You've posted your job descriptions and narrowed down the stack of resumes and applications to the most qualified and promising candidates. Now it’s time for the interview process to begin. Here are some interview tips to greatly increase your chances of finding the best new employee for your gym.

Set Up a Panel of Interviewers

When it comes to evaluating a potential candidate, two heads are always better than one. Recruit a couple of trusted employees to be part of an interview so you can gather a wide range of perspectives. Once everyone has had a chance to interview the candidates, meet together and discuss. Not everyone has to agree with your final choice but it’s important that panel members are heard and that you challenge your instincts with feedback from others.

Document Feedback in a Matrix

Premeditating (and documenting) which skills, experiences, and characteristics you want the chosen candidate to exhibit (ahead of time) will allow you to better see a big picture and quantify the hiring process. Have each interviewer use a template to rate their experience with each candidate and average those scores to calculate an accurate comparison.

Plan Questions in Advance

Researching and brainstorming questions to ask the candidates will help prepare you for the interviews you’ll perform. Realize that each role you’re hiring for should have its own set of questions that are pertinent to that specific role.

Since your interview will have a time limit, it’s important to make sure each question is focused and relevant. The purpose of your questions shouldn't be to trick or stump the candidates, but rather to get an idea of whether their qualifications fit your company and your team.

If the position you’re hiring for is considered an entry-level position, or will attract candidates for whom this is their first job, you can prepare a set of questions that focuses on their character and education rather than past job experience. Try asking questions like ‘what extracurricular activities have you participated in?’ or ‘what would your professors/teachers say about you?'

Don’t Forget to Sell the Position to the Candidate

Sure, you’re interviewing the candidate but they’re also developing their first impressions about you and your business; make sure they leave the interview excited about the role. Is your gym’s culture stellar? Does the role offer opportunities for growth? Will the new employee get free perks, like gym memberships or personal training? These are the job qualities that will get the candidate pumped to work for your gym.

Once you’ve completed the interview process and have made a decision, offer the job to your desired candidate. Only after that candidate has accepted the job do you follow up with the others you’ve interviewed to let them know you’ve hired another candidate. It is common courtesy to inform all the candidates you brought in for an interview that the position has been filled.

Interviewing job candidates should be fun and interesting. You’re building your team and expanding your company. Being ready for the interviews with prepared questions, a feedback matrix and a candidate score sheet will ensure you evaluate the potential candidates fairly and, ultimately, make a confident hiring decision.