noted , spas may also have to assess candidates differently than they have in the past .“ We have to be flexible … and find what a candidate can bring to the table and not have to have them check all of our boxes ,” she said . “ That ’ s something we ’ ve already learned in the last couple of years with labor shortages prior to the pandemic — being flexible with schedules , being flexible with roles and maybe taking some jobs and combining them as opposed to having one role .”
Flexibility , as Brenda Helps explained , is important not just on the spa ’ s part when considering candidates but also when building the kind of culture needed to attract candidates who are more discerning than ever about the kind of environment in which they want to work .“ I certainly understand that you can ’ t give a massage remotely … but it ’ s about building in flexibility — and balance — where we can .” Helps added that balance — as in “ work-life balance ”— is sometimes misunderstood by leaders : it ’ s not as though candidates need a perfectly balanced amount of time at work and at home . Instead , balance is about the quality of that time . A workplace culture where employees can fully invest in work while they are on the clock while having the ability to truly unplug from work and fully invest in their personal lives when they are not is likely to be more appealing than a position with messier work-life boundaries .“ Something that I hear from candidates all the time is they want to understand upfront what they ’ re getting into ,” Helps said .
Helps also agreed with Ann Tucker ’ s point about adjusting expectations for potential employees , adding that investing in the growth of an employee who may not meet every preference listed on a job description can both help fill a need at the spa and assist leaders in building a culture both current and future employees are likely to respond to positively . “[ Candidates ] are looking for development opportunities , and if there ’ s one way that you can invest in people … I think anything that contributes to their development not just as a professional but as … a whole person —[ recognize ] those things . Give them opportunities to pursue them .”
Tucker also noted that spa leaders don ’ t have to go it alone when it comes to determining how the spa can support its existing and future employees . If a spa has HR professionals on staff , leaders should work with those individuals to encourage staff members to take full advantage of resources such as Employee Assistance Programs ( EAP ) that can contribute to employees ’ overall wellbeing . The benefits such programs provide can be an important selling point for a position in the spa and simultaneously contribute to its culture . And if the culture of your spa is a work in progress ? Be open with candidates about it and emphasize the role you would like them to have in shaping it . “ Not every culture is perfect ,” Helps said . “ It ’ s okay to tell candidates that , and hopefully they can contribute to making it better .” Those words are also a helpful reminder to spa leaders at a challenging moment in the industry : Your spa ’ s hiring situation may not be perfect , but as the panelists shared , there are ways to make it better , one step at a time . ■
Map Out the Path
AS EXECUTIVE RECRUITER BRENDA HELPS shared during the Town Hall , there are three basic approaches to talent acquisition occurring in the industry right now . Some are buying talent , using highly competitive compensation packages to land prized employees . Some are borrowing talent , utilizing gig-work companies to supplement their core partand full-time employees and meet demand ( though , as Helps pointed out , this approach may be costly and delivering a consistent experience with contract employees can be a challenge ).
It ’ s the third option , though — building talent — that may be most effective in this competitive labor market . “ There are ways that you can create that learning environment as a pipeline to seed the positions that are high turnover , the ones that are difficult to find ,” Helps shared . She added that this development-focused mindset allows spas to cast a wider net , reaching out to high school-age candidates and others who may be interested in the industry but who don ’ t yet have the training or experience to work as a service provider . The spa can then help facilitate the training those employees need , potentially even offsetting some of the cost through a tuition reimbursement program .
LEARN MORE ABOUT UPCOMING ISPA TOWN HALLS AT EXPERIENCEISPA . COM / EVENTS / ISPA-TOWN-HALL-SERIES .
SEPTEMBER 2021 ■ PULSE 51