Beata Aleksandrowicz on preventing staff burn-out in spas and beauty salons

What can I do to prevent my staff from burning out?

Therapist burn-out is a real problem in our industry. It usually means their passion for the job is gone and when that eagerness is missing it’s very difficult for therapists to treat clients well and provide that much-needed “wow” factor.

We often underestimate how much burn-out can negatively affect the quality of treatment delivery, and this goes much deeper than merely dealing with a therapist who looks unhappy on the salon or spa floor. As a manager, you can help therapists recreate that original passion by connecting them with the deeper reasons for choosing the profession in the first place and putting measures in place to prevent burn-out.

For example, if staff are facing several massages in a shift, tell them it’s important to stretch their body at the start of the day – like any athlete or dancer would do before an event – because their muscles and joints need to align and warm up. However, they need to stretch between treatments as well, to further prevent burn-out; simple full-body or side-bend stretches will do.

There is also a need for mental preparation. Just five minutes of meditation in the treatment room before a shift will have a huge impact on how your staff feel. Breathing exercises and visualisation techniques can make all the difference between a good and a bad day.

Lastly, ask your therapists to conclude the day by reflecting for just a few minutes on what they’ve learned and what needs to be improved. These simple but effective techniques can make all the difference.

Beata Aleksandrowicz is a therapist, healer and co-founder of the Pure Massage Spa Training Method.

Aleksandrowicz will talk in greater depth about this subject in her talk "How to prevent therapists from burn-out" as part of the Salon Skills programme at PB London on February 26, 11am. Book your place here for only £5 per session.