INSTRUCTOR INTERVIEW GUIDE

LES MILLS™ instructor interview guide

If you are interviewing a freestyle instructor please review the answer to this everyday challenge:

Most recruits are freestyle instructors. How do I manage their views on choreographed GF more effectively? Set out in Key Element 3 – Recruit World Class Instructors and Keep Them!

To the interviewer – get in the interviewing zone

Consider what you are offering people who want to become Les Mills’ certified instructors. You are giving them the opportunity to:

  • Become part of a global family of more than 60,000 instructors worldwide;
  • Take part in life-changing training leading to certification in each program;
  • Continuously improve through quarterly external training;
  • Develop skills to improve the health and well-being of their community;
  • Teach established programs with a global reputation;
  • Have access to world-class training materials;
  • Obtain an international certification that allows them to travel and work;
  • Access a range of career options.

The opportunity is substantial, so it is critical to set the scene for new recruits by explaining the bigger picture at the beginning of the interview.

Critical factors to consider for recruitment

  • Stay on track and select instructors who fit with the essence of the program they want to teach
  • Past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior, so whenever possible, get examples from each candidate of previous actions they have taken as part of their answers to your questions
  • Be consistent with your questioning so it is easy to compare candidates
  • Make sure you understand any gaps in candidate’s employment history to obtain a clearer outline of their background
  • Each country and/or state has different legislation regarding recruitment and employment issues. Make sure you are clear how your local laws affect your interview process

Before the interview

Activity

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Preparation

Time limit and location

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Set yourself a time limit for each interview and select a private room where you will not be disturbed

Gather information

/ Collect as much information about the applicant as you can:
  • CV/Resumé. Note their fitness and other relevant qualifications (eg first aid) and how long they have stayed at previous facilities, if they are already working in the fitness industry.
  • References and background checks. Talk to their previous employer and check how long they worked there, why they left, their work performance and if there were any behaviors that could cause concern. If they have been in their most recent role less than two years, call their employer prior to the most recent one. Always ask each former employer if they would re-hire them and follow up with understanding why or why not!
  • Do a ’Google’ search on them on the Internet and see what comes up.

Maintain clear recruitment objectives

/ Be very clear about which programs you are recruiting for. Use the outlines from Recruit for the essence of each program for each of the LES MILLS™ programs.

Consider inviting other team members to the interview

/ Decide if it is appropriate to bring instructors from relevant program teams into the interview, at the end of the session. For example, you may invite the program Head Teacher (if you have one) or include an instructor if you were going to assign them as a buddy to a successful recruit.

Be in the right frame of mind

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Get into a relaxed and friendly state of mind so you can achieve your goal of getting to know as much as you can about the recruit’s talents and abilities. If you are open and welcoming they will be much more willing to share information with you.

Ask the right questions

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Be ready to get curious and ask follow-up questions to find out as much as you can. Open-ended questions like ’Why was that important to you?’ usually gives you better information than ’yes’ or ’no’ questions. In each question, listen for specific examples of the behavior/talent you are looking for.

Choose your questions from each section of the interview guide

/ Decide which questions suit you best in each section of the interview guide.
Make sure you are consistent with your questioning, so that you can compare each candidate more easily.

Be an active listener

/ Really listen to the answers and take notes. If you don’t understand – always ask for clarification.

Legal and ethics

/ Certain questions are considered unethical and could even be illegal. Check your country’s policies and legislation regarding interviews and employment regulations.

The interview

Set the scene

Explain briefly the purpose of the interview and how it will be run. See suggested introduction script.

When recruiting for LES MILLS™ programs, we recommend showing the most recent Promotional DVD as an inspirational ice-breaker. This helps people get an idea of the global scale of the Les Mills instructor team and shows the quality of the training culture they may be invited to join.

Interview format

Recruit's Name
Date
Interviewer's Name
Interviewer's Title

Suggested introduction script

Hello, my name is ______and I’m the ______(your position). We’re really pleased that you’re interested in working as an instructor for us. The purpose of this interview is to learn more about you and your experiences. We will be asking you some questions about your previous experience, how you approach certain things, etc. You will probably see us jotting down some notes – that's to help us recall what you said after the interview is over. There are no correct, or incorrect answers; what we want is to learn more about you. At the end of the interview, we’ll leave some time to answer any questions you might have. If you are ready, we can begin.

