Pulse July 2021 | Page 43

“ One of the most powerful ways I ’ ve found to approach career pathing is really a back-to-basics conversation and talking to your employees . Ask them , ‘ Hey , what ’ s your end goal ? What do you want to do ? Let ’ s talk about how you can get there .’” — TRACEY KALIMERIS important , because when you ’ re having your candidates apply , is it easy ? Is it hard ? Is it welcoming ? I look at it kind of like a honeymoon period and look at it like a relationship ,” said Zemel .“ So when you ’ re just meeting someone , you want all the bells and whistles , and you want to introduce all the good things .”
Those questions were addressed directly by one Knowledge Builder Session , “ Talent Management Strategies That Help Your Business Out ,” which featured expert panelists from some of the most well-established companies working in the spa and hospitality industries today .
Covering subjects from the use of social media in recruitment to pressing talent trends , those panelists left spa leaders with plenty of key takeaways to consider as they develop , augment or even fully reconstruct their talent strategies .
building relationships
Panelist Andrea Zemel , people & culture at Trilogy Spa Holdings , began the session by encouraging attendees to think of the hiring process as something more than an attempt to simply fill a vacant position . “ Your candidate experience , for me … is by far the most

“ One of the most powerful ways I ’ ve found to approach career pathing is really a back-to-basics conversation and talking to your employees . Ask them , ‘ Hey , what ’ s your end goal ? What do you want to do ? Let ’ s talk about how you can get there .’” — TRACEY KALIMERIS important , because when you ’ re having your candidates apply , is it easy ? Is it hard ? Is it welcoming ? I look at it kind of like a honeymoon period and look at it like a relationship ,” said Zemel .“ So when you ’ re just meeting someone , you want all the bells and whistles , and you want to introduce all the good things .”

That sentiment was shared by fellow panelist — and Head of Talent Acquisition for WTS International — Angela Biehl , who noted that this relationship begins before a candidate ever makes contact with a hiring spa . “ There has to be a real ‘ why ’ for the brand that draws in not only customers , but employees ,” Biehl explained .“ People can see what you do online and who you are as a company — that includes great reviews from your employees . That ’ s actually a fairly easy one to manage . Simply requesting reviews from current employees so that you have people that are giving reviews who are actively there , instead of people that have left , can have a significant impact on your scores online . When you know you have great team members who are engaged or just had a promotion , being able to reach out to them and say ,‘ Hey , congratulations ! Why don ’ t you share your story ?’ can go a long way to improving your brand online .”
Because workplace culture is one of the biggest factors driving the engagement of potential hires , and because a spa ’ s culture is on display in everything from their social media posts to their Glassdoor reviews to the
JULY 2021 PULSE 41