CareerPlug

10/02/2026

If you're hiring at a gym or studio right now, there's a reason applicants feel harder to find. October is the busiest month of the year for fitness job postings, and applicant supply drops to 67 per posting, down from 113 in May.

The fix depends on the role:
→ Personal trainers: the qualified pool is small, so look to your own members, certification partners, and referrals from trainers you already have.
→ Sales and membership: you'll get applicants, so let the posting do the screening. Put the commission structure and what the job looks like day to day in the ad itself.
→ Every role: candidates who apply through your own careers page convert to hires at 1.5x the job board rate.

Get the 2026 fitness hiring benchmarks here: https://hubs.ly/Q04z1hw40

10/01/2026

We're honored to be ranked #2 in Technology on Entrepreneur's 2026 Top Franchise Suppliers list!

At CareerPlug, we have one focus: helping franchise brands hire and keep great people. Seeing that work recognized alongside the best in franchise tech means a lot to our whole team.

To the 400+ franchise brands and 60,000+ locations who trust us with their hiring and retention: thank you. Your feedback shapes everything we build, and your wins are the reason we do this.

We make hiring easier, and we're just getting started!

09/30/2026

09/30/2026

Big news — our CEO Clint Smith is speaking at the FBR Summit this October!

Clint will be leading a working roundtable for franchise people leaders on how franchisors support franchisees with hiring, retention, and people operations — grounded in research CareerPlug and Franchise Business Review have been building together.

Catch Clint's session at the HR Pre-Conference Workshop, October 28-30.

09/28/2026

Building franchisee leaders takes more than good training, it takes the data to know it's actually working. Tomorrow, AC Inc. Field Coach Experts kicks off Building Better Business Owners with a practical roadmap for franchisee leadership and staffing. We follow next Tuesday with the people metrics that show whether it's landing.

Different sessions, one connected playbook that is built for franchise executives, field coaches, and operations leaders who want to strengthen franchisee performance across their system.

We can't wait to see everyone for Part 1 tomorrow! Register for the series → https://hubs.ly/Q04yss7R0

09/25/2026

We had a great time at . Carla and Jace got to know so many small business owners and learned about the ways they're growing their businesses. Definitely the best part of the week. More pics & insights to come! 🤘 Thanks for having us

09/22/2026

When David Brunick opened eight Ellie Mental Health clinics in eighteen months, he knew hiring the right therapists was the only thing standing between his clinics and the clients who needed them.

Speed became the biggest challenge, and the team understood that good candidates don't wait around. New data shows David and his team cut their average contact time with applicants by 76% and found that their own careers page was quietly outperforming the job boards they'd been leaning on.

Swipe to see more or read the full story:
https://hubs.ly/Q04y2pCM0

09/21/2026

Meet the speakers behind Building Better Business Owners 👋 Jennifer Brannon and Stephanie Benze (AC Inc.) and Clint Smith (CareerPlug) team up for a two-part series on franchisee leadership, staffing, and the people data that drives performance.

If you're a franchise leader, field coach, or operations pro responsible for franchisee performance — this one's for you. Sept 29 and Oct 6. Register at https://hubs.ly/Q04xht0S0

09/16/2026

Chris spent the week in Washington, DC at the IFA Advocacy Summit, joining over 600 franchise leaders on Capitol Hill to advocate for the American Franchise Act. It was inspiring to hear from industry leaders on what's at stake for franchise owners and the future of the model. Proud to stand behind an industry working to protect opportunities for current and future franchise entrepreneurs.

09/15/2026

Year 19. Summit 5. Boulder, CO 🏔️ https://hubs.ly/Q04xhzFj0

Once a year, our remote team gets together to soak it in, build trust, and remember why we do what we do: one hire can change everything for a small business owner.

Here's to the CareerPlug team!

Highlight video from our annual company event in Boulder, CO on Jul...