Retaining Your Climbing Gym Staff: An Exercise

If you are worried or concerned about employee retention, you are not alone. According to Gallup’s 2025 Employee Retention & Attraction Indicator, 52% of all U.S. employees are watching for or actively seeking a new job. Employee satisfaction throughout all industries is at a record low. The good news? This isn’t just an indoor climbing gym problem — most employers are struggling to keep their teams engaged and motivated.

There’s no shortage of resources on the topic. From the Four Pillars of Retention to the Three R’s and the Five C’s, there are countless frameworks designed to help leaders understand why people stay—or leave. These are all valuable tools, and I highly recommend digging into them.

But my goal with this article isn’t to repeat what’s already been published. A quick Google search can provide any climbing gym manager or owner with a wealth of information about employee retention. Instead, I want to make this piece a bit of an exercise challenge to look inward.

Through a series of honest, introspective questions, I hope to help gym managers gain insight into where their organizations excel, and where they might need more focus or improvement.

Competitive Compensation and Benefits

Let’s start with the most uncomfortable subject—employee pay. Compensation is the elephant in the room for nearly every organization, and the indoor climbing gym industry is no exception. It’s also one of the biggest reasons employees decide to leave.

Question 1: Do you know what the Living Wage rate is for your area of the country?

According to the Living Age Institute, “a living wage is what one full-time worker must earn on an hourly basis to help cover the cost of their family’s minimum basic needs where they live while still being self-sufficient.” If you don’t know the answer, I encourage you to use the Living Wage Calculator developed by MIT: [https://livingwage.mit.edu/]

If your climbing gym is unable to pay a living wage, at a minimum you should keep up with inflation.

For reference, the annual U.S. inflation rate for September 2025 was 3.0%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Question 2: Does your gym offer a living wage to all or some of its full-time employees?

Full-time employees are often the lowest-hanging fruit when it comes to retention—they’re the legs on which the business stands (metaphorically speaking).

I’m a big fan of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Financial security and a reliable source of income fall under “Safety, Security, and Protection”—the second level of Maslow’s pyramid. According to his theory, basic physiological and safety needs must be met before a person can focus on higher-level needs such as belonging, esteem, or self-actualization.

In other words, employees need to survive before they can thrive.

This brings us to the hardest question to answer: If an employee relied solely on their income from your climbing gym, could they meet their basic living expenses?

Question 3: Does your climbing gym offer healthcare to its employees?

Depending on the size of your company, you may be required by law to offer healthcare options to your staff. But beyond legal obligations, providing access to healthcare speaks to something much deeper. It’s about supporting your employees’ fundamental well-being.

Healthcare, like a living wage, falls under the second tier of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Safety, Security, and Protection. When employees know that they can afford to see a doctor or handle an unexpected medical expense, they feel safer and more stable.

Question 4: What additional benefits does your climbing gym offer to both full-time and part-time employees? 

Who gets paid time off (PTO)? Is there a way to make PTO accessible to everyone, even part-time employees? Does your company offer a retirement plan or other long-term financial benefits?

Answering the same questions your employees are already asking helps you understand their motivation. Benefits go beyond pay and healthcare; they reflect how much an organization truly values its people and their lives outside of work.

Even small gestures, like flexible scheduling, staff climbing perks, or paid training, can make a significant difference in morale, engagement, and retention.

Opportunities for Career Growth

A lack of internal mobility is one of the biggest reasons even the best employees leave a company. People are more likely to stay when they can see a future for themselves within the organization.

Question 1: What opportunities for career growth does your climbing gym offer?

Working in a climbing gym can be incredibly rewarding, but for some, especially those on the front desk team, it can also become repetitive over time. Employees are more likely to stay when they see a clear path forward. That’s why it’s essential that opportunities for advancement are transparent, realistic, and accessible.

A front desk employee might understand that becoming a shift lead or front desk manager is one possible trajectory for growth. But do they know what steps are required for promotion? Do they know how often these positions open, or what qualifications are needed? Clarity matters; it sets expectations and builds trust.

