BY KRISTINE HUFFMAN

Throughout 2024 , Pulse will feature interviews and insights about front desk and frontline roles , highlighting opportunities for career development within the spa industry .

Kristine Huffman for Pulse : You ’ re responsible for operations at many different facilities . What is the best approach to preparing your team members for an emergency ? Rachael McCrory : Being a part of a large corporation , we are fortunate to have an extensive online learning platform that covers a range of subjects from emergency response and fire procedure to active attack situations . In addition , properties have safety preparedness plans that also cover unique nuances in their region , such as natural disasters .

One of the most important things you can do is review those plans on a regular basis . It ’ s not a topic you bring up at pre-shift and everybody gets excited to role play , but it ’ s one that is so important , because when you ’ re in an emergency situation , it can be life or death and you know what to do .

Practice is critical . You can only explain so much , versus having to go in and act it out to create the memory that way . You need to physically go through it to train the mind

Rachael McCrory is a spa and wellness expert with more than 15 years of global experience in spa operations and development . McCrory ’ s career spans the globe ; she has managed locations and completed projects in nearly 20 countries in both corporate and consulting capacities . She is currently the regional director of spa and wellness for Hilton for the U . S . and Canada , overseeing the operations , performance and openings for the managed spa estate .

and train the body . An example of this could be making your morning pre-shift a walking one where a team member helps to lead the team through the evacuation route . The responses that are most successful are ones where everybody is clear on what to do and where to go .

32 PULSE n JULY / AUGUST 2024