“It is amazing not to be stressed
out about staffing issues.
It’s actually blissful!”
— cHristiNE MaclEod, director of Spa, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper, canada
volunteer within the community together
once a month. We absolutely adore it.”
Speaking a bit on other industry
challenges, MacLeod mentioned that
while staffing has improved immensely,
retail is the arena to be tackled next.
“Retail is always a challenge,” she
says. “But it’s on the rise for us. For
most spas, retail presents a huge oppor-
tunity for revenue that can always be
improved, and that can only be accom-
plished with your staffing pillar.” n
after four years of carrying out the
$1,000 sign-on bonus, only three people
have left and had to pay back the bonus.
“It is amazing to not be stressed out
about staffing issues,” MacLeod laughs.
“It’s actually blissful!”
leading a Happy team
MacLeod also has an open-door policy
with her staff, where she conducts
monthly team-building gatherings and
activities. Effective communication is at
the forefront of sustaining her valuable
team. When things get busy (as they
frequently do), she makes a point to
conduct monthly one-on-ones with each
employee to ensure they are on the path
to success.
The more open you are with your
employees, the more open they will be
with you. MacLeod has proven that if you
make it known from the very beginning
that you have their best interests at heart
and are willing to accommodate their
requests if they are willing to work hard—
and stay with you!
Retention for MacLeod is also based
on ensuring her staff is happy, which has
proven successful by listening to their
ideas and involving them in decision-
making. She noted that in the New Year,
the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge will be
moving more in the direction of self-led
teams.
“We want our employees to know that
their opinions matter,” MacLeod remarks.
“We are executing more of a collaborative
environment: having employees lead their
own meetings without management,
having their opinions truly heard, and
coming up with the best resolution to be
approved.”
MacLeod commented that her
employees were “extremely energized”
and “very happy” upon word of the self-
led plan, explaining that it is her priority
to make them feel more valued.
“We promote a ‘family’ environment,”
she notes. “We go on one outing per
month with no talk of work, and we also
sPa QuicK facts
spa open date: october 2010
facilities/amenities: 10 treatment
rooms including two couples
suites, nail salon, hair salon,
Reflections Lounge, full-service
fitness facility, eucalyptus steam
rooms, saunas, 20 person outdoor
hot tub and outdoor pool (both
with stunning view of Lac Beauvert
and the Rocky Mountains), food
and drink offerings.
Percentage of guests (male vs.
female): Male 26% vs. Female 74%
Number of full-time spa staff: 20
spa, 12 recreation (summer)
Product lines used: Kerstin Florian,
Tata Harper, jane iredale, Eufora
Most used marketing channel:
Social Media
Website:
myfairmont.com/jasper/spa
facebook:
FairmontJasperParkLodge
instagram: @fairmontjpl
twitter: @fairmontjpl
March/April 2018
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