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How to Hire Recreation and Fitness Workers
By Susan Doktor MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
*Content includes branded mentions of our sponsor ZipRecruiter.
The fitness industry, which includes gym memberships, fitness classes, fitness apps, nutritional drinks and specialty clothing, is valued at over $81 billion. In 2023, the sports and fitness equipment market — think tennis rackets, running shoes and yoga mats — is valued at another $160 billion. Both markets are expected to grow modestly over the next few years, which means that the recreation and fitness industry job market will continue to grow, as well.
Whether you operate a ski lodge, a martial arts studio, a summer camp or a traditional gym, finding and hiring the most qualified employees can be a challenge. To make the job a little easier, we’ve partnered with ZipRecruiter, one of the best job posting sites for employers and employees alike, to create this guide to hiring fitness and recreation workers.
What is a recreation worker?
Perhaps the simplest definition of “recreation worker” is this: recreational workers help people make the most of their leisure time. Those leisure activities span a broad spectrum, from yoga classes to arts and crafts workshops to downhill skiing. So recreation workers may have many different job titles, from yogi to artist to ski instructor.
What does a recreation worker do?
Recreation workers are teachers who are charged with helping others participate in sports and leisure activities. They do this by designing classes, teaching new skills, organizing events, coaching and more. Recreational workers may work in a wide variety of settings such as fitness centers, hospitals, resorts, community centers and summer camps. They may give private lessons or run groups.
How to hire recreation and fitness workers
Choose the type of position you need to fill
Recreation workers can assume a wide range of duties across multiple industries because many of the skills they gain through their experience are transferable from workplace to workplace. These skills include creating educational programs, organizing classes, motivating participants and doing direct instruction. Strong leadership and communication skills are also key qualifications.
Recreation workers is a general term that encompasses a wide variety of roles. So when you’re reviewing job applications and resumes, you may want to look for these job titles:
Camp Counselor: Experienced camp counselors thrive when they’re interacting with young people. If you need someone to work with children, you should certainly consider candidates who have a background in camp counseling. Some camp counselors are generalists, while others may specialize in sports, visual arts or theater. Depending on what kinds of activities you want your employee to supervise, some of these specialties may be appealing to you.
Recreation Coordinator: Recreation coordinators are often the glue that holds a multi-purpose recreational facility together. They work with senior leadership to determine what activities will be offered by an organization. They plan, set up, and oversee activities and events. They work with activity leaders in every discipline to create diverse recreational programs. And they may be called upon to help resolve any problems that arise during the course of a program.
Recreation Aide: Recreation aides are entry-level employees who work with recreation directors and leaders to run programs for recreational facilities. Their duties vary depending on the types of programs offered by the facility, but may include scheduling venues for events, organizing and tracking equipment, taking attendance of participants and ensuring everyone follows safety procedures and other rules. As they gain experience, recreation aides may move up into leadership positions.
Fitness Instructor: Fitness instructors occupy their own niche among recreation workers. They are generally in great shape themselves — that’s how they lead by example — and have been educated to coach individuals and groups while they exercise. They offer technical instruction, such as how to perform exercises safely. Before they can take a job with a facility, fitness instructors must typically pass the Group Fitness Instructor Certification Exam. Some specialize in a particular discipline, such as weight lifting or kickboxing, but most are qualified to teach multiple fitness activities and develop multiple workouts for their clients.
Include key details in your recreation worker job description
Finding the right recreation worker to fill your open role starts with writing a great job description. The description you write will be the basis of your job listing, wherever you may post it. It will serve to attract people who are qualified for your role and probably discourage people who aren’t. And that’s a good thing. It’s best not to wind up with a huge pile of resumes from people who can’t meet the demands of your job.
In general, your job description should cover the following:
- Degree, certification and training requirements
- Preferred experience and skills
- Job duties and responsibilities
Start by writing down the tasks your recreation worker will routinely take on during any given week. Next, list the skills they need to successfully manage those tasks. Note any educational or certification requirements you may have. Finally, write down the personal qualities that you’d like to see in your new employee — character traits, such as outgoingness or the ability to inspire others. If the list you come up with is too long, you can divide your list into two columns: must-haves and nice-to-haves. And if you can’t figure out where to start, check out ZipRecruiter’s recreation specialist job description template.
