Bringing in new trainers or instructors and retaining the ones you have can be a struggle; with a little incentive you can keep them on board. NIHCA’s Networking Group asked if facilities offer their trainers a reimbursement for “Group Fitness” or “Personal Training” certification. The responses we received were overwhelmingly positive for offering some form of incentive for these trainers and instructors.   The top three responses were as follows:

1. Offer up to 50% reimbursement for employees to receive their certification.
   1. Reimburse the other 50% if the employee is still with them after 3 years!!
2. Fund CEC’s but do not cover or reimburse for the certification itself.
3. Offer a free membership to instructors.
4. Offer a discounted partner pricing for certification.

We would highly recommend having a policy to help your trainers with this cost. We like the concept of reimbursing for a portion or the remaining cost at a 6 month, 1 year or 3 year mark. When an incentive helps both the individual and the business, it’s a win-win.

Do you offer reimbursement for certification or CEC’s to your trainers? How do you motivate your employees to keep learning and growing?