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The beauty industry is known for its high employee turnover.
The question – why is this happening, and can we shift this paradigm?
When I started my business in 2000, our salon was no different than many: a revolving door of departing talented and rising absenteeism. It wasn’t until I looked at our salon structure that the underlying problem hit me: Our busy workplace was too rigid.
Unfortunately, we were not focused on the needs of our people, the soul of our business, the drivers of our success – the talented stylists, colourists, and administration teams. We were stuck in an outdated approach that largely ignored the need for an innovative and flexible ‘employee experience’ – something that’s so important to today’s talented professionals.
Today’s owners and team leaders in the salon/spa environments are realizing the need to embrace the changing workweek and accommodate the preferences of their staff. After all, putting a team together is more than just finding the right fit for your salon. You also need to make the fit right for each employee. Think about it: We accommodate the appointments for our guests who have busy lives. Shouldn’t we give our talented teams the same consideration?
The paradigm shift – a focus on work-life balance.
Today’s stylists want more flexibility to start late, finish early or reduce their days per week by condensing their schedules. Some working moms or dads need the flexibility to drop off or pick up children or manage their family responsibilities. Other employees want time to invest in their careers by furthering their education. The reasons are as varied as the individuals on your team.
Our own efforts to focus on staff by listening to their needs and responding in a collaborative manner that reshapes the employer-employee relationship has fostered a culture of trust and understanding in our busy workplace. Employees feel heard and the revolving door has come to a halt.
As a successful salon owner, we have innovative policies in place and are pursuing our vision to create an incredible salon experience for both our team and our guests. The results have been undeniably positive for everyone involved – we now have a team of 15, most of whom have been with us 8 to 17 years.
Tell me what keeps you up at night.
How is your salon dealing with the revolving door syndrome?
How have you embraced the changing workweek for your team?
Please share your thoughts at peter@salonsmartz.com