Pulse January / February 2020 | Page 32

MEMBER PERSPECTIVES CONTINUED Before receiving the departmental manual, each new hire goes to milk + honey spa’s Austin, Texas, headquarters for an onboarding session, which includes a presentation on the company and the completion of any necessary paperwork. Much like Altitude Spa, each employee receives a welcome gift: milk + honey products. Since milk + honey products are both used in the spa’s services and offered in retail, familiarizing new hires with the products is essential. Sokolow also notes that extensive sales training is a keystone of their onboarding process. Milk + honey’s trainers are themselves trained on Altitude Spa's massage therapists onboard quite quickly, while other positions receive more extensive initial training. sales, which enables them to offer high-level sales education to new hires. The changes milk + honey spa has made to its onboarding and training programs have paid dividends. In addition to the $60,000 in new revenue, Sokolow credits the revamp with boosting customer retention: As a Forbes-starred property, St. Julien Hotel & Spa prioritizes ongoing training for its employees. 30 PULSE ■ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020