4 Steps to Successfully Hire Yoga Teachers
It's hard to think of everything when you're starting a new company. An important pillar to make your yoga studio stand out and be successfull to assemble an outstanding team to help you achieving your goals. Before you open your studio, you need to hire and train your yoga instructors and front-desk workers. You might have to do interviews several applicants without yet having your studio finished, with a constantly changing construction date, and a limited budget.
1 | Establish your interview guidelines
Start with preparing yourself well for the interviews by establishing firm criteria for selecting the studio's staff because the job's success will depends on them. Many people nowadays are ‘certified’ yoga teachers because they did a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training course. However, this doesn’t mean they are good teachers. An example of criterea could be:
Experienced and certified yoga instructors
For how many years have they practiced yoga?
Instructors that already have a great following
Instructors and front-desk staff that understand your philosophy so they will make a good fit for your team
Instructors and front-desk staff that are excited to be part of something new
Anyone looking to help grow your business
2 | Standardize the interview process
The first interview you have with a potential teacher is a crucial indicator of whether you would take a class at their studio or have them teach you at home. Meet for a coffee and have a chat, and then you decide if you take it to the next step: join their class/private session. Seeing the instructor in action will be critical to assessing if they would be a good fit for your studio.
3 | Choose a payment structure
How much does it cost to hire a yoga instructor? When you start a new business, many people are on a tight budget, and you can’t afford the most prestigious instructors yet. Be imaginative and assess the risks well when you for instance go onboard with a starting teacher that you believe to be promising.
An interesting option could be to offer an education bonus to your entire team in addition to base pay. Then you contribute a percentage of your annual earnings to an education fund at the end of the year. Providing your instructors with additional opportunities to further their craft will be a good incentive for the candidates that you interview, as they are always seeking to grow.
You could also provide raises and bonuses every quarter in addition to your education bonus. Every quarter, you can evaluate your employees and reward those who attend classes regularly with raises or bonuses.
4 | Always make time for hiring
Yoga instructors are always seeking growth and new opportunities. Keep in mind that instructors might leave your team for various reasons. You should therefore always keep an eye out for talented, passionate instructors. Whenever you hear about a great instructor through word of mouth or social media, try to attend their lecture. Build up a solid network of good yoga instructors. This is important to have for your own spiritual growth, and some of these relations might be a good fit for your team!
Good luck and enjoy the process!