Having a great spa menu doesn’t do you any good if you don’t have experienced and reliable staff to administer those services. A strong staff is an undeniable asset for any spa. Having a dependable, well-trained staff ensures you’ll be able to meet the needs of your clients and capitalize on the holiday rush.
Whether you’re opening your spa for the first time or bringing some extra staff on board, taking your time to complete the process thoughtfully is essential.
Here are 7 simple tips for hiring the best employees for your spa.
1. Do the research to determine your spa’s staffing needs.
As a business owner, one of your primary goals is to make a profit. In the spa industry, that means having enough staff to meet your clients’ needs without having extraneous employees. Doing some market research ahead of time is an essential step in creating a solid business plan. If you do it right, you should have projections on potential business to get an idea how many staff members you need. Depending what scheduling model you use, you may be able to adjust hours for your staff from week to week, but you’ll still need a large enough pool to draw from.
2. Offer competitive pay and attractive incentives.
Particularly in the current climate, individuals have plenty of opportunities for employment, so you’ll need to give potential staff a reason to want to work for you. Hourly pay appeals to larger, more established businesses with high client volume because scheduling is done in advance. Commission-only employment makes sense in other cases because it incentivizes the employee to deliver quality services and promote product sales. To attract employees, consider offering a combination of hourly pay and commissions. Your staff will appreciate having reliable income but will still be incentivized to upsell.
3. Choose employees who fit your company culture.
The key to success with any spa is to provide clients with a unique and unforgettable experience. That means cultivating a welcoming environment and setting your spa apart from the competition. When hiring employees, it’s important to choose people who fit your company culture. When interviewing your candidates, be sure to cater some of your questions to determine whether they’re a good fit.
4. Study each candidate’s resume in detail.
Hiring can be a lengthy process, but it’s one worth doing well. Being too hasty to fill out your staff could lead to mistakes that could negatively impact client experience and your bottom line. Before you invite candidates in for an interview, be sure to study their resume to make sure they meet your qualifications. Gaps in employment and the like aren’t necessarily a red flag but are definitely worth addressing with a potential employee during an interview if you decide to take them to the next level.
5. Assess each candidate’s communication skills and skincare knowledge.
Your spa will only succeed if your staff are knowledgeable and experienced, but they also need to be able to communicate with your clients. During an interview, be sure to assess both the candidate’s communication skills and their skincare knowledge. As a second level for candidates who show particular promise, you may even want to test their technical skills by having them administer a test treatment. Just keep in mind that you’re evaluating for general skill and knowledge – you’ll still need to train new employees in your specific spa practices.
6. Consider offering a probationary employment period.
All new employees will need to undergo training, but beyond training you’ll need time to determine whether the individual is truly a good fit for your spa. Offering new employees a 3-month probationary period of employment means prospective employees will have clear expectations going into the job and you’ll have the freedom not to offer them a full-time job if things don’t work out. At the end of the three months, conduct a performance review. Be sure to provide constructive feedback for the prospective employee, but also give them the opportunity to give you feedback about their experience.
7. Develop a relationship with schools and certificate programs in the area.
The unfortunate truth is that the spa industry has a fairly high turnover rate, so you may find yourself constantly in a state of hiring. Job fairs are a great place to find new employees, but it’s also a good idea to develop a relationship with esthetician schools and programs in your area. Offering current students internships in a support position with the opportunity to move into a full-time licensed position after graduation is a great way to find prospective new employees and to foster company loyalty.
Your spa is only as strong as your staff, so don’t take them for granted. While it’s easy to zero in on meeting the needs of your client base during the holiday season, don’t forget to check in with your staff to make sure their needs are being met. Be as flexible as you can to accommodate holiday commitments and hire extra staff ahead of the holiday season to help where needed.