Growth doesn’t always have to be vertical; it can also be lateral or project-based. Cross training throughout various departments allows employees to develop new skills and keep their day-to-day work fresh and engaging. For example, youth program coaches can be trained to work at the front desk, competitive team coaches can learn to set routes, and routesetters and instructors often make excellent coaches. Lateral mobility is quite common in climbing gyms, and in most cases, it leads to higher job satisfaction, stronger performance, and ultimately, better employee retention.

Question 2: Can you afford to create new positions or growth opportunities within your climbing gym?

Retention in a climbing gym can come with an unexpected downside—when managers and leaders stay long-term, there’s often little room for others to move up. As a result, some of your best employees may leave simply because a “spot” doesn’t exist—and won’t anytime soon.

Sometimes, though, new positions create themselves. As your customer base grows or evolves, you might see increased demand for new programs, classes, or specialized services. These changes can naturally lead to new roles within the climbing gym. And as the business expands, additional tiers of leadership may become not just possible, but necessary.

From a business standpoint, creating new roles can be challenging. Each position must be justified—not only in terms of job responsibilities, but also financially. Retaining talented employees is a strong reason to add new roles and expand responsibilities, but it isn’t always sufficient when considering the company’s bottom line and long-term survival.

Ask yourself: Are we creating this position for the person, or for the company? If that employee were to leave, would the position dissolve into thin air—or would the need for it still exist?

Positive Work Environment and Company Culture

From the outside, working at an indoor climbing gym sounds like a dream job—and for most of us, it kind of is. Working at a climbing gym can be an incredibly fun and rewarding experience — until it isn’t.  A gym’s culture can make or break the job.

Question: What kind of culture exists within your climbing gym?

Is it open, supportive, and communicative—or does it feel disorganized, cliquey, or inconsistent? Do employees feel heard and respected? Do they trust leadership to act transparently and follow through on commitments?

A healthy culture doesn’t just happen by accident; it’s shaped daily by how leaders communicate, how feedback is handled, and how success is shared. Taking the time to honestly assess your climbing gym’s culture is the first step toward building a place where employees want to stay.

Recognition and Appreciation

Retention isn’t just about pay, benefits, or career growth. Recognition plays a huge role as well. Employees who feel seen, valued, heard and appreciated are far more likely to stay long-term.

Question: How often do you recognize employees for their contributions?

Recognition can take many forms. Simple verbal praise, whether in the moment or afterward, is often enough. And keep it real; most people can tell when a compliment isn’t genuine. Public shoutouts, whether in front of other employees or the climbing community, are another great way to show employees they matter. And naturally, small gifts or bonuses don’t hurt either.

Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a critical factor in employee satisfaction and retention. Employees who feel overworked are more likely to experience burnout, decreased engagement, and ultimately, consider leaving.

Question 1: Do your employees have a good work-life balance?

In the indoor climbing gym industry, irregular schedules, evening shifts, and weekend work are common—which makes maintaining work-life balance even more challenging. It’s important to remember that what works for one employee may not work for another. Some may crave a consistent schedule, while others prefer flexibility and variety. 

Question 2: Do you have a fair and transparent time-off request policy?

Employees notice if time-off requests are handled inconsistently or if certain staff members are routinely prioritized over others. Ensuring that your time-off policies are fair and transparent helps build trust, prevent resentment, and maintain morale.

Wrapping It Together

Employee retention doesn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of intentional leadership, honest reflection, and a genuine commitment to building a healthy workplace culture. Pay, benefits, and recognition all play important roles, but so do transparency, respect, and the willingness to listen.

As managers and owners, it’s worth asking ourselves the hard questions. Are we creating an environment where employees can see a future? Do they feel valued and heard? Are we giving them the resources they need to not just survive—but truly thrive?

About the Author

Ashley Routson is the General Manager of Planet Rock Climbing Gyms in Madison Heights, MI. She is a proud graduate of THE Ohio State University, where she was a member of both the varsity swimming team and varsity rowing team. Ashley came to the indoor climbing industry after nearly two decades of working in the restaurant and craft beer industries. She is also the author of The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer--a comprehensive book detailing all things craft beer. When she isn't pulling on plastic rocks in the gym, Ashley loves moderate trad and sport climbing in the great outdoors.