It’s a question that’s top of mind for any job seeker: What experiences and skills matter most when it comes to landing a position? Our Graduate Business Career Services team seeks to answer this question by talking to recruiters, founders, business owners and C-level executives about the qualities and skills they think make potential employees stand out and get noticed. This month, we spoke with Jaime Miller, recruiting manager for Life Time Fitness.
What do you look for in a candidate?
Life Time looks for great people to support our places and programs. We have all types of team members here, from seasonal to part time to full time. Each role requires a set of skills, but at Life Time, we also look for key characteristics that make candidates a motivational fit for Life Time.
What are those specific skills or characteristics?
At Life Time, successful team members display five key characteristics we call motivational fit. Those who show these characteristics stay longer, are happy at work and care for our members and team members. These characteristics include: belief in our mission, pursuit of a healthy way of life, performance orientation, the ability to embrace change and exhibiting care for others.
How would you describe Life Time’s business culture?
We're a fast-paced culture of change and growth. We have a very open and collaborative environment in which our different divisions are able to align to achieve company initiatives.
What are some areas of need within the company?
We are looking to add great talent to our teams! This includes team members at our club locations in both part-time and full-time roles, but we also have several corporate openings at our corporate headquarters in Chanhassen.
What does NOT excite you about a candidate?
I appreciate it when a candidate comes prepared to the application and interview process versus when they might not know a lot about our organization. When they have researched the company (even visiting one of our club locations prior to the interview is great!) and have insightful questions for me and the hiring manager, I feel it allows us an opportunity to know they are invested and engaged in the process with Life Time.
What would be your advice to job seekers who are trying to assess whether a company is a good fit for them? What questions would you suggest they ask in an interview process that could help to determine this?
Candidates have a great opportunity to research companies prior to investing in the interview process. I encourage candidates to list their employers of choice and focus on those employers that they see as a long-term fit in their overall career goals. It is always great to ask the interviewer what drew them to the company and why they choose to stay with that organization. Asking about a company’s culture, and asking that question of more than one interviewer, will give a good indication of themes in the environment and the candidate’s potential fit.
What are some exciting trends for Life Time or in the industry?
Life Time is growing! We have plans for several new locations this year and in 2017 and are growing other areas of our business, including our corporate wellness and endurance events.
