Why finding fitness talent feels like heavy lifting (and how we’re fixing it)

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"On generic job boards, we aren't recruiting talent; we're just sifting through noise. Finding a certified, energetic trainer in a flood of completely irrelevant resumes has become a full-time job itself."

Sound familiar?

If you manage a gym, studio, or box in Norway, you know the drill. You post a job on Finn.no. Your ad sits sandwiched between a vacancy for an IT Consultant and a desperate search for a Warehouse Manager.

You get applications, sure. But how many are from people who actually get it?

Generic job boards act as a safety net for "chancers"—people spraying their CVs at every open position. FitRecruit was born from a simple frustration: The fitness industry is too specific, too passionate, and too human to be treated like just another corporate vacancy.

We are facing a recruitment crisis in our industry. Whether you are hiring PTs, Group Exercise Instructors, or Management, the struggles usually boil down to three heavy sets of problems.

Struggle #1: The "Side Hustle" mentality vs. career Focus

"I need a coach, not a tourist."

The barrier to entry in fitness is relatively low, but the barrier to success is high.

We see it constantly: High turnover in the first 90 days. Why? Because when the early mornings hit, or the client base builds slower than expected, the "safe" option starts looking very attractive.

It is all too easy for a new PT to throw in the towel and take a consistent, salaried position at Rema 1000 or in a warehouse. There is no shame in those jobs, but they require a completely different mindset than building a client portfolio.

The Issue: Many candidates view fitness as a "side hustle" rather than a career. This leaves employers desperate, often hiring the "wrong character" just to fill a uniform, knowing deep down that person won't last the winter.

The FitRecruit Fix: We are building a community, not just a list. By creating a dedicated space for fitness, we attract candidates who are invested in the industry, not just looking for a paycheck. We help you find the people who want a career, not a stop-gap.

Struggle #2: The "Online Coach" epidemic

"Everyone wants to be an influencer; nobody wants to spot a squat."

There is a growing disconnect between what gyms need and what new graduates think they want.

We have a flood of candidates who want to be "Online Lifestyle Coaches" working from a laptop in Bali, but a severe shortage of coaches willing to work the gym floor, correct form, and bring energy to a 6:00 PM spin class in Trondheim.

The Issue: A resume might list the right education, but does it show the willingness to work with real people in a real room? Generic boards hide this nuance. You can't tell from a standard CV if someone has the "spark" required to lead a group or if they are just looking for content for their Instagram reels.

The FitRecruit Fix: We encourage employers to stand out. Don’t just post a list of demands; post your culture. We give you the space to showcase why working on your floor is rewarding, helping you attract the talent that actually loves the gym environment.

Struggle #3: The sea of sameness (and the invisible opportunity)

"My dream job was posted last week? I didn't even see it."

On major sites like Finn.no, a Personal Trainer role looks exactly like a confusing mix of a sales job and a healthcare role. It gets lost.

This hurts both sides.

1. For Employers: You are paying a premium to be invisible. You rely on standard, dry job descriptions because that's what the platform dictates.

2. For Candidates: The best talent—the ones who aren't desperate—aren't scrolling through thousands of irrelevant ads. They miss the "hidden gems" because the noise to signal ratio is too high.
   

The FitRecruit Fix: We are cutting the noise. When a candidate lands on our site, every single opportunity is relevant. We simplify the process so that a Group Ex instructor in Oslo can find a studio that matches their vibe in minutes, not months.

It’s time to professionalize the process

The fitness industry in Norway is professional, growing, and vital to public health. It’s time our recruitment process reflected that.

We need to move away from hiring out of desperation and start hiring for longevity.

FitRecruit is here to make that connection easier. We want to help employers build compelling profiles that attract career-focused professionals, and we want to give those professionals a home where they are taken seriously.

Stop sifting through the noise. Start recruiting the future of fitness.

Post a job now! Free until March 2026