How to Keep Your Gym Staff Happy
Last Updated on 7 August, 2025
It’s vital to keep your gym staff happy when running your own facility. Good staff can make your business run like clockwork! So, make sure all your staff’s needs are satisfied, because high turnover rates are never good for business.
Gym staff retention is not only important to you as a business owner, but it’s important for your clients as well. Think about it: certain members have been coming to your gym and have gotten used to certain trainers and gym staff at your facility. Imagine one day, they walk in and their favorite trainer or staff member is gone! This may affect their decision to come back to your gym.
According to research, an average of 10% of staff are expected to leave an organization every year. Staff turnover higher than this can lead to several negative effects on your business. For example, with the loss of certain employees, you will lose a certain element of expertise or knowledge that they provide for your gym. An extremely knowledgeable and experienced trainer is hard to replace. High staff turnover will also result in a loss of money and time as you try to find their replacement. This can take up to several months and may affect service at your gym in the meantime.
Gym staff retention is also important because it can affect other employees at your facility. Seeing people go may result in a drop in morale and affect the overall dynamic of the team. It may also affect the workload of current trainers as they might have to take over classes until a new instructor is hired.
In essence, keeping your gym staff happy is crucial if you want your business to run smoothly. Read on to discover how this can be accomplished at your facility!
7 Ways to Keep Your Gym Staff Happy
We’ve compiled a list of the seven most effective ways to reduce your staff turnover rates.
1. Listen to feedback
Make your employees feel acknowledged and valued by listening to their feedback. This is key in keeping your gym staff happy.
Your employees are in your facility day in and day out and have gotten to know the inner workings of how everything functions. They are familiar with the people who come and go and of any problems or concerns that may arise. Take the time to have regular staff meetings where your gym staff can speak about any difficulties your clients may be facing. This is also a great opportunity for them to voice their own opinions about your business and how to improve certain aspects.
Let your employees know that they can trust you and give them the freedom to speak their minds and pitch in ideas. This will increase their loyalty to your business, as they’ll truly feel like they’re part of a team. Your gym staff is more likely to stick around when a mutual sense of respect and appreciation is shared between you.
2. Offer good benefits
Your employees are trying their best to make a living in a world where expenses are on the rise, so play your part in making their lives easier. By offering your gym staff good benefits, you can be sure that they will pay you back with their loyalty!
Being in the fitness industry, consider offering your employees health insurance and coverage in case of an accident in the workplace. Knowing that you are willing to cover all expenses in the event of an accident or injury, will mean the world to your gym staff. Paid leave is another great example of a benefit that your staff would enjoy! In such an active industry, it’s important to give them time to relax and rest their bodies.
To make it worthwhile, research benefits that competitors are offering and try to match them at your gym. When your employees see that you are offering them competitive benefits, they’ll have an event greater incentive to stay, knowing that they can’t get a better deal elsewhere.
3. Make their jobs easy to manage
Another great method to keep your gym staff satisfied is to make their jobs a little easier to manage. This can be done with the help of a staff app. Let’s explain exactly what we mean.
An app is a great way to help your employees manage the day to day tasks quickly and efficiently. Have no idea how to set up your own app? Well, you’re in luck because WellnessLiving is an expert in this area.
With the help of our gym management software, our Elevate Staff App can make your employees’ lives so much easier. They can manage their schedules, book and cancel classes for clients, accept payments, and even keep track of attendance! Not only can they do this with a few simple clicks, but the beauty of the app is that they can do this from anywhere!
Once you provide your gym staff with such convenience and simplicity, they’ll have more time to focus on what they love doing, which is helping people become the best versions of themselves. With an app, you can give your employees the opportunity to do what they are really passionate about, instead of drowning them in paperwork.
4. Partner with related business to offer discounts
Who doesn’t love receiving discounts on merchandise and products? Give your staff the ability to enjoy these benefits by partnering with related business. This is something that you may already provide to your clients, but make sure you give your gym staff the ability to reap the benefits too!
For instance, consider partnering up with local sports stores to increase your publicity and help their business as well. They can promote your business by selling some of your merchandise and you can do the same for them.
Since each organization is benefiting from the other, you can negotiate discounts for your employees. These perks will surely satisfy your gym staff and give them a greater incentive to stay on board. Little things like this can make a big difference.
5. Hire for the team
When hiring new employees, it’s important to make sure that they fit into your current staff ecosystem. Many employers look for those who have professional skills and meet the requirements of the job, forgetting about the how they would affect the dynamics of the team. This is something you must keep in mind when bringing new people on board.
There are several ways you can make sure that new gym staff will gel well with your current team. One way is by explaining the work culture at your place of business. Another method is by asking behavioral questions during the interview process. Through their responses, you will start to get a feel for the type of people they truly are and how they would fit in with your current team.
During the hiring process make sure to keep your gym staff in mind and recruit those who would work well with them. A cohesive team is vital for your business’s success.
6. Offer the possibility for growth
It’s important for your employees to know that they can grow at your facility. No one likes to be stuck in the same place for too long, so increase your gym staff retention rates by giving them the opportunity to evolve.
For instance, give staff members more responsibility as they progress in their current position. Allow a trainer who is successfully handling one class, the chance to handle another class and more students! You can even give your administrative staff the ability to be in charge when you are not around.
Help your instructors develop their professional skills by offering to send them to different training programs and coaching opportunities. If your gym staff see that you value their hard work and are willing to help them reach their highest potential, they will develop an even stronger connection with your facility. Share in their accomplishments and successes and you will build a long-lasting bond.
7. Praise them for their efforts
Our final tip to increase your gym staff retention and keep your employees happy is simple, yet effective. Praise your employees for a job well done and show them that you appreciate them.
Employees like to feel acknowledged and recognized for their work. Show them that you’re aware of their efforts and value their time and energy. This can be done after a successful class, when you see the progress that their students are showing, or even when they haven’t taken a sick day in a while.
This encouragement will do wonders for your gym staff as it will motivate them to keep doing a good job and will create a positive work environment. Every staff member likes to feel appreciated, and this will make them feel like they’re irreplaceable.
To be Brief…
Keeping your team happy should be one of your top priorities. Whether it’s by giving them great benefits, praise, or simply listening to what they have to say, you should make them feel like they’re invaluable.
If you liked our Elevate Staff App, then you’ll love the other options WellnessLiving can provide you with to lift your gym to its highest peak! With the help of our all-inclusive software, you can “workout” all the elements of your business to make it run like a well-oiled machine. Explore our customizable client app, automated marketing options, client retention programs and much more by booking a free, no-commitment demo with us today. What are you weight-ing for?
