“A better path may be to bring on one
or two fewer in order to maintain the right
level of compensation and keep
higher-skilled workers engaged.”
Fear may be part of the problem for some companies.
In light of the cutbacks and layoffs from a few months
ago, some spas may worry about being seen as weak or
unstable. The truth of the matter is that you’re not alone
in having to deal with social distancing and mandated
closures. “The work done in our facilities was cutoff.” “We
could not display our ‘best’ or even our ‘mediocre’ if we
wanted to.” “We were limited greatly.” To that end, this
story is the same for other companies vying for new talent
while trying to bring back former staff. Your organization
needs to lean on what it’s doing to come back.
Setting the table by sharing where you’ve been, what
you had to do and why you’re better able to move forward
will be a story that is unique to your spa. If you are wanting
to bring back quality talent and find more like them,
then you will have to tell your story. The circumstances of
the last few months may be the same for other establishments,
but the manner with which you handled it in yours
matters to people. Point to the concepts of stability, kindness
and mission as you craft your story.
And make sure those telling the story are reading from
the same script. That’s not to say it should be delivered
like some customer service rote memorization, but rather
that it should be one that, in concept and detail, is consistent
in leadership’s retelling. It is the story of the establishment,
not one person’s plight as to how he/she/they dealt
with it. For hiring and retention, this story highlights
truths about the spa and why it’s the right place to work.
46 PULSE ■ JUNE 2020