Strong team, strong business: Gym staff retention strategies

Your team are your business. Build a strong, loyal team of consistently high performers and you’ll be well on the way to building a strong business. Read on to find out how to build a dream team for your gym business.

Ever wondered why some gyms thrive with a loyal team, while others struggle with constant turnover?

Across the UK overall, businesses are experiencing an average turnover rate of 34%.

For the industry category that gyms and fitness clubs are grouped into – R Arts, Entertainment & Recreation – this figure sits at 33.2% between Jan 2022-Dec 2023. The category is broad, also including businesses like theatres/cinemas, museums, casinos, and theme parks.

Retaining talent has long been a challenge for the fitness industry. From unmet salary demands to a lack of career progression, there are many reasons why staff choose to leave.

The latest Love Recruitment Pulse Survey found that 68% of fitness industry respondents would be likely, or extremely likely, to be looking for a new role in the next 6 months.

So, chances are that staff turnover for gyms and fitness clubs will be relatively high.

Continuity and higher member satisfaction. Operational stability. Less time and money spent on recruitment. There are so many benefits to retaining gym staff for longer.

How can you retain your staff for longer and reduce turnover? Read on to find out:

Let’s get stuck in!

Why does staff retention matter?

Staff turnover can have a big impact on the success of your business. Keeping turnover low can mean:

Lower recruitment and training costs

Just like gym member retention, it usually costs more to hire and onboard a new employee than to keep and existing one.

Replacing an employee isn’t as simple as posting a job ad. It can cost anywhere from 75-200% of an employee’s annual salary to hire for a role.

While costs will differ business-to-business and role-to-role, research shows that for someone on an average salary this could be as high as £48k (excluding office space costs).

To calculate the cost of hiring consider the following expenses:

Better institutional and operational knowledge

Experienced employees often carry valuable insights about internal processes, industry trends, and even member preferences.

When you lose this knowledge, you lose an intangible asset. This can lead to inefficiencies and even mistakes. Potentially having a knock-on impact on operational costs.

Consistent member service (and higher retention)

Research has shown that for every 2 interactions fitness staff have with a member in a month, the member will make 1 extra visit the next month. And more visits = more members, for more time. A retention and revenue boost.

Many members will come to trust instructors and other fitness staff over time. When a popular employee departs, members may feel unsettled, leading to a drop in member satisfaction.

This disruption can result in members visiting less frequently or even quitting your gym. Many members value consistency and personal connection.

New hires will almost always take some time to adapt to the culture and service style of a new club. The quality of service can dip during this time, potentially impacting your reputation if not managed well.

Frees up financial resources for growth initiatives

High staff turnover creates a cycle of continuous spending on hiring and basic training. This is a resource heavy cycle. One that can take away valuable funds (and time) that could be invested in growth initiatives like marketing and facility upgrades.

When you’re able to retain staff members, you’ll free up funds for strategic investments that help you expand and grow the business.

Positive gym culture

A stable team is vital for creating a positive work environment. Constant staffing changes can lead to a fragmented culture – one where employees may feel less connected to your business mission.

This can reduce employee morale and collaboration, ultimately causing staff attrition and impacting your member experience.

Why do employees leave roles in gyms?

Those were some of the benefits of retaining staff and risks of high turnover. Next, it’s helpful to understand why gym staff choose to leave roles:

Unmet job expectations

This particularly impacts newly qualified employees. The actual tasks, responsibilities, and earning potential associated with working in certain roles don’t always match up to perceptions.

Lack of career progression and development opportunities

Once employees have mastered their role to the highest level, in many businesses there’s no clear path for career progression and/or few opportunities to upskill and develop further.

The Love Recruitment Pulse Survey found that 29% of fitness professionals looking to change jobs said clear progression opportunities was their biggest motivation.

This is a particular problem for employees who ‘age out’ of the industry due to a lack of suitable career opportunities.

Unmet salary & compensation expectations

Average salaries for many roles in the fitness industry, especially in member-facing roles, can be relatively low compared to the average UK salary.

If gyms are not able to meet expectations when it comes to salary and other benefits, employees are more likely to move on. The Love Recruitment Pulse Survey found that 29% of fitness professionals looking to change jobs said a higher salary was their biggest motivation

Poor management

Inadequate leadership, lack of support, poor communication, and unrealistic workloads often result in employee dissatisfaction. This ultimately leads to workforce attrition.

