11 minute read
STAFF WELLBEING
All is well
As everyone gets settled back in after the salon closure, we focus on the importance of staff wellbeing. It’s inevitable that with a happy team you are more likely to have happy clients so we’re looking into how staff can be looked after and any measures which will encourage a pleasant work environment with the help of some of the professionals.
Last month saw us speak about the wellbeing of your clients as they returned to the salon. Admittedly, something which may have been daunting after being in lockdown for so long. Whilst we noticed that client health and happiness is of optimum importance, a huge contributing factor to this happiness is that of your staff and their wellbeing.
Employee wellness, or lack of it, can have a colossal impact on your salon, especially during a time when good health is appreciated more than ever. We are keen to fi nd out what techniques some of the industry’s experts use to ensure that staff wellbeing remains a priority, their opinions on the effects of wellness amongst a team, as well as how this can work in line to encourage greater client retention rates and a wellrespected reputation for your business.
NHBF director, Tina BeaumontGoddard, believes that clients will always pick up on negative vibes in a salon. No one wants to see unhappy staff or sit in an awkward atmosphere. A happy, engaged and committed team working in a relaxed and pleasant environment will always be appealing and welcoming to clients: “Your salon should be a warm and friendly retreat from the world – ensuring clients don’t want to leave instead of being keen to get away!” Said Tina.
Making sure your employees feel valued and engaged is essential. Tina advises holding daily team meetings to encourage their contributions and ideas so they feel genuinely involved in decision-making.
“Show that you value their input and also take the opportunity to highlight and praise team members who have gone that extra mile. Encourage your staff to share any concerns or problems they may be experiencing, and always offer one-to-one meetings in case someone needs to speak privately.
“In addition to this, holding monthly one-to-one reviews and setting clear goals and targets at annual reviews will benefi t both you and your staff members.”
In terms of dealing with stressed work colleagues, it can be tricky knowing where to start. Still, Tina sees that your fi rst step should be arranging confi dential meetings to allow your employee to discuss any concerns or worries they have.
You must be prepared to listen and be
totally non-judgemental. Be aware that your employee may raise criticisms of you or the way you manage.
“If you do experience criticism, don’t react negatively. Listen as carefully and objectively as you can.” Said Tina.
David Nicolson, Director of Rainbow Room International’s Royal Exchange Square Salon, knows how vital staff wellbeing is and believes if your team’s wellbeing needs are being met, they will be a lot happier, more productive, more focussed and less likely to take time off work.
It’s been a challenging year and David, I’m sure like most of you, wants to make sure he is supporting his team wherever possible.
“We do this through regular meetings and by checking in with each team member individually.”
All of the Rainbow Room International team (across all salons) have also been signed up for the mental health charity, Mind: “As a company, we pay for all of our employees to have access to this if they wish to get further support. We also have our Rainbow Room International Working Practices booklet and a Wellness Action Plan (WAP) from Mind, which is intended to encourage discussion between our team and us as managers/directors around mental health and wellbeing at work. It helps us as directors to understand ways in which we may be able to help keep our team mentally well at work and discuss what support we could provide if anyone does start to feel unwell. It’s so important that our team know that we are always here if they want to chat.
“Repeat business is what we are all about. The authenticity and focus on the client’s needs are equally important as repeat ‘good vibes ‘with all the team. Notice and reward the good things.” Added David.
Incentives are often used to encourage performance levels amongst staff members, and they can come in many forms, but David believes that cash is not usually the best way forward: “Valuing and praising the things that will benefi t the individual and salon will always reap the rewards for all involved.”
Exercise has always been a perfect tool for dealing with anxiety and helping to ensure good mental wellbeing. Happy body, happy mind: “This doesn’t mean you should encourage staff to all run a
marathon,” said Lesley Blair, CEO and Chair of BABTAC. There are very useful low impact techniques; for example, starting with some simple yoga exercises can be very benefi cial. Lesley sees that doing something together as a team can also build wellbeing and solidarity.
In terms of coping with and managing stressed work colleagues, Lesley advises keeping communication channels open and providing them with opportunities (verbally and written) to give ongoing feedback as to how they are doing and how they best feel you can help: “Involving staff in decisions that affect them directly is so important for their commitment.”
As the staff wellbeing is paramount to your salon’s success, it is imperative to schedule in time to assess how staff are feeling. This is, of course, tough at the moment given all the impact current guidance has on time and appointments in the salon anyway, but this needn’t be a time-consuming exercise: “Even something as simple as a quick one
on one tea before doors open in the morning could provide salon owners with a good indicator of how staff are feeling. More formal time can then be set up for those who are assessed as needing it.” Added Lesley.
Corey Taylor, the co-founder of NOCO Hair in Bristol, also explained how staff wellbeing is a fundamental part of the success of any business, especially in a customer-facing role. A happy team can be more productive and deliver a much higher level of service. The positive energy within the salon can be felt by everyone that visits and makes salon life a much more enjoyable experience for our guests and our team.
“Weekly team meetings are used to realign the team; during this time, we will use our knowledge from our business mentors to help guide, educate and support staff. Every meeting begins with a WIFLE (what I feel like expressing) to be aware of the struggles anyone may be facing and share one another’s wins. We have recently learned that one of our beloved guests is a Self-Doubt Coach and would love to invite her to carry out some coaching with our team as this seems to be a big issue within our industry, especially after so many months of not doing what we love.” Corey added.
