“ I ’ ve always built teams from a culture standpoint , and I ’ ve worked on this for the last 30 years and I ’ ve made a ton of mistakes , but culture and the power of “ why ” is a really strong reason why people want to join you .”
a first choice for graduating high school students ?
ISPA demonstrated tremendous leadership with our Spa Reopening Toolkit , and we would like to present a toolkit to help operators with [ people changing careers and graduating students ] because they ’ re both equally important , and the opportunity is there in both . The spa business is a great choice . For people that don ’ t even know it ’ s an option , we need to get that out there .
P : What can spas be doing to market themselves as that kind of landing spot ? AS : I think it starts with culture . That ’ s how you ’ re going to connect — people are looking for a connection , they ’ re looking for a place to belong . They want to know that your company cares . We ’ ve seen that during the pandemic , and that ’ s gotten to our members — the
ISPA Reopening Toolkit was really balanced with safety of the employees and the safety of the guests . Going forward , we need to keep that narrative , that it ’ s not just about the guests , it ’ s about the staff taking care of each other . I ’ ve always built teams from a culture standpoint , and I ’ ve worked on this for the last 30 years and made a ton of mistakes , but culture and the power of “ why ” is a really strong reason why people want to join you .
P : Is that the same recipe spas should use to retain employees as well ? AS : One-hundred percent . The best tool to avoid having to go out and look for staff is to take care of the current staff . That really affects you if you ’ re continually short staffed . What if we weren ’ t ? To keep good staff takes work . I always say that first because people think some leaders are just lucky , or it ’ s just the demographics . There ’ s not really luck — it ’ s work , and then you ’ ll get good fortune from putting in the work . When I say ‘ work ,’ I mean you take the time to give your team the tools to be successful . That means you have to ask them what that means . When a leader has strong people that they have nurtured and taken the time to talk to and ask them what they need , they can then spend time providing processes that work , looking at technology that could make their job better . Those things take time , but if those are the things the staff needs , that ’ s where leaders need to spend their time .
Some spa directors or managers will spend the time just standing next to the staff and helping them in the moment , which is fine in the short term . But if a spa leader continually just says I ’ m standing here and helping you ,
JUNE 2021 ■ PULSE 29