‘ Oh , I already know somebody there .’”
Another potentially less obvious — but vitally important — benefit of proactively establishing a presence in these institutions is that it can allow spa leaders to offer insight into the kinds of opportunities that the spa industry may present students , even if they may have their sights set elsewhere .“ Schools — especially massage schools — don ’ t always do the best job of talking about spas ,” says Martin . “ They make it sound like we ’ re a factory and we only do ‘ fluff ’ massage — that we aren ’ t really serious in the massage game . I think a lot of massage therapists go into school , and they want to do this great work and really change the world through massage , and I think that they aren ’ t always thinking they can do that [ in a spa ], or that they ’ re only going to see people once a year or something .” By acting as informational conduit between students and the industry in this way , spa leaders can shape students ’ perception of spa to a degree and perhaps even pull a student with no existing designs on a career in spa into the industry ’ s talent pipeline .
For spa leaders
eager to broaden their reach and visibility among potential employees in their area , Mandy Warr recommends keeping a couple of things in mind . The first is that it is just as critical to set clear expectations for every stakeholder .“ The investment has to be understood across the chain ,” Warr says . “ I set expectations internally that we ’ re making this investment with money and resources and time , but then also with the students and interns , setting those expectations that we want you to excel , and it ’ s going to take a little investment on your end too , to get there . In the end , we ’ ll all be rewarded because we ’ ll have this great relationship .”
Warr also stresses the importance of establishing a formal framework for any relationships that a spa forms with a local school , especially if it develops into something like an internship program .“ Even if it takes a couple of meetings , sitting down with whoever the stakeholders are between your spa and the school and formalizing that relationship goes a long way ,” Warr explains .“ It ’ s easy to form bonds with a certain person , but then what happens is that the person leaves the school or the spa , and then that relationship is gone . So , if you formalize that connection , it has longer ties , so that as those people leave , the relationship is transferred .”
Further advice comes from Luba Sasowski , who urges spa and business leaders to consider approaching the current generation of prospective professionals a little differently .“ Gone are the days of ,‘ I ’ m a business owner and I own this great company , and I know the value that I can bring to you , and you should come to me ,” says Sasowski .“ They want to know what they ’ re signing up for and what they ’ re getting in for , so we need to explain to them what value we will bring into their life .”
For the many spa leaders who have found staffing a particular difficult challenge to overcome ( pandemic or no pandemic ), reaching out to local schools that offer massage therapy , esthetics or other programs related to spa may be an important step on the road to developing a more robust and reliable talent pipeline . Even if the relationship doesn ’ t become something as involved as an internship program , being able to speak to classes , share materials , answer questions and perhaps participate in a career fair can be great ways to showcase careers in spa , bring talented individuals into the industry and even put a dent in the industry ’ s talent shortage while you ’ re at it . ■
“ I set expectations internally that we ’ re making this investment with money and resources and time , but then also with the students and interns , setting those expectations that we want you to excel , and it ’ s going to take a little investment on your end too , to get there . In the end , we ’ ll all be rewarded because we ’ ll have this great relationship .”
— MANDY WARR
18 PULSE ■ JUNE 2021