UPSKILLED : Addressing Talent Challenges Through Cross-Training CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22
to school ,” she says .“ Two attendants are going back to school in the fall to become estheticians , and I had another one last year that went into massage therapy .” For an industry that has bemoaned the lack of qualified service providers available in the job market for years now , it can pay dividends to look close to home for employees who already fit well with the spa ’ s culture . An employee at the front desk may be a future star massage therapist : all it may take is some upfront investment in an education program .
Taylor Fields believes spas could do more to emphasize these opportunities for employees to grow .“ Various staff members from other areas of the hotels and resorts have entered that spa career path — that ’ s something I ’ ve personally witnessed happening organically in years past ,” he says .“ But I certainly think being more aggressive and promoting what these opportunities are across the properties can be a huge advantage to the spa department .”
Naturally , the effects of robust cross-training are most immediate for service providers , but Koshowski says that she too has benefited as a leader from the additional time invested alongside employees .“ I ’ m only 45 , but the last few years , I ’ ve had a harder time relating to younger employees . I ’ ve never felt like that before . Doing all that education [ during lockdown ] has actually helped me with retention . All these people I hired — they started , and then it was lockdown a week later — they ’ re still here . That time together seemed to really help .”
BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR Fulfillment and engagement are , of course , crucial aspects of employee retention , but so are compensation and revenue . Whether by rewarding team members based on the amount of training they ’ ve received or the number of modalities they become certified to work within , spa leaders can create appealing compensation frameworks to attract and keep good employees while also adding to the spa ’ s bottom line .
At PCH Hotels and Resorts , Taylor Fields says although service providers don ’ t receive additional compensation for being trained in a wider array of treatment modalities , specialized treatments are set at a higher price on the spa menu . Because the providers receive a commission based on the cost of service , those who broaden their skillsets
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24 PULSE n OCTOBER 2022