2022 CONFERENCE
signs to look for and be mindful about them . That ’ s a huge shift .
P : Have leaders and organizations handled that shift well overall ? B : It ’ s organization to organization . I think some did a really good job . From the start [ of the pandemic ] they had a lot of touch points , they stayed in contact , they were vulnerable , they were agile and they really focused on building a culture of well-being from the get-go . Others kind of let it happen and wished for the best , but I think where we are now is the challenge of people not wanting to come back or the challenge of not finding talent . Right now , the pain point is getting back to a new normal , whatever that looks like . How do we shift knowing that we have to embrace this constant state of flux ? Leaders have to be much more emotionally intelligent . Leaders have to work hard on relationships and being good coaches . We ’ re in that mode right now . I wouldn ’ t be surprised if applicants say , “ Hey , what did your employer do for you during COVID ,” because that tells you where their heart was , you know ?
P : Making those shifts you mention and finding creative solutions to talent challenges is especially crucial in the spa industry , where those challenges pre-date the pandemic . How can recruitment and retention strategies address those issues ? B : If you look at what companies are doing across the industry , whether large or small , is they ’ re focused a lot on the whole employee experience , which is good because for years , we talked only about the customer experience . These things that weren ’ t talked about prior to COVID have come to the forefront . How do you communicate to job applicants your focus on mental health , wellness and social responsibility ? When an applicant looks at your website , are you telling them what that looks like ? What are you talking about in your value statement ? We ’ ve got to figure out innovative ways to attract people to an industry that is all about mental health and wellness . It ’ s right at the forefront of what needs attention .
It ’ s telling that story better and making sure that you have really good practices in place to hire people . People don ’ t always come up with a hiring strategy , but Harvard Business Review says 80 percent of turnover is because of bad hiring decisions . That ’ s because [ leaders ] are not always asking questions about careers and what would keep an employee [ with their organization ]. People have to be so much more mindful about the whole process because the cost of turnover is two to five times an annual salary — that ’ s a lot of money . It ’ s a bottom-line issue .
“ I wouldn ’ t be surprised if applicants say , ‘ Hey , what did your employer do for you during COVID ,’ because that tells you where their heart was , you know ?”
MAY / JUNE 2022 • PULSE 13