In terms of coping with team members who may be struggling to deal with stress and anxiety at work, Corey explained the importance of making sure they feel heard and advises creating an open space where your team members feel comfortable to come and talk to you. Then listen, be an ear. Sometimes people just need to let it all out! “Advise where appropriate and remember the goal is to come up with a solution to the problem.” Said Corey.
‘Teamwork makes the dream work’ as they say, and a team of kind, like-minded individuals, will do what they can to support one another. Corey spoke about how a stressed work colleague may be worried about a colour correction and how another colourist can step in and offer their expertise and guidance.
When you are all working towards a common goal, rowing in the same direction and playing for the same team, you will all do what you can to help each other. When you have the support of those around you, you can feel the stress dissolve. As they say, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved.’
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need any further advice or help surrounding the subjects within this feature.
Mission: Recover
As salons reopen, start your recovery mission with the UK’s fi rst free cloud-based software solution for the hair and beauty industry, SalonLite by Premier Software® .
Over the past year, a crisis like no other plagued our industry. Clients across the country found themselves at the mercy of parents with clippers, partners with box dye and siblings with scissors. But thankfully as salons begin to reopen, the desperate rescue mission can commence.
If you’re a salon owner on the front line, don’t tackle this problem alone. Arm yourself with SalonLite by Premier Software® to ensure a smooth road to recovery. With actionable steps below, you’ll be fi xing the fallout of home haircuts in no time.
Step one: At your service
Whether clients are on the hunt for cut or colour corrections, make sure you’ve set up the right services in SalonLite. Once complete, you can switch online booking and staff services on or off to control availability. Remember to ensure the treatments offered cover all costs to help your business recover at the same pace.
Step two: Select the A-team
Selecting the right team is crucial for an effective recovery plan. Choose staff that have the desired skillset and rota them into teams using SalonLite to aid social distancing. Why not also combat limited bookings by extending working hours? This can be managed using the same software tool!
Step three: The social network
Avoid clients going rogue by informing them you’re open for business via email and SMS. Share your booking link and provide hygiene updates to build client confi dence. Then, follow up bookings with automated appointment reminders to avoid any disappointment from noshows.
Step four: Product placement
Help clients extend their treatment results at home with aftercare. Using SalonLite’s stock feature, you can highlight items that may need reordering and retail products through the software’s point of sale. Gift vouchers can also help clients care for loved ones’ locks while boosting revenue.
Step fi ve: Reviews
Once you’ve delivered a fi ve-star service, make sure everyone knows about it. SalonLite integrates with salonspy to generate verifi ed reviews after completed appointments. This feedback will help build confi dence in your brand and contribute to securing future bookings for many months to come.
There’s no time to lose. Make SalonLite your supportive sidekick and kickstart your business today. Visit: www.salonlite. com to activate your 60-day free trial.
Ensure all is well
Following a hugely challenging year, the wellbeing of your staff will be high on the agenda as you work together to rebuild your business. And it’s very important to take care of yourself too, says NHBF director Tina Beaumont-Goddard.
“We’ve put together some top tips to help you ensure good mental health and a happy team,” says Tina. “And a happy team means happy clients – so it’s win-win.”
1. Spot the signs of stress
“Be on the lookout for signs of stress in your employees,” says Tina. “These can include performing less well at work, taking more sick leave, becoming withdrawn, being self-critical and weight changes. Don’t ignore the signs. Set up a confi dential meeting and offer your support,” says Tina. Find out how to support stressed employees: nhbf.co.uk/ stressed-employee
2. Aim to maintain wellbeing
There are a number of steps you can take to help prevent employees becoming stressed or unhappy in the workplace, says Tina. These include: • Providing clear job descriptions so employees know what is expected. • Offering training and continuing professional development. • Having an ‘open door’ policy so employees can chat confi dentially when they need to. • Offering fl exible working to improve your employees’ work/life balance. • Encouraging your employees to take the annual leave they are entitled to – despite being furloughed, they may still have been under considerable stress and in need of a break.
Find out how to support grieving employees and those who may have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder): nhbf.co.uk/back-to-business-mentalhealth
3. Show your appreciation
You’ll need to invest in your staff and show your appreciation if you want to keep your ‘dream team’ together and your clients coming back.
“There’s lots you can do, from rewarding and incentivising your staff to making sure they feel valued and involved,” says Tina. Find out more: nhbf.co.uk/reward
NHBF Members can download a free in-depth guide to creating and keeping a loyal team: nhbf.co.uk/recruitment.
4. Look after yourself too
“It’s vital to get advice from your doctor if you feel you are having problems with your mental health,” says Tina. “Most people can be treated by their GP and continue to work productively. It’s worth checking your health insurance policy if you have one as therapy or counselling may be covered.”
NHBF Members have access to a free NHBF Rewards app (nhbf.co.uk/rewards) called ‘Health Assured’ that offers a wide range of support materials on key wellbeing topics.
The NHBF offers a range of business support services for hair and beauty salons, from legal, employment and fi nancial guidance to expert advice for managing people and boosting your business. Find out more: www. nhbf.co.uk Keep up to date with news and information about the coronavirus pandemic: nhbf.co.uk/coronavirus
