Opening your own gym is a big step, and to ensure its success, you need to hire a solid team of support staff. Attracting qualified candidates to build a stellar team starts with choosing the right roles for your gym and writing engaging job descriptions.

Your job descriptions need to be clear and concise, yet contain the pertinent information needed to fill the role with the best candidate. Here are a few components you need to include in order to attract qualified candidates to your positions.

The Intro: Get Them Excited

Your job descriptions should entice applicants to want to work at your gym. Having a dynamic introduction allows you to introduce the company and the position as well as showcase the type of atmosphere, culture and team they’ll be joining.

An example:

Join the growing team at [name of your gym]! Help inspire and motivate gym members to reach their fitness goals. The Front Desk Assistant works closely with members in a high-energy, fast-paced environment.

Give applicants a reason to be excited to work at your gym.

The Responsibilities: Be Active

Each job description needs a list of duties and responsibilities for the role. This list sets the guidelines for which applicants can evaluate whether their skills and abilities qualify them for the role.

An important thing to remember when listing responsibilities is to use active verbs. By using words like accomplish, direct, report, solve, and coordinate (along with the countless other action verbs available), the role’s function will be easily understood.

The Requirements: Get Specific

Listing the role’s requirements in the description not only informs the applicants of the role, but also acts as a measure when you and your team are interviewing candidates. Having a clear understanding of what the role requires is essential in your hiring process.

Does the hire need to know CPR/First Aid? Is it required that the applicant be a Certified Personal Trainer? Is prior fitness experience necessary? Setting these requirements in the job description is another way for applicants to determine whether they’re qualified for the role.

The Expectations: Set Them

In addition to specifying the position’s requirements, be sure to set the role’s expectations. Setting the expectations in the job description can prepare the applicant for the role and also provide them with information prior to the interview.

Some sample expectations answer these questions: Will the hours be flexible or a set schedule? What will the applicant’s physical capabilities need to be (standing for long periods of time, lifting a certain amount of weight, etc)? Who will they report to?

Having a clear and concise job description for each of your required roles is not only a best practice for the hiring process, but also comes in handy when it’s review time. A well-written job description can help in evaluating an employee’s performance. If both you and your new employee have a clear understanding of the role’s responsibilities, requirements, and expectations, you’ll both have a foundation on which to evaluate and ensure success.