RETAINING ROCK STARS
Winning top talents doesn’t end after you bring them on board.
It’s equally important to create an environment that would
nurture their talents in order to retain them. To do this, WTS
International puts together personal development plans
customized for each team member and designed toward specific
career goals. Having such development plan in place makes sure
that a team member always has a new challenge at work with
an opportunity to grow and develop. “We also have an
employee recognition program that gives everyone on our team
an opportunity to be recognized throughout the year.
Demonstrating that you are invested in your team members as
people, helping them grow, and making sure that they are recognized will ensure that your team sees your spa as a place to
spend their career—not just another job,” Gudelsky says.
Aside from positive company culture, top talents appreciate regular feedback that would allow them to move up on
the career ladder. “People like to know where they stand and
what they can do to move to the next level,” Heslop says.
Training is also key, especially among those with “rock star
potential” who are often highly motivated to expand their
skill sets. “We recently brought in an outside-the-industry
expert to train our entire team on how to constantly improve
and add value to their lives and the business. It’s called
‘Kaizen’—a Japanese business philosophy of continual
improvement and personal practices,” he says.
Holm, on the other hand, relies on a robust training
calendar developed by its training director and on ISPA’s
resources to help build its top talents’ skill sets. “As an ISPA
member, I have always utilized the ISPA Certified Spa
Supervisor program, which includes the ISPA Supervisory Skill
Builder’s Series, to develop supervisors and managers,” he
“When we hire wrong, not
only do we lose money but
also time and employee
morale. The ultimate goal
is to get the best employees
into your spa, ones who
are passionate, talented
and committed to a career
they love.”
— Julie Pankey, Founder, JM Pankey Partners
says. “We also frequently trade services with other spas in
order to acknowledge our team, but also invite them to
benchmark other spas, so that they are more engaged in
continuous improvement.”
Hiring takes time and effort. “It can take months to fill a
position—and time is money,” says Pankey. However, if you put
all the hard work required to find top talents, the pay-off can be
far more than you can imagine. Finding rock star talents mean
creating an environment where only the best in the industry can
thrive—and that in itself is priceless to any business. n
WHAT ARE SOME of the common mistakes
to avoid when conducting job interviews? Click
here to read interview tips.
F E AT U R E D S O U R C E S
JULIE PANKEY
HENRY GUDELSKY
Founder
JM Pankey Partners
Director of Training
and Development
WTS International
NORTH BERWICK, MAINE
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND
WENDY
LISOGAR-COCCHIA
CEO • Absolute Spa
Group and Soluzione
Spa Products
PAUL HESLOP
THOR HOLM
Owner and CEO
Salt of the Earth
General Manager
Osmosis Day Spa
Sanctuary
WOODS CROSS, UTAH
FREESTONE, CALIFORNIA
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
CANADA
June 2016
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