Here is why CrossFitters make great employees

Source: CrossFit Full Potential

CrossFitters recognize that good outcomes only come with hard work, and lots of it.  For that reason, it generally attracts people who are willing to make sacrifices and go the extra mile to get results both in the gym and at work.

If you want to hire top performers who have staying power hire people who do CrossFit. Here are eight reasons why CrossFitters make great employees.

 1.      They are able to work with a variety of people

In business it is essential to be able to work with a variety of different people – people within different departments, at different levels within the company, even across various industries.  However, many employees don’t have this capability and they fall flat.  CrossFitters excel in this area.  On a typical day a CrossFit class is comprised of people who have attended just one class and people who have been religiously attending CrossFit for several years, ex-Marines, pregnant women, people in their 20’s, and people in their 70s.  There are people who have been athletes their whole life and people for whom CrossFit is their first foray into an active lifestyle.  Because there are such a variety of people at CrossFit, when team or partner work comes into play it is essential to, seamlessly, be able to work with anyone and everyone.

 2.      They are willing to try new things

Business is ever evolving.  In order to stay competitive it is essential that your business is willing to try new things, to be inventive, to be creative, and to be able to be willing to change.  An employee who is unwilling to try new things becomes a barrier to change and to the evolution of your company.  CrossFit is about trying new things and not getting bogged down with routine; CrossFitters train to be ready for the “unknown and unknowable.”

 3.      They are willing to go beyond their comfort zone

A step beyond trying new things is stepping outside of the comfort zone.  Going beyond the comfort zone involves risk and can lead to failure.  Because of this, many employees are unwilling to go beyond their comfort zone.  However, employees who are willing to take this leap are typically those who bring creativity, drive, and innovation to the company.  CrossFit encourages people to go beyond their comfort zone and, by nature, the majority of CrossFitters leap at this chance.

 4.      They can recognize their limits

Everyone has their limits.  An employee who is able to recognize his or her limits is much more effective and efficient than an employee who cannot recognize their limits.  If your employee knows the right time to ask for help your guidance you are lucky. CrossFitters are adept at knowing their limits; in CrossFit knowing your limits is essential in that going beyond can result in injury.

 5.      They are willing to tackle seemingly insurmountable problems

Many employees tackle the small problems and leave the big ones alone hoping someone else will take them on.  Or, even worse, some employees are so focused on the small problems they don’t even notice that there are bigger problems which need to be addressed.  Each workout of the day (WOD) presents seemingly insurmountable problems.  That CrossFitters choose to do an activity which consistently presents participants with seemingly insurmountable problems tells you a lot about the drive of CrossFitters.

 6.      They like challenge

Employees who like to play it safe and easy are not going to be top performers.  If you want top performers, look for employees who embrace challenge.  CrossFitters embrace challenge.  For example, a couple weeks ago the WOD was to, as a team of three, deadlift 25,000 pounds.  My team was comprised of an ex-professional hockey player, a woman in her 30’s who was relatively new to CrossFit, and me (5’1” and not easily mistaken for the world’s strongest woman).  Faced with a big challenge and a diverse team (see #1) – we dove in…headfirst.

 7.      They work hard

Dan Vadala, business consultant and owner of CrossFit Full Potential, describes the work ethic of CrossFitters: “CrossFitters recognize that good outcomes only come with hard work, and lots of it.  For that reason, it generally attracts people who are willing to make sacrifices and go the extra mile to get results both in the gym and at work.”  Moreover, Vadala notes that he sees positive transformations in those who do CrossFit: “CrossFit has the capacity to transform people into the types of performers and self-starters that employers are finding harder and harder to recruit.”

 8.      They are supportive

A good employee will support others through the good and the bad.  A supportive employee will be the first to recognize their peers for a job well done, and be the first to provide guidance to those who appear to be struggling.  A supportive employee is good for morale and good for your company.  CrossFitters are a supportive bunch.  I have never participated in another activity in which there has been so much support from so many people.  “Nice work!”, and “Well done!” is heard over and over again as are little tidbits of information such as “That looks great, but if you try moving your grip a little you’ll be amazed by what you can do.”