Lack of recognition

Similarly, if employees feel undervalued or underappreciated, they’re more likely to look for new opportunities where their contributions will be valued.

Lack of flexibility

Across the UK, 6% of employees changed job due to a lack of flexible options and a further 12% left their profession or sector altogether for the same reason.

Employees value flexibility, even in roles that require an employee to be on site. Offering some level of flexibility in start/finish times, scheduling of shifts/rotas, and shift swaps can go a long way

How does age & life stage impact staff attrition?

Reasons for leaving a gym job, as well as for staying in one, can differ by employee age and life stage.

Many roles in gyms and fitness clubs are filled by younger workers. CIMSPA found that 30% of sport and physical activity workers are aged between 16-24. While it’s been reported that the average age of a personal trainer in the UK is 39 years and 10 months.

So, many gym operators will need to tailor their staff retention efforts towards the wants and desires of the younger members of the workforce.

Yet, it’s also important to understand what all age groups desire from work. Especially if you want to avoid losing valuable team members to other industries that offer clearer career paths and more development opportunities.

Different generations in the workforce

Of course everyone is different. But it can be helpful to look at age groups from a generational POV. Generations are shaped by similar life experiences and the worlds they grew up in.

Being aware and understanding of different working styles avoids implicit bias. Promoting better communications and team collaboration.

Let’s look at the typical generations working within gyms today:

8 strategies for retaining gym staff

We’ve seen the benefits of retaining staff, why employees leave gyms, and what different generations value from work. Next, let’s look at some employee retention strategies you can use to increase staff retention rates.

1. Improve staff onboarding

You may have put a lot of work into designing the optimal gym member onboarding process, but what about your employee onboarding process?

When you hire gym staff, they’re eager to learn and start contributing to the business. Yet, without the right experience early on, uncertainty, anxiety, and dissatisfaction can quickly build.

Design an employee onboarding programme that sets new hires up for success and satisfaction. Focus on integrating them into the company culture, set aside time to help with onboarding activities, and make sure you quickly establish expectations.

Start onboarding before the first day

Tip

If you go quiet in the time between an employee signing a job offer and their start date, you risk losing them. Find ways to stay in touch and build excitement ahead of their first day.

2. Offer competitive compensation and benefits

Unmet salary and compensation expectations is a common reason why gym employees choose to leave roles.

Although many clubs are stretched with costs rising – including the increase in employer National Insurance contributions that came into effect on 6 April 2025 – making sure you provide competitive compensation can help you retain staff. So, avoiding high hiring costs and the need to get new team members up to speed.

Make sure you’re paying staff a wage worthy of sacrifice and hard work – one that will make it harder for their heads to be turned. As a minimum:

Regularly seek to understand what your competitors are offering and the type of raises and other benefits offered. To retain your top performers, you need to outperform your competitors.

Most employees value competitive salaries and wages. However, other benefits like bonuses, professional development allowances, access to wellness programmes, and even equity stakes can sweeten the deal!

3. Provide opportunities for career development and training

The best employees usually want to advance in their career. Promotions and opportunities to take on more challenging work can motivate them to stay.

Map out career progression opportunities for various roles within your gym business. Remember, people management doesn’t have to be the end goal for all careers. Many organisations have contributor and people manager career paths.

At each seniority level, you should recognise their skills and effectiveness, offer promotions, extra benefits, and influence.

Help your team progress by providing regular training to address skill gaps and keep knowledge up to date and growing. Bigger operators may want to create internal certifications. And you can partner with training organisations to give team members access to valued qualifications.

Especially among younger Gen Z team members, demand is increasing for mentoring programmes. Look for opportunities to create these internally between team members of different seniority levels and with your wider network.

4. Consider flexible working arrangements

Employee demand for remote and flexible working has grown in recent years. And for many roles in a gym environment, options are somewhat limited. Yet, finding ways to provide flexible options can help you retain valued team members.

If you have employees who work in terms of deliverables, not face time, you could let them decide where they work with remote and/or hybrid options.

For member facing staff and those with roles that require them to be on site when working, look at other options to build in flexibility. That might be flexible working hours or reduced working hours.

Manage expectations of what is and isn’t possible carefully. Providing some level of flexibility can lead to higher job satisfaction and reduce the risk of burnout.

5. Build a positive gym culture

Many people will be persuaded to stay with an employer due to a good company culture. And many of the strategies outlined in this list will help you build a positive culture. There are other things you can do to build and maintain a great working environment.

