August 2021, Business

Smart Hiring

August 1, 2021 | by

Attract Top Talent For Your Spa With Your Onboarding Process

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” I’m regularly reminded of this African proverb when I talk to my Growth Factor clients.

I think of one in particular who, when she began working with us, was a solo aesthetician who just crossed the magical six-figure mark but was exhausted. Just a short 18 months later, she has a team of 8 and has 5X’d her revenue.

Her story, countless others, and my own experience have shown me the truth of what it means to have a team that supports you:

  • It allows you to truly focus on your zone of genius and be the CEO who can grow the company.
  • The team gives you the freedom to take time off while continuing to generate revenue in your absence.
  • It’s the critical piece in helping you achieve the freedom, flexibility, and financial growth you desired when you started your business.

So, why is there an industry-wide fear of hiring and managing?

I believe it’s partly due to underdeveloped leadership skills, but it’s also a lack in the process surrounding the hiring, onboarding, and development of your team.

The reality is, if you want to attract A-level players to your spa, you need an A-level process, and five essential documents give that process shape:

“Every employee should go through the entire handbook with you and initial each page; this ensures they have time to ask questions and feel supported.”

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1 – The Job Posting

To attract the right person, you have to communicate who that is clearly, and I suggest using the four Rs.

The first R is Role. Are you looking for another provider, a receptionist, spa manager? Specify the job title or role. If you’re hiring a provider, they would need to have a valid license in your state, but you may also need them to work certain days or hours – be clear on your needs and the requirements to meet them.

Next up, Responsibilities. What will this individual be doing? List out the day-to-day tasks they’ll complete, and finally, close with Results. Results set your expectations with tangible performance metrics. This might be based on productivity, client satisfaction surveys, or retail sales revenue.

To filter out who the detail-oriented candidates are, I also like to include directions on applying. It can be something as simple as specifying what words to put in the subject line of their application email.

2 – The Job Description

This next part is easy. You simply pull out the four Rs from your job posting and expand on them.

The job posting is a high-level view of the responsibilities; the job description is more granular and gives the potential applicant a feel for your company’s vision, values, brand personality, and company culture.

3 – The Employee Handbook

Your employee handbook doesn’t belong in a binder. It is a living document that should be stored in a cloud-based software like Google Drive to be easily accessible and editable.

Here are some key sections to include in your handbook:

  • Welcome Section – Introduces who you are, introduces the company and its vision, values, and culture.
  • Key Contacts and Info – Building contacts, brand reps, and wifi information.
  • Spa Policies and Procedures – Refunds, cancelations, no-shows, consent forms, etc.
  • Employee Policies and Procedures – social media posting, employee appearance and professionalism, and visitor policies.
  • Additional Checklists – Protocols and relevant documents helpful to have on hand.

Every employee should go through the entire handbook with you and initial each page; this ensures they have time to ask questions and feel supported.

4 – The Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

A PIP is typically a 30-day plan where an employee is meeting with their direct supervisor every week.

If you come to a point where you have an employee on a PIP due to misaligned expectations, the best way to get to a successful result is by speaking clearly to get on the same page.

Remember, clarity is kind.

5 – The Termination Letter

If you’re in business long enough, terminating employees is bound to happen. Your termination letter should include the effective termination date, why the company came to the termination decision when the final paycheck will be deposited or available to pick up, and any further instructions around company property.

Documenting this process from start to finish is crucial for protecting your company from any potential liability and helping the employee move forward.

With these five documents creating a system and structure for your team-building and development process, hopefully, you can see that there’s nothing to fear about bringing on a team and everything to gain regarding your company’s growth.

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