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Cultivating excellence: building a strong studio culture to attract the best instructors
In the realm of fitness and wellness, developing your studio holistically goes beyond equipment and training programs. The success of your studio also lies in creating a strong, positive, and inspiring studio culture. This culture not only fosters a sense of community among members but also acts as a magnetic force, attracting top-tier coaches and instructors in the industry.
Why top talent matters
Experienced studio managers know: the teachers make all the difference in your studio’s success. High quality teachers set the tone and standard in your studio. Members are more likely to return and will be more willing to pay higher class prices when they have a positive experience with teachers. Great teachers can look many different ways. Whether it be in a positive demeanor or with years of experience under their belt, hiring the best teachers results in the best outcome for your studio.
Let's explore together the various methods for building a solid studio culture that attracts the best instructors and retains them for the long run.
Define Your Core Values
The foundation of a brand's culture, and more specifically here, of a studio, lies in intentionally defining values. Establishing principles that align with your studio's vision and mission not only guides your business decisions but also serves as a guiding light and indicator for hiring instructors in tune with your values. Define for yourself and your studio what those values are. Is the focus:
- A commitment to inclusivity?
- Continuous learning?
- Community engagement?
- An empowering space?
Clearly articulating your core values creates a foundation for a unified and purpose-driven culture.
For example, Onyx Studio is consistently guided by three core values that steer their development: Move, Think, Live. These values provide a clear and quick insight to both clients and prospective coaches into the environment they are about to enter.
Align with your team
Once you have defined your core values, it’s vital to make your team aligned with the core pillars of what your studio is all about. After hiring, ensure that your staff reflects those values. With a core set of values, those that you hire should fit with what you already believe in — shaping a cohesive team that presents itself as a unified front. With a core set of values out front, potential employees see that you have a clear direction and can identify whether they see themselves as part of your team.
To guide you in establishing long-term solid values, you can start by consulting this roadmap: How to Create Company Values That Actually Resonate.
Where to look for teachers
When trying to attract top talent, where you find them matters, so it’s important to look in the right places! While oftentimes candidates will be the ones reaching out to you, as a studio owner or manager recruitment falls on you a lot of the time.
Within your community
Turns out, you may not need to look too far to find great instructors. A great place to start is within your own studio. People that are fitness instructors looking for new opportunities are likely to belong to a yoga/pilates or fitness studio already, which could be yours. Or, some of your most loyal, long-term clients may be looking to start a career in fitness and wellness and already fit right into your studio’s culture. Additionally, word-of-mouth is something not to forget when scouting great people. Inform your staff about your search, and they are likely to have friends/other professionals in their network that work in the same industry.
Social media
Socials can be a great way to find new instructors. Your instagram should already be speaking to your brand, and can be a great place to attract talent. Craft a specific post or stories that signify what positions you have available, making it easy for instructors to find you and reach out. Especially if your studio is well-known in the area, it’s a great opportunity to showcase your studio and the types of instructors you’re looking to attract.
Foster Transparent Communication and Open Dialogue
The foundation of a solid studio culture lies in communication. Without it, your employees and clients won't be able to understand the values and therefore won't adhere to them. Therefore, ensure you establish clear communication channels that allow everyone to receive information and exchange ideas among coaches, staff, and management. From the point of hire, expectations and communication should be clear, removing any misalignment on either end.
Regular team meetings, constructive feedback sessions, and messaging group discussions will enable everyone to feel heard and valued. This establishes a collaborative atmosphere where coaches are not just employees but essential contributors to the collective success of the studio. For instance, you can adopt a tool that allows you to have multiple text groups, each having a designated purpose (think general updates, campaigns, new hires). In order to create a culture where each team member’s voice is heard, consider the following:
- Doing monthly check-ins per individual
- Running anonymous polls or surveys
- Creating space for open and honest feedback
Communication is key to a thriving business. Fostering a collaborative environment opens the door to a studio culture where everyone works in harmony.
Cultivate the professional and personal development of your teams
Ensure to create an environment that fosters learning and personal development. By investing time and a little money in these aspects, you will create a genuine sense of belonging within your team and attract new teachers eager for new experiences and training. Instructors who feel invested and supported in their growth journey are more likely to contribute positively to the studio culture and strive for excellence in their roles.
Setting up clear paths for growth
Instructors thrive when they can see a future at your studio. Define clear professional development, whether it's moving into a lead instructor role, mentoring newcomers, or taking on programming responsibilities. Regular check-ins, performance feedback, and development plans can help instructors feel seen, supported, and motivated to reach their next milestone.
