This article was written by one of our integration partners, NetGym. Mariana Tek has a wide ecosystem of partners in a range of categories, all with capabilities that augment our software and help your studio run as smoothly as possible.  

We’ll be posting more content authored by our partners to inform best practices across the boutique fitness industry. We’re here to help you grow your business and streamline your operations! 

In boutique fitness, the instructor is the experience. You can have standout branding, a beautiful space, and an innovative class format—but if the instructor doesn’t represent your business the way you want them to, if they don’t bring the energy you hired them for or fail to connect with clients, the class falls flat. 

On the flip side, a great instructor can transform a basic room and a familiar format into something members can’t stop raving about. 

Relying on luck to find those people isn’t a plan. Hiring well, conducting thoughtful interviews, onboarding intentionally, and retaining your best instructors—that’s what builds a team that strengthens your business. Every step counts. 

How to Hire and Retain the Best Group Fitness Instructors 

NetGym created this Guide to Hiring & Retaining Group Fitness Instructors. Whether you’re a boutique fitness owner, Group X manager, or head trainer, this resource is full of strategies, tactics, and practical tips to help you build a stronger team, improve staff retention, and avoid common hiring and onboarding mistakes that can cost you later. 

It’s packed with insights from experienced studio leaders and real-world systems designed to support your team at every stage. 

In this post, we’re zooming in on two key chapters from the guide: the interview process, and onboarding and training.  

How you bring someone onto your team can matter just as much as the hiring decision itself. 

1. Nail the Fitness Instructor Interview  

It’s easy to rush through hiring when you’re in a pinch. Maybe someone suddenly quits or moves, and now you’re scrambling to keep classes covered. But hiring fast often means hiring wrong—and that ends up costing more in the long run. 

A structured interview process helps you avoid that trap. The most common hiring mistakes are also the most damaging: rushing interviews, skipping reference checks, hiring based solely on certifications, and failing to set clear expectations. 

It’s easy to be swayed by a confident personality or a name-drop on a resume, but unless you’ve seen a candidate teach, held at least two interviews, and confirmed they understand your studio’s values, you’re taking a gamble. 

4 Best Practices for Interviewing Fitness Instructors 

Here’s what works, according to boutique leaders who’ve hired hundreds of instructors: 

  1. Always audition. A 10-minute segment in a test class tells you more than any resume. You’ll see how they handle your space, your music system, and most importantly—your members. 
     
  1. Use video applications. Especially for roles where personality and vibe matter (and when don’t they?), having candidates submit a short video can save you a ton of time filtering through resumes. Check out software like https://candidateview.com/ that make collecting asynchronous video interviews easy. 
     
  1. Create a scorecard. It might sound a little formal for a boutique fitness studio or gym (more like something a bank would do!), but a simple rubric helps you stay focused on what matters. It ensures consistency in your hiring process, gives you a clear way to compare candidates, and makes it easier to remember what stood out. Evaluate each candidate on key criteria like cultural fit, class delivery, communication, and availability. 
     
  1. Involve others. Bring in your lead instructors or co-founders to interviews. They’ll often catch things you miss—and it helps new hires integrate into the team faster. 
     

At the end of the day, you’re not just hiring to fill a slot. You’re hiring someone who will represent your brand, engage with your members, and show up with energy week after week. That decision deserves a little structure. 

2. Have a Strong Onboarding Plan  

Once you’ve made the hire, the next 30–90 days are critical. And no, giving someone the schedule and a playlist isn’t onboarding. 

A thoughtful onboarding process reduces turnover and helps instructors feel like they belong from day one. Instructors who feel prepared and included are far more likely to stay long-term—and even better, they’re more likely to post about their experience on social media, boosting your brand in the process.

a group of people at a yoga studio
5 Key Elements of Strong Onboarding 

The NetGym guide outlines an effective onboarding playbook: 

  1. Pre-boarding: Send them materials before day one. Studio rules, class expectations, even a welcome note from the team. 
     
  1. Shadowing: Have them observe your best instructors. It shows them what “great” looks like in your studio, and gives them confidence before stepping into the spotlight. 
     
  1. Teach and get feedback: Let new hires teach a class early, but follow up with structured feedback. What went well? Where can they adjust? 
     
  1. Assign a mentor: New instructors need someone they can ask questions—without always going to the manager. A peer mentor makes onboarding feel collaborative, not evaluative. 
  1. Accountability: You probably hire A-players, Type-As, and rockstars—and they can be a huge asset to your studio. But if they have a bit of a renegade streak, they need to know they’re accountable. The same goes for team members who have the potential to deliver more than they’re currently giving. Set clear, consistent expectations for everyone on your team. When you connect your studio’s business goals and values to each role, it helps everyone understand what’s expected of them. And later, if you need to course-correct, those conversations become a whole lot easier. 

Remember, onboarding doesn’t stop after the first 2 weeks. A 30-60-90 day plan, with check-ins and progress milestones, helps instructors know what’s expected, how they are doing—and reminds them you care about their growth. 

3. Understand That Turnover is Likely Costing You 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for fitness instructors are projected to grow 14% by 2033—much faster than most industries. That’s great news for the profession, but it also means more competition to attract and keep top-tier talent. 

If your best instructor doesn’t feel supported, there’s a good chance someone else will recruit them. And if you hire someone who isn’t the right fit, you’ll eventually have to let them go—which puts you right back in the hiring cycle. 

Meanwhile, ASFA reports that instructor pay and work structure vary wildly across studios, which makes the hiring and retention landscape even more volatile.  

The studios that win will be the ones that offer clarity—about the role, the expectations, and the growth opportunities. 

4. The Bonus: When Onboarding is Done Right 

Here’s the ripple effect: a well-onboarded instructor feels confident and motivated. They show up prepared, connect with your members, and contribute to a great studio culture. And they tell their friends. They tag your studio on Instagram. They bring in new clients and refer other great teachers. 

Now compare that to the alternative: an underprepared group fitness instructor who isn’t clear how your studio runs. They don’t know what opening up a class should look like, how to greet or say goodbye to clients, how to handle common member questions, or even understand the class schedule. That’s a setup for confusion—for them and for your clients. 

You might say, “Good people will figure it out,” and sometimes they will. But what if those good hires could become great hires faster? What if they loved your onboarding so much they started referring others to work with you? The difference comes down to the process. 

5. Make This Easier: Use Technology Built for Boutique Fitness 

NetGym was built by group fitness instructors, for studios and gyms. It’s easy-to-use software that helps you build a stronger team, streamline onboarding and subbing, and—just as importantly—support better team communication. Studios use it to manage instructor schedules, automate sub requests, stay organized, and support their instructors from their very first class to their 100th. 

Learn more about how NetGym works, or get the hiring & retention in boutique fitness playbook.  

Final Thought 

Your team is a key part of your brand. Every instructor you hire shapes the experience your members have—and that’s what keeps them coming back. 

Take the time to interview well. Create an onboarding process that truly prepares people, so they understand your business and know what’s expected of them. And treat your instructors like the assets they are—not just contractors on the schedule. 

Because when you build a resilient instructor team, you’re not just filling classes. You’re building a studio people love to work for—and that members never want to leave. 

Xplor Mariana Tek Profile Picture

by Xplor Mariana Tek

  • First published: May 14 2025

    Written by: Xplor Mariana Tek