marathon Fitness Management Group . “ We have three different procedures for positions in our clubs ,” Wentzel said . “ We have interviews for management , front desk and trainers . Each position has two separate interviews with a different set of questions for each interview . For a management role , we still follow the model of first and second interviews , but the candidate will have a third interview with me .”
At P-Fit Development , “ we have several interview guides that are position specific ,” said Emily Gregory , vice president of franchise operations . “ Regardless of position , all applicants go through a phone screen and two in-person interviews . Our current guides have been in use for several years now , although we continually seek out what other franchises and other companies are doing and tweak our guides .”
The initial phone interview at P-Fit Development with new club-level team members focuses on preliminary information , such as whether the candidate is available for the work schedule and to get an idea of how well they can hold a conversation . Every face-to-face interview starts with a club tour and includes skill- ,
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GearedUp | 2020 Issue 3
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