Advertise the job opening
If you want to limit your search to candidates who are familiar with your community, you might start by advertising in a few local newspapers. Your town may have a special publication for parents, one geared toward retirees or a news and entertainment weekly. Any or all of them may have classified advertising sections. In addition, you can attract a more racially diverse pool of candidates if you advertise your job in niche newspapers that focus on minority communities’ issues and interests. Rates for advertising in any of these publications vary widely, based on circulation, the dimensions of the ad, and, in the case of classified ads, word length. Your job posting will have to be boiled down to the fewest words possible to make print advertising an affordable option.
But nowadays, most job seekers do at least some of their hunting online. Posting a job listing on one of the larger job sites — ZipRecruiter is one of several — is easy and includes services and benefits print publication can’t offer. Online job sites do a major part of the work for you: they use technology that can comb through thousands of resumes and ferret out only those candidates who are a great fit for your job. They also reach a much broader audience than local newspapers. You never know when a great candidate will find the opportunity you’re offering worth relocating.
Interview multiple candidates
You may be surprised by how many applications you receive for your open position. There will be a handful that really stand out, though. That’s the group of people you want to learn more about in an interview. Interviews are often conducted by phone or online now, but a face-to-face interview is still the gold standard. Screening candidates by phone and then moving on to face-to-face interviews with those who pass muster is sometimes an effective tactic.
As an employer, you should come to an interview armed with a list of thoughtful questions. Questions should be designed to illuminate the specific experience and qualifications you’re looking for in the most efficient way possible. Interviews rarely last more than an hour and time seems to fly by when you’re speaking with an interested candidate.
Need help coming up with a list of interview questions? Here are a few questions you may want to ask:
What kinds of classes have you led? This question is designed to illuminate a candidate’s breadth of experience and flexibility.
What is your teaching style or philosophy? This question is designed to reveal the depth of a candidate’s experience. An experienced candidate will have developed his or her own style of teaching — tactics they know will succeed.
Have you worked with people of different ages and abilities? If you run a facility that’s designed to serve a whole community, it’s important to know that a recreational worker will be comfortable and sensitive when working with all kinds of people, including children, the elderly and disabled individuals.
How do you control large groups of people and make sure each group member gets the special attention he or she needs? This question is designed to uncover how well a candidate manages the special challenges of teaching in a group environment.
Tell me about an event you organized. How did you pull it off? Particularly if you are hiring a recreational coordinator, you should be looking for a candidate who demonstrates strong planning and problem-solving skills and the ability to collaborate with others to reach a goal.
Decide which candidate is the best fit for the job
You may be lucky. One candidate you interview may stand out head and shoulders above the rest. That makes your decision easy. But sometimes the decision of who to hire is a little murkier. You may meet several candidates you feel would succeed in the job. That’s when it helps to have a formal evaluation process. Using a checklist that compares candidates apples-to-apples can help you make a better decision. It also helps eliminate bias. Your list should include the most important considerations when hiring someone new. Run through the list and assign a grade to how well a candidate meets the criteria you’re considering.
Here’s a sample evaluation checklist you can use as a guide:
- Relevant work history
- Educational background
- Technical skills
- Communication skills
- Collaboration skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Leadership skills
- Enthusiasm and work ethic
- Sensitivity
How to hire recreation and fitness workers FAQ
What education do recreation workers have?
There are no legal educational requirements for recreation workers. Most employers require a high school diploma, which demonstrates a candidate has basic reading, mathematical and critical thinking skills.
If you are hiring a fitness instructor, you may want to look for candidates who have earned an associate's or bachelor's degree in a related field such as physiology. If you're hiring someone to teach arts and crafts, you may want to look for candidates who have a degree in visual arts or art history. Your educational requirements will vary depending on the responsibilities your recreation worker must manage. A degree in education or psychology can be helpful if you're hiring anyone to teach virtually any activity.
How much do recreation and fitness workers make?
How much does it cost to hire a recreation and fitness worker?
Summary of Miami Herald’s how to hire recreation and fitness workers
- Hiring a recreation or fitness worker starts with creating a thoughtful job description.
- You have several options when it comes to advertising your open position, but most candidates consult online job boards like ZipRecruiter when searching for a job.
- Using resume-scanning software, which large job sites employ on your behalf, can speed up the hiring process by selecting only the most qualified candidates for your role.
- Interview multiple candidates and come prepared for each interview with a list of pertinent questions.
- Use a checklist to evaluate your top candidates fairly.
- Offer a competitive compensation package.