Boosting staff morale

Guest blog: Beauty and spa business expert Liz McKeon shares her advice on addressing low morale among spa employees
Poor morale undermines the commitment of employees, impacts the service they offer and can ultimately alienate clients. It is also contagious. What may start as individual apathy can deteriorate into a generalised infectious problem that spreads throughout the entire spa team.
The good news is that poor morale is reversible. However, you must remember to determine and deal with the cause, not just the symptoms. Assess the feelings and opinions of your team. Try to understand the resources people need to make both their work and environment more satisfying.
It is important to identify people’s expectations, their ways of working, what this brings to the team, and how the internal communication system is functioning. Managers can do so much to improve morale simply by getting to know the team, and making themselves available when therapists need to talk or share a problem.
It is important that your staff know they are valued for their skills, passions and knowledge, and that you are there to develop their potential, supporting them in their ambitions.
Your staff is the spa’s most valuable resource. By creating an environment of open, constructive feedback, they will feel inclined to co-operate with you as you drive your spa forward.