Running a fitness business can be challenging, especially when the client demand outweighs your available time – and what budding entrepreneur can afford to turn away clients? When the time has come to hire a personal trainer, you want to make sure you’re only adding the best to your business, which means screening the most quality candidates and asking them the right questions. 

This article will outline how you can use your gym interview questions to assess candidate qualifications, experience, professional compatibility, and overall vibe to make the most informed hiring decision that will benefit your fitness business. 

Why the Right Interview Questions Matter

Knowing the right questions to ask a personal trainer can help you accurately assess their skills and see if their experience qualifies them for the role. Proper questioning will also help you uncover any deal breaking discrepancies in fitness philosophy or highlight potential red flags in the candidate. 

While it’s a plus if their personality is an excellent fit for the team culture, remember you’re not looking to hire your next best friend – their abilities must match the quality of service you yourself offer clients. Conversely, a candidate with impressive experience may seem like a dream, but if their attitude stinks, they won’t be a positive representation of your business. 

10 Key Questions to Ask in a Personal Trainer Interview

There are hundreds of possible questions to ask a personal trainer candidate, but it’s best to narrow it down to a few key queries that can really get into the meat of their experience. Here, we’ve outlined a few personal trainer interview questions you can ask, plus why you should ask them. 

1. What inspired you to pursue personal training?

Sure, everyone needs a job to make money, but why personal training? How did this become their passion? Listening to their journey may provide you with valuable insight about their motivations and personality, and understanding what drives your potential hires can inform you of the type of employee they’ll be. 

2. What certifications do you have?

Knowing whether your candidate is certified with reputable organizations such as the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) or the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) can give you an idea of the extent of their education and training. There are certain courses each student must complete to earn these certifications, which means most certified candidates will come prepared with knowledge about a variety of topics like anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, sports medicine, nutrition, and training program design. 

3. How would you describe your coaching style?

One thing to expect from a personal trainer candidate is that they’ve found (or have an idea of) their coaching style – casual, hands-on, strict – even if they’ve never officially trained any clients. The way a trainer approaches their client’s health journey can make a huge difference in their progress, so it’s important to know which style you’re bringing onto your team. 

4. How do you track client progress?

Following client progress is a big part of developing training programs that deliver results. Does the candidate track progress manually? Do they use a software app? Do they rely on client reporting? Whether their client’s goal is to lose weight or tone muscle, trainers should be keeping track of their client’s efforts in a reliable manner so they can pinpoint which workouts are most effective and identify areas of improvement. A candidate who can’t be bothered to put in that type of work will likely not be a great fit for your business. 

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5. How would you help clients struggling to meet their goals?

Everyone’s body is different, which means the same exercises won’t always have the same effect on each client. A daily three-mile run may help one client lose weight, but it may not do much for a client whose weight has plateaued for several weeks. Your candidates should have a method for dealing with frustrated clients beyond telling them to “just keep at it,” whether it’s introducing new mindfulness activities, reviewing nutrition, or adjusting workout plans. This can show how dedicated your potential trainers are to their client’s success, and a good indicator that they’ll be a positive force for your business. 

6. Could you give an example of a client training program?

Asking prospective hires to provide an example of their own client training program can help you assess their program development skills and whether their abilities will provide value to your fitness business. You want a candidate who can create engaging, effective programs, rather than one who offers any basic routine you can already find all over YouTube. 

7. Can you provide references or testimonials?

Experienced trainers should be able to offer at least one reference or a handful of testimonials from previous clients. This will provide a glimpse into their prior professional relationships, whether their training methods were effective, and how others felt about their experience under your candidate’s training. 

8. How do you keep your training programs fresh?

Ask your candidates what they do if their clients get bored with their exercise routines – or, how they break up the monotony of a strict, daily regimen. Keeping your clients engaged and motivated is key to their success, and while the routines themselves don’t have to be fun, your candidate should have alternative plans in place if their training program just isn’t cutting it. 

9. What steps do you take if a client gets injured during a training session?

Perhaps a key personal trainer interview question, you need to know how your candidates will handle an injury or emergency situation. If left untreated, some injuries can turn into bigger (or more permanent problems) down the line, so quick, effective action is necessary. While prevention is obviously the best method, accidents happen, and someone who is trained in sports medicine or at least confident in their injury treatment abilities can be a good indicator of how valuable their skills will be for your business. 

10. Do you have experience using fitness management software?

If your fitness business relies on apps or programs to streamline operations, you’ll want to know if your candidate has some experience using management software. Have they used a program for progress tracking? Scheduling? Analytics? While potential hires don’t have to be tech savvy out of the gate, they should at least be willing to learn the program you use to help business stay on track. 

Tips for Conducting a Productive Interview

Leading a productive interview to hire a personal trainer isn’t as simple as it sounds. Check our list of tips to help refine and optimize your personal trainer interview questions. 

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• Make it comfortable. The first step of having a relaxed conversation is to create a relaxed environment. Whether you’re in-person or over Zoom, your interview location should be quiet and distraction-free. And while you don’t have to be someone you’re not, a friendly tone can go a long way in fostering a more comfortable atmosphere.
• Prepare your gym interview questions in advance. It’s not easy to think of everything you’ll want to ask your personal trainer candidates on the fly. Without proper planning, you may miss asking key questions that are essential to your business needs. 
• Give the interviewee a chance to ask questions. Yes, you’re the interviewer, but you should be open to answering any questions the candidate may have so they too can assess whether they’re the right fit for your fitness business. 
• Ask for a practical demonstration. You can find out a lot about someone’s abilities through conversation, but you can also learn about them through a physical demonstration of their skills. Have them demonstrate a specific workout or stretch to see how they work in real time. 
• Be open minded. You may have a strong idea of what to expect from a personal trainer candidate – years of experience, an outgoing personality – but beginners (and introverts) need to start somewhere too! If someone has exceptional talent or even promising potential, your business may be the perfect place to help them blossom into the ideal employee. 
• Be honest. Seek out candidates who are in complete alignment with your brand. Be upfront about the workplace culture and what it means to become a representative of your team. Honesty also extends to the job posting itself. Don’t mislead candidates about the role, its responsibilities, or the salary to avoid setting up interviews that’ll waste both of your time. 

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Build a Stronger Team with GlossGenius

Your business is your baby, and you wouldn’t just trust it in the hands of anybody. Take your time crafting the perfect personal trainer interview questions so you can cover the most important aspects of your business and see how well your prospective hire fits into your philosophy. Unless you’re specifically looking to hire someone with advanced training, be open to job seekers of all levels – some may surprise you and reveal qualities you didn’t realize you needed.

GlossGenius is an all-in-one platform to help personal trainers streamline their daily operations. With features like Payroll and Team & Staff, you can track expenses, edit schedules, and ensure your employees are paid on time, every time. GlossGenius’ automated features make it easy to make it through each day, so you can spend less time on minutiae and more time growing your empire. 

Try GlossGenius to see how we can boost your personal training business with our easy-to-use interface!