One of the biggest differences we see between gyms with high member retention and those with poor retention rates is the culture.

Culture is hard to define and measure as it is made up of a lot of little things. Things such as genuine care for your members and the results they get, buying into your clubs retention processes and taking the time to connect with members are all examples of behaviour that lead to a strong retention culture.

Hiring decisions impact culture

Every hiring decision directly impacts your culture and your ability to retain members. Many health club owners or managers make the mistake of hiring based on technical knowledge. Ie. Can they write a good program or do they have strong knowledge of anatomy and physiology. This can be a mistake as qualities such as good communication and the ability to comply with established processes are much more important.

Your gym staff are there to service and support members. They should genuinely care and buy into the clubs mission to serve members and maximise retention results. One bad apple can have a negative impact on your team’s culture so be quick to move people on who are not the right fit.

The impact of your team on retention is highlighted in IHRSA’s guide to retention publication, “High turnover rates in front-line staff personnel are a factor in member attrition. Anectodally, we know that clubs with high front-line staff turnover also tend to have high member turnover. These are the staff members who are most visible to the average member on a day-to-day basis.”

It is tough to build a strong culture if your team is continually changing. This is one of the biggest challenges in the fitness industry as often your team is made up of several younger team members who might be studying or treating the position as short term employment.

Where possible factor this into your hiring decisions and look for candidates that have not only good people skills but also are likely to be part of the team for several years.

Creating opportunities for promotion and career advancement can also be critical in reducing your staff turn over and building a strong culture. If staff can see a clear pathway to increase their responsibilities and income, then they will be more likely to consider the possibility of making a career out of the industry.

I am not saying this is easy to do. Staffing in the fitness industry is one of the biggest challenges for operators. The key is to consider the points above in all of your hiring decisions and use them as a frame to make the best decision possible.

Communicate each month’s retention results

Health clubs with strong retention culture make retention a priority. Things become a priority through repetition. If you were to ask your gym staff “what is the number 1 priority for your health club” what would they answer?Unless their job is to specifically acquire new members the answer should be to retain members.

This priority should be made clear through all meetings and training sessions with your team.

An excellent way to build retention culture within your team is to internally publicise your monthly retention figures (you are recording these already right?)Not only does this help build retention culture, it helps generate ongoing improvements as the team will constantly try to improve on last months results.

It’s easy to go all technical and fancy with your retention tactics and strategies; however, the biggest leverage is within the performance of your team and how much they buy into your retention culture.

Ensure staff continually interact with members

IHRSA’s guide to member retention recommends that you redesign fitness floor job descriptions so that this job encourages, facilitates and requires continual interaction with every person working out—advising them, assisting them, encouraging them, and recognising them.

Health clubs that have a strong retention culture continually trainer their staff on interaction with members. It needs to be done in a comfortable, friendly and positive way.

Here are a few tips to maximise interaction with members on the gym floor.

• Position your health club desk near the entry as this allows staff to say hello and interact with members as they enter the club.
• Set designated “gym floor interaction time” where staff are solely focused on interacting and supporting members on the gym floor.
• Include role play in your team training that helps train the art of friendly interaction
• Arm your team with a few “openers” or interaction starters. Eg. “Hi, John, hows your workout going?

Remember, your biggest investment at your health club is in your team, and your team will ultimately determine the retention results of your health club so be sure to look after your team and continually invest in their growth and development.