The fitness, wellness, and hospitality sectors are evolving fast. Gyms are becoming health hubs. Recovery is as important as reps. And consumer demand is shifting from “access” to “outcomes.”

But while brands pour investment into tech, fit-outs, and marketing campaigns, too many are overlooking the most vital driver of sustainable growth:

Talent.

Not just headcount. Not just coverage. But values-aligned, industry-ready professionals who create meaningful member experiences, uphold brand standards, and grow with your business. You Can't Scale What You Can’t Staff.

Growth in this industry used to mean more classes, more clubs, more sales. But now it means:

• Higher member lifetime value
• Lower turnover (members and staff)
• A consistent, elevated brand experience

And none of this happens without great people.

Hiring reactively, scrambling for cover, or burning through casual staff is no longer a viable option. Today’s consumers are savvy. They’re spending more, but they’re also expecting more. If your team can’t deliver that, retention suffers and your brand reputation takes a hit.

How the Industry Must Solve the Talent Challenge

The good news? Solutions exist. The best brands are already building them into their growth models.

Here’s how the industry can move from reactive to strategic:

1. Build a Talent Pipeline (Before You Need It) Great brands don’t wait for a vacancy, they cultivate relationships early. That means working with:

• Specialist recruitment partners who understand your model
• Training providers to access fresh talent
• Internship and mentoring pathways to upskill and test-fit talent

2. Invest in Industry-Ready Education Certifications are only step one. The gap between qualification and readiness is real.

Progressive businesses are:

• Creating in-house onboarding academies
• Partnering with agencies and RTOs to co-design “job-ready” programs
• Embedding brand standards and customer experience training from day one

3. Shift from Hiring to Talent Strategy Your leadership team needs to treat talent as a growth lever, not just an admin function.

This means:

• Building out workforce plans alongside expansion goals
• Forecasting attrition and proactively hiring ahead of demand
• Allocating real budget and leadership to people strategy

4. Create Career Pathways, Not Just Jobs If you want to retain great people, show them a future.

• Offer leadership development or pathways into allied roles (e.g. coaching to programming to operations)
• Support ongoing education, not just induction
• Recognise and reward progress and performance, not just hours worked

The Bottom Line

The brands that thrive over the next decade won’t just have better equipment or slicker apps. They’ll have stronger teams, smarter systems, and sustainable hiring pipelines.

Because in a service-based industry, your people are your product.

If you’re serious about growth, talent can’t be left to chance. It must be embedded in your strategy, led from the top, and nurtured every single day.

Let’s stop scrambling for staff and start building talent ecosystems. That’s how this industry grows, not just fast, but well.