Investing in their career goals
Support your team in deepening their expertise by sponsoring external trainings, workshops, or certifications. Whether it’s a new Pilates method, mindfulness training, or leadership courses, investing in their ambitions shows you're committed to their journey, not just their output. It’s a powerful way to build loyalty while enhancing the quality of your offerings. Improving the quality of your teachers will pay back many times over!
Offer competitive pay and benefits
Offering what instructors deserve
Top instructors know their worth, and with the growing boutique fitness industry, they’re in demand. Offering competitive, transparent pay is one of the most direct ways to show your studio values their time and expertise. This doesn’t always mean the highest rates in town, but it does mean fair compensation that reflects both their experience and their impact. Consider structures that reward consistency and performance, such as attendance-based bonuses or incentives for filling last-minute sub slots. When pay feels aligned with effort, instructors are more likely to bring their best energy to every class.
Provide meaningful benefits and perks
While salary opens the door, benefits help keep instructors long-term. Wellness professionals often lack access to traditional benefits, so even small offerings can set your studio apart. If full health coverage isn’t feasible, think creatively: class credits, discounted treatments with partner businesses, continuing education stipends, or mental health resources can all go a long way. These extras reinforce a culture of care, loyalty, and shared growth.
Building bonds beyond the studio
Community is central to each fitness studio, and it’s not just between the members, but within the staff themselves. To develop a solid studio culture and showcase this culture outside your studio, it's important to forge strong bonds among your various employees. From afar, one should feel the harmony among everyone and thus feel compelled to join the cohesive and joyful group that you are in your studio.
Organise team-building activities, workshops, and events that encourage camaraderie and collaboration. Having colleagues in the workplace is one thing, while having deeper connections is another. That isn’t to say everyone needs to be great friends (although it wouldn’t hurt!), but teacher understanding one another on a more personal basis helps forge connections that lift the whole studio community up. When instructors feel connected to each other, it translates into a positive atmosphere that directly benefits the members and the overall success of the studio.
Cultivate a Culture of Appreciation
Recognising and rewarding excellence within your coaching team is essential for cultivating a culture of appreciation. By highlighting hard work and remarkable achievements, you create an environment where each member feels valued and motivated. This recognition boosts individual morale and helps promote a culture where excellence is actively encouraged and celebrated. By offering financial rewards, public recognition, additional benefits, or training opportunities, you show your team that their contributions are not only noticed but highly valued, thereby encouraging their commitment and determination to continuously excel.
This can be done online by:
- Creating a page on your website with teacher bios and profiles
- Listing your instructor’s social media pages to show support for them
- Posting significant achievement and milestones on Instagram or TikTok
More importantly, this can be shown physically by:
- Hosting a special class personalised by them for their birthday week
- Giving them a shoutout on a public board
- Awarding bonuses when they are well-deserved
To get a more in-depth understanding about how to reward and engage your staff, read our blog on the topic for more great ideas!
Emphasise Work-Life Balance
Coaches are often faced with demanding schedules and constant pressure to meet the needs of their clients and their studio. Especially in an industry where staff need to be physically active and on their feet for their job, it can be extremely taxing. In this fast-paced environment, it is crucial to emphasise the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
By focusing on the well-being of your coaching team, you demonstrate your commitment to their mental and physical health. This can translate into practical measures such as offering flexible schedules when possible, allowing coaches to more easily manage their personal commitments while meeting the studio's needs. Additionally, promoting self-care practices such as meditation, yoga (maybe if you are not a yoga studio!), or simply taking moments to rest, allows coaches to recharge and rejuvenate. A well-balanced and well-supported coaching team is more likely to be engaged, enthusiastic, and effective in their roles, resulting in a better experience for clients and increased success for the studio.
Leading by example
In the fiercely competitive landscape of fitness and wellness, crafting a distinctive studio culture is not just a strategic move; it's a business imperative. A positive and inclusive culture not only attracts top-tier coaches but also retains them, contributing to the enduring success of your studio. By following the key topics outlined here, you'll create a studio culture that stands as a beacon in the industry and beckons the very best coaching talent to your team.
Above all, create a studio culture that commands respect and professionalism. When you create a space that holds this, high-caliber professionals will follow, As your studio culture thrives, so does your reputation as a destination for excellence in fitness instructors.
So, now that you know how to attract the best of the best, it’s time to get a management software to match. Book a demo with us today to see how bsport can help your studio become its finest version yet.