Prioritise creating a workplace that’s diverse and inclusive. One where everyone feels respected and included regardless of their race, background, gender, or sexual orientation.

Promote open communication where employees of all levels are involved in decision making. Create recognition and reward programmes to celebrate positive achievements. Run team-building activities that bring everyone together. All of these will contribute to developing a strong culture and community.

6. Avoid employee burnout

The Burnout Report 2025 found that 21% of people in the UK needed time off work due to stress. Figures are highest amongst those aged 18-44.

High levels of stress and pressure can lead to a burnout workforce, impacting on performance and productivity. So, to avoid losing great staff to burnout, make sure you avoid overworking or overwhelming employees.

Respect time away from work. Avoid asking staff to work excessive and/or unpaid overtime. And limit contact with team members while they are away from work. Encourage staff to take regular breaks during the working day and to make full use of their holiday allowance.

One of the best things you can do is to lead by example. Demonstrate healthy work/life boundaries. Show how you prioritise regular rest and breaks. And clearly set expectations for out of hours contact.

You could also look at offering wellness solutions like access to health insurance and/or employee assistance programmes. Plus, put in place rules against your team coming into work when they are sick – use sick pay to encourage this. A healthy workforce will be less susceptible to burnout.

7. Listen actively and give ownership

67% of UK employees have left or considered leaving a job due to poor management. Make sure you, and any other people managers in your fitness business, act as a coach rather than a boss.

Avoid micromanaging. Guide employees in the right direction with advice, support and achievable goals. Let them feel in control and an owner of their role.

Just as you might collect gym member feedback, regularly collect staff feedback too. For larger organisations, this could be an anonymous survey to encourage honesty. While, for many gym businesses, monthly or fortnightly 1-2-1 meetings can be a good option.

Create a safe space where your team feel psychologically comfortable to give honest feedback. Take swift action to address concerns – focus on solving issues and avoid becoming defensive. Show your team they are a priority for you.

 8. Adjust your management approach

One size doesn’t always fit all when it comes to managing people. People management is all about bringing out the best in an individual – making everyone more successful.

To retain your top performers, adapt your leadership style to suit each individual team member.

Take time to connect and empathise with each employee. Some may need more support than others. Some may need a confidence boost. Some may need clearly defined boundaries.

Use 1-2-1 meetings as an opportunity to connect with your team. Create personalised growth plans. And regularly ask them for feedback on your leadership style.

The importance of staying agile

In our fast-evolving industry, the ability to stay agile can be the difference between building a thriving team and constantly playing catch-up.

As work expectations shift, especially across different generations, being adaptable isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s essential.

Encourage ongoing conversations with your team. Regular one-on-one check-ins, anonymous feedback surveys, and open communication channels (even a shared suggestion box) can tell you what’s working and what’s not.

From there, be prepared to pivot. Maybe your staff crave more schedule flexibility, or perhaps they’d benefit from more structured development opportunities. The key is to listen, test ideas, and refine them as you go.

Think of your retention strategy as a living system, not a one-and-done checklist. By staying open to change and receptive to employee feedback, you’ll position your gym to respond effectively to the needs of both your staff and the wider market.

Measuring what matters: KPIs

If you’re not measuring it, you can’t manage it. Tracking the right metrics can help you identify where your gym staff retention efforts are paying off. And where there’s room for improvement.

Here are a few essential key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor:

Schedule regular reviews, quarterly or twice a year, to evaluate these metrics and adjust your strategy accordingly. Combine data with qualitative feedback to get the full picture. This not only helps refine your approach but also demonstrates to your team that their feedback leads to real, tangible changes.

Being data-informed and feedback-driven will help you future-proof your workforce strategy. As well as showing your team that you’re genuinely invested in their long-term success.

The wrap up…

Never underestimate the impact staff retention can have on your business. Keeping turnover low reduces recruitment costs, builds continuity when running a gym, promotes consistent member service, and contributes to a positive gym culture.

From unmet job expectations to lack of recognition, there are many reasons why gym staff choose to move on from roles.

Age and life stage can impact reasons for leaving and staying in a role. Understanding different working styles and needs can help encourage staff to stick with your club.

The exact approach needed to maximise employee retention will differ for every business. Keep adjusting and try strategies like:

Measure KPIs, like turnover rate and tenure length, to understand how your staff retention efforts are going and what can be improved on.

Give staff access to tech that will save them time and free them from unnecessary admin. How? With gym management software from Xplor Gym.