Grow your own staff. Martial artists make difficult employees, and hiring someone who trained under another instructor or failed at running his own school usually multiplies your headaches instead of solving them. Build a leadership team, spot candidates in your introductory classes, and give them a career path that ends in school ownership.
Key Takeaways
- Martial artists as employees tend to be self-righteous, feel underpaid, avoid sales and marketing, and teach only what they feel like teaching.
- As an instructor you can do no wrong to a dedicated student; as an employer you can do no right to a mediocre employee.
- An instructor who failed at running his own school will often fail as your employee, since owners already have more incentive to be self-motivated.
- A former owner who teaches well but sells and markets poorly may still work if you limit him to a teaching role.
- Someone loyal to another instructor or style will show that allegiance in every student and staff interaction in your school.
- Recruit from introductory classes, run leadership training, and lay out a path from Master Club to school owner.
What Martial Artists Are Like as Employees
Everyone knows the rule that you should “grow your own” staff, but don’t forget the lessons that are plainly obvious. This is certainly a rule that can be broken from time to time, but let me remind you what you already know about martial artists. As employees, they tend to be very self-righteous; they shouldn’t do anything just to make money from students; they are never paid enough; they don’t want anything to do with sales or marketing; and they only teach what they feel like teaching.
As an instructor, you can do no wrong to a dedicated student, but as an employer you can do no right to a mediocre employee. Take these tendencies and combine them with non-resident martial artists and you can easily triple your headaches while cutting your results in half.
“The question then becomes: How do you grow your staff?”
Why a Failed School Owner Is a Risky Hire
The question then becomes: How do you grow your own staff? Growing your own staff is a subject that can be covered in great detail, but remembering these apparent truths is a step in the right direction. First, if an instructor has already failed at running his or her school, why would working for you be any different? Remember, business owners have more incentives than an employee to be self-motivated. Yet, sometimes, failed school operators make for failed employees. I must admit that I’ve made this mistake a couple of times; however, if you have a former school operator who is a strong teacher, but weak at marketing or selling, then it might work to your advantage to limit him or her to a teaching position.
Allegiance to Another Instructor or Style
Second, the martial arts are very much like a cult. Whoever encounters the student first brainwashes him or her with the “true way” of doing things, subsequently owning the student’s heart and soul forever. If someone holds allegiance to another instructor or style, his feelings will become evident in all of his student and staff interactions at your school. Do you want your students excited about the old (add “very”) instructor and his or her old style, or do you want your students excited about you and your school?
How to Grow Your Own Staff
While keeping these truths in mind, here are a few pointers to grow your own staff:
- Look for potential employees, as you teach introductory classes. Having great retention helps, but if no one reaches Black Belt, there won’t be any Black Belts to hire.
- It’s a good idea to have a fairly large leadership team to which you offer special leadership training classes.
- Make sure to take promising candidates under your wing and guide them toward accelerated progress, a winning personal appearance, escalating responsibility and envisioning a career in the martial arts.
Design a Career Path
Design a goal-oriented career path for them to follow: Master Club (or Black Belt Club), assistant instructor, instructor, head instructor, program director, branch manager and, finally, school owner.
For teenagers, create a career prospect that pays a comparable or slightly better salary than their other opportunities.
As for adults, consider hiring them for program director or receptionist roles, during early stages of their training. Create a career vision that is exciting for them. Don’t transition volunteers into paid employees, unless you are offering a full-time salaried position with incentives.
Finally, make sure to keep the door open for your help if they want, or are ready, to open a school of their own one day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I hire an instructor from another school?
It is a rule that can be broken from time to time, but be careful. Someone who holds allegiance to another instructor or style will show it in every interaction with your students and staff.
Is a former school owner a good hire?
Often not. If an instructor already failed at running his or her own school, working for you is unlikely to be different, since owners have more incentive to be self-motivated than employees do. If the person teaches well but is weak at marketing or selling, limiting him or her to a teaching position can work.
Where do I find future instructors?
Look for them while you teach introductory classes, and build a fairly large leadership team you can offer special leadership training classes to. Strong retention matters, because if no one reaches Black Belt there will be no Black Belts to hire.
What career path should I offer a staff member?
Master Club or Black Belt Club, then assistant instructor, instructor, head instructor, program director, branch manager and finally school owner. For teenagers, make the pay comparable to or slightly better than their other options.
Should I turn volunteers into paid staff?
Not unless you are offering a full-time salaried position with incentives. For adults still early in their training, program director or receptionist roles are often the better fit.
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