Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs Uses Culture Index Tool for Improved Hiring and Managing

Having happy and dedicated employees is a proven factor to success in franchising. A franchise can thrive in any environment with the right team in place. Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs, an emerging gym franchise based out of the Midwest, understands the importance that culture plays in their business and has recently implemented internal tools that ensure the best candidates are hired and trained properly to continue upholding that value.

Since June, Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs has begun using Culture Index surveys to discover more detailed information about candidates’ natural traits and motivators. The surveys also determine a potential employee’s strengths related to autonomy, social skills, patience and ability to work as a team player. The Culture Index surveys are potent tools for businesses, guaranteed to offer 92% accuracy, as opposed to a DISC personality test, which is only about 52% accurate.

“The franchise is excited to use this because we understand the value of hiring the right people. We're trying to find out as much information about that person, so we can make sure we put people in the right seats,” explained Mike Orwig, regional director of training and development and multi-unit owner of the Manteno and Bourbonnais Fitness Premier locations. 

After about five minutes, the brand can view how applicants' traits compare to the ideal employee’s. Fitness Premier seeks team members who are social, great multitaskers and excellent communicators. The Culture Index results will clearly display where they fall on an easy-to-read graph, and the brand is targeting individuals that score at least 60%.

“In an interview process, an applicant will put on their best face, but this lets you see past that and into their behaviors and how they are wired. It tells you what drives them, what challenges them and what their energy level is,” Orwig said. “It allows us to go into the hiring process with better and more qualifying questions.”

Orwig recently underwent the certification process for Culture Index, which involves a two-day training program. There are less than 50 people in the world who are certified to use the tool, which gives Fitness Premier a considerable hiring advantage. With this newly acquired set of credentials, Orwig has been able to pioneer the use of the Index within the Fitness Premier community.

In addition to using Culture Index to match the right people to the right positions, the tool also benefits the franchise in its ongoing management of team members. Fitness Premier plans to have each employee take a survey every 90 days, so they can continuously track attitudes and gauge how to best coach them. 

“The return on investment has been exponential because now we're understanding not only how to hire better but also how to manage people better based on their traits that are identified in the survey,” Orwig said. “It’s been huge for learning how to establish stronger relationships with our team members.”

Going forward, Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs mandates that all new franchisees become Culture Index certified. For current owners and operators within the system, the brand will offer in-house training at its corporate office every other quarter. 

The total initial investment necessary to begin the operation of a Fitness Premier Club Model is $279,849 to $575,499 per unit. This includes a $39,999 franchise fee.

About Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs:

Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs is a fast-growing, 18-location fitness concept that creates a community with its staff and guests. At Fitness Premier 24/7 clubs, some of the amenities include 24/7 Access, Hydromassage, Group exercise classes, supervised kids club, and training & nutrition programs. Backed by franchise executive Jason Markowicz and his franchisee-focused corporate team, Fitness Premier differentiates itself with great people, culture, and systems compounded by a growth focus in strategic markets. To learn more about franchise opportunities, visit https://1851franchise.com/fitforyoufranchising.