Ranking

If you have several recruits and need to compare them, it is a good idea to rank their answers in each of the questions.

Ranking key:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Very strong evidence behaviors are not present / Strong evidence behaviors are not present / Some evidence behaviors are present / Strong evidence behaviors are present / Very strong evidence behaviors are present

Questions

Choose 2 or 3 questions from each section to structure the interviews.

There is only one compulsory question we recommend, which sits in ’Background’, if it is relevant.

We advise that you ask about any gaps in a candidate’s CV to ensure you have a full picture of their history.

1. Background - choose 2 or 3 questions in addition to the compulory question, if relevant
Could you tell me a little bit about your background? Please start after high school. Tell me what you have done generally and specifically relating to Group Fitness.
Why do you want to become an instructor?
What attracted you to our facility?
What were you doing from __ to __ /between job A and job B?
2. Personality - choose 2 or 3 questions
How would you describe yourself?
What do you enjoy doing the most?
What do you most enjoy in Group Fitness or teaching?
What has been your most rewarding accomplishment (personal or work)?
What do you think is the key to your success?
What is your general attitude towards life?
How have you found ways to make activities more rewarding?
Outline the five Key Elements of Instructing to the inteviewee and
ask where they think their strengths lie and why.

Describe your perfect teaching week.
What motivates you most as an instructor: money, status, personal/professional
development and why?
What do you least enjoy in Group Fitness or teaching?
What type of compensation would make you happy?
3. Role model (physical) - choose 2 or 3 questions
Tell me about a typical workout week for you.
What exercise do you enjoy the most (other than group exercise)?

Describe how you have set a fitness goal and how you have achieved it.

4. Ability to coach - choose 2 or 3 questions
Can you tell me about a time when you had to explain something new to
someone or a group?
Give a specific example of something you did that inspired enthusiasm in others?

What would you say is your most effective teaching experience to date?
5. Ability to connect with people - choose 2 or 3 questions
Can you tell me about a situation when you made an effort to meet / get to know people you hadn’t met before?
What steps do you take to establish rapport with others?
How would your best friend describe you?

Give me an example of how you have inspired someone in any area of your life? How did you do it?

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult person. How did you handle the situation?

Can you tell me about a time when you took an initiative to create a great atmosphere among a group of people?

6. Reliability and teamwork - choose 2 or 3 questions
Tell me about a time when you made an effort to help someone, even if you had planned to do something else.
When you are part of a team that is working exceptionally well, what do you think the reasons are for its success?

What kind of manager do you work best with?

What team-based activiites have you been involved in?

Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.

What motivates you to go the extra mile?

Tell me about a time when you had to handle multiple responsibiltiities. How did you organize the work you needed to do?

Give an example of conforming to a policy which you did not agree with.

7. Personal development - choose 2 or 3 questions
Can you tell me about the last things you have done to grow personally or professionally?

Describe how important you think personal development (work or personal life) is.

8. Preparation
Can you tell me about a time when you had to prepare for a situation, job or event? How did you go about it?
Describe something that was difficult to prepare for. How did you manage it?

Remuneration

Outline your facility’s approach to instructor rewards.

Some ideas for payment options are outlined in Rewarding instructors in Key Element 3 – Recruit World Class Instructors and Keep Them.

Question time

Invite them to ask any additional questions.

Optional extras

If you have the time and the recruit is of a high quality, consider doing all or some of the following:

  • Showing them an example of a program manual to give them an idea of the depth of training they would enjoy during module training;
  • Offering them a copy of a quarterly DVD that they can come and watch at the club;
  • Taking them round the club and introduce them to some instructors;

  • Taking them through the range of career options open to instructors if they choose to look beyond core teaching in the future.

Wrap it up

When finishing the interview, thank the interviewee for their time and interest and be very clear about when they will hear back from you.

Post-interview

Make sure you contact them within the timeframe you indicated. This is a professional courtesy.

You need to decide the best way to communicate their success or failure taking into account your facility’s policies, procedures and your own personality.

Contractual obligations

Make sure any instructors who sign up with your facility have a clear understanding of the expectations of their role.

See what is the most effective way to set standards for my instructor team in Key Element 4 – Organise Great Instructor Training, for guidance on how to communicate your expectations of instructors in your facility.