We often hear from top health and fitness companies searching for high-performers. Likewise, we routinely meet talented job seekers hoping to start or advance their careers in the industry.

On both sides of the table, the pain point is clear: Hiring and getting hired is hard!

Shining a spotlight on this problem, we discussed the hiring process with industry-leading companies, compiling their best advice for candidates hoping to stand out, level up, and land their dream job.

Who you’ll hear from: Barry’s, Tonal, Oura, Noom, Strava, Future, Silofit, Wellory, and Gainful.

Plus… We’re debuting an exciting new resource for jump-starting or accelerating your career in health and fitness.

On a Mission

Almost everyone we spoke with emphasized the mission-driven nature of their work.

Of the utmost importance, hiring managers look for candidates who both recognize and feel passionately about pursuing a shared goal.

As Noom VP of Talent Mark Horton put it, in addition to delivering quality work, “we also want to know candidates are inspired by our mission of helping people everywhere live healthier lives.”

Echoing this sentiment, Oura Head of People Leanne Loveday-Smith said, besides role-specific qualifications, she looks for individuals who are “aligned with our values and mission to improve the way we live our lives.”

A step further, Barry’s VP of People & Culture Evie Fernandez said: “A majority of our employees are consumers of our product and are proudly obsessed with our brand.”

The punchline: Beyond being capable and qualified, companies want employees who are truly bought in. Tempting as it may be to chalk this up to corporate speak, glossing over your passion could be a deal-breaker.

Getting Noticed

Along with passion, preparation, personalization, and precision form the Four Ps of getting noticed.

Preparation is a non-negotiable, allowing you to gain a deep understanding of the company and position. Don’t scan the website; take time to prepare. After extensive research, personalize your pitch, connecting your experiences with specific elements of the job and organization.

While most candidates stop there, the next step is critical: Be precise.

Along those lines, Gainful CEO Dean Kelly was explicit in suggesting that job seekers need a compelling why — “why do you want to work at the company, why this particular role, why now, why YOU?”

More specifically, pinpoint your unique qualifications for the role. Articulate how you’ll execute the core responsibilities. Then, explain how your contributions will drive the team and company forward.

Easier said than done, Tonal’s Manager of Talent Acquisition Steve Moser had stellar advice:

“Give stories, not ‘answers’… think more about moments and events you are proud of, or that you learned from, that you can use as examples rather than trying to memorize talking points from your resume.”

Tying it back to passion, to truly stand out, Oura’s Leanne Loveday-Smith encourages applicants to weave their personal values and enthusiasm into their resume and interviews.

All-in on Intangibles

Working at a high-growth company is an experience unto itself. As such, it can be difficult to express and screen for definitive characteristics that map to success.

In some ways, interviewers know the “it” factor when they see it — and their hiring process is engineered to suss it out.

• Mark Horton of Noom relies on a rigorous evaluation process to identify applicants with a desire to learn quickly and continuously.
• Leanne Loveday-Smith of Oura said collaboration is key, pointing to one of its core values: ubuntu, a South African word that means “not me, we.”
• Future’s VP of Performance Josh Bonhotal is assessing self-awareness and whether or not someone has a growth mindset.

Another challenge, hiring managers have to convey the realities of startup life, like thriving amid uncertainty. Many of the leaders we spoke to stressed the importance of staying flexible and being willing to fail.

Down that path, Silofit’s People Operations and Culture Manager Maureen Black warns against getting “emotionally attached” to projects in startups, asking candidates to talk about how they reacted when an initiative was scrapped.

Likewise, Tonal’s Steve Moser said humility and the ability to navigate ambiguity are a must:

“You have to be able to make decisions on the fly, and at any level in a startup, you might be handling something that is a ‘first’ for the company.”

The Role of Credentials

When it comes to getting hired, everyone wants to know: Which credentials actually matter?

Do health and fitness companies require industry-specific experience? What about your alma mater or field of study?

Truth is, it depends. From what we heard, qualifications are often role-specific—some demand more education or hands-on experience than others. More telling, though, was the number of companies who over-index on intangible factors like—you guessed it—passion.

At an early-stage company like Wellory, CEO Emily Hochman cares more about work ethic and an all-in mentality than where you went to school.

Strava’s Chief People Officer Michele Bousquet explained that “credentials are only one piece of the puzzle,” stressing the importance of authenticity and understanding how an individual will strengthen Strava’s culture.

Straight to the point, Oura’s Leanne Loveday-Smith said: “Your accomplishments matter. Your passion matters. Where you went to school does not matter.”

Land Your Dream Job

As we mentioned at the outset, in speaking with employers and job seekers, we’ve made introductions on both sides of the hiring equation.

And for weeks, on LinkedIn and in this email, we’ve showcased job openings. But those efforts aren’t nearly as scalable or accessible as they could be. So, we built something much more useful.

Introducing Fitt Jobs: a curated, industry-specific platform featuring job openings at leading health, wellness, and fitness companies.

Of note, this is not a pay-to-post jobs board. Custom built, it’s designed to surface opportunities that would be of interest to our community.

Keep in mind: While we’re beyond excited to share it with all of you, know that it’s a work in progress — we’re already heads down adding more companies and features!