How to keep staff happy

Finding an ideal candidate and offering them the job is not the end of the salon recruitment process. Retaining staff is an ongoing responsibility and ensuring their happiness is key to the. There is no ‘one size fits all’ formula formula to retaining staff, so it might take some trial and error methods to find out what works for you and your team.

“We have retained all staff since we opened and I think that is down to mutual respect and keeping them happy,” says Ilex Wood, Nail Harmony UK educator and business owner. “Our main priority is to keep them happy as that then shows to our clients. When we do get a new member of staff we announce their arrival on Facebook and run an introductory offer, which has been hugely successful as all seven members of staff are fully booked every week, six days a week, that we are experiencing the need to expand and recruit.”

Consistently satisfying employees’ needs to be challenged through education and training is key to keeping staff engaged with their career and, therefore, happy. “One way of helping staff to enjoy their work and feel valued as an employee is by supporting them with their professional development,” says Jo Martin, marketing director at Sally Europe. “Ask them about what training courses they’d be interested in – whether they’d like to expand their nail art knowledge and master a brand new technique or they’re keen to broaden their skillset and add a new treatment to their portfolio.

“Giving your staff the opportunity to go on regular training courses will make them feel more confident and invested in their role – while simultaneously bringing new skills and expertise to your business. It is a win for all.”

As well as this, employees appreciate communication, so be sure your team feels they can talk to you in confidence and vice versa. “To retain someone, you need to have good communication, a development plan, ongoing CPD and a positive relationship,” says Rebecca Cathcart, HD Brows training manager. “You need to show them that you care. Holding regular one-to-ones with each employee is important. You can also give incentives to keep them driven.”

This can also be done via more relaxed means for those that respond well to more informal communication. “In my salon, we have a group chat that we use to keep in touch,” says Kelly Webb, INK London educator. “This is great if someone wants to share an achievement, to share an idea or simply ask for advice: I find this helps as in some circumstances a team member would prefer to use this group chat instead of face to face. Another top tip for keeping staff happy is to arrange team building activities such as a meal out, a group training session or even just going for a coffee!”

Read more all about the recruitment process in the July issue of Scratch!