Photo Credit: City of Mission Viejo, Calif.
Those who are lucky enough to work at a municipal fitness center are part of a small, interesting, and exciting niche of the parks and recreation industry. Depending on the location, the center is probably competing with large, multi-national gyms for customers. So what are some of the best ways to stay competitive in this ever-changing field? The following are some suggestions.
With budget cuts still an issue for many agencies, be ready to continually do “more with less” when it comes to staff. Competent staff members who are aware of the important tenets of safety, customer service, cleanliness, and membership sales are mandatory. The usual employees will probably be high school and college-age kids (part-time recreation leaders or the equivalent), so the ability to develop and motivate them will be necessary for success. Most private-sector gyms have a sales staff, front-desk staff, and cleaning crew taking care of equipment, restrooms, etc. Since parks and recreation departments likely use part-time staff for all of these functions, maximizing their performance will take some creativity. Private-sector gyms can offer their team sales commission, bonuses, etc. A public agency probably won’t be able to do that, so make sure the staff knows that the members are appreciated. This is incredibly important. As UCLA basketball coach John Wooden said, “The carrot is mightier than the stick.” Saying “thank you” for a job well done will always be appreciated. An occasional pizza party doesn’t hurt either!
Be A Role Model
Remember when Charles Barkley famously questioned in an advertisement, “I am not a role model?” He was criticized for this because people felt that as an NBA player, he was a role model whether he liked it or not. He couldn’t opt out of it. Guess what—the same applies to you! The experiences young staff members have will stay with them for the rest of their lives, whether those experiences are good or bad. Do you remember your first boss? Keep that person in mind when a staff member asks for a Saturday night off so he or she can go to the prom, or a similar function. Do you really want to be the person who says, “No”? The staff member will never forget that incident, and will tell many people about the bad experience working for you. If there are positive stories to tell, it will benefit you, other employees, and the organization. Remember, word travels fast among young people, so if you have a reputation in the community as someone who helps develop staff and is good to work for, you will quickly have a larger pool of applicants to choose from, which will make it easier to hire the top local talent.