massage therapists on proper body mechanics to reduce wear and tear on their bodies in the face of sky-high demand for services .
“ It was a great way to bring him on site to not only train and enrich our massage therapists , but to also open up that invite out to anyone licensed in the state and expose them to our property , how we treat our associates , what our culture is like and what the spa experience is like ,” says Fields .“ And it ’ s not like it really costs the company any more to have the on-site training . Of course , we covered their meals and everything during the training , but the expense is not large at all , and we were able to make an immediate hire from one of those events . Whenever we get an inquiry from someone who might be aware that we provide this continuing education training , they are very interested in being a part of the team , almost like that ’ s the driving factor ,” he explains .
Natalie Koshowski echoes Fields ’ s observation about the high regard in which many employees hold opportunities to upskill or cross-train , and all three leaders recognize the role that those opportunities can play in retaining
team members . As Koshowski notes , giving employees a clear path to growth , advancement and better compensation is critical to keeping them engaged .“ You do all these extras to keep your employees happy ,” says Koshowski , “ and that ’ s your return as well . You want them to feel fulfilled in their life , whether it ’ s at work or outside of work .” To that end , spa leaders may do well to think of crosstraining and skill expansion among their team members as more than just a way to shore up potential gaps in offerings or to create more versatility within their ranks . It also provides those leaders a way to highlight how potential hires and current employees might proceed through a spa career . Each of the leaders Pulse spoke to for this piece shared that they have had employees who moved from one role in their spa or on the property to another , partly as a result of the support they received from their spa .
For Natalie Koshowski , such instances have become increasingly common . Upon reopening after the pandemicrelated lockdown , she added attendants to the spa staff for the first time .“ Every single one of them has gone back
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“ We hire a lot of aspiring massage therapists , estheticians and cosmetologists — some of them while they ’ re in school — as front desk staff at the spa .”
22 PULSE n OCTOBER 2022