Guest blog: 5 ways to build a motivated team
Harriet Levitt, director of Idyllic Beauty Day Spa in Cranleigh, Surrey, which won Professional Beauty’s Beauty Salon of the Year: South East 2016 Regional Award, reveals how she inspires her therapists to be the best they can be.
Idyllic is committed to delivering the highest standards of customer service and it paid off in September when we took home the coveted title of Beauty Salon of the Year: South East 2016 at the Professional Beauty Regional Awards.
Since opening in August 2013, I’ve learned that you can’t create an award-winning salon without an exceptionally motivated team and this requires real thought and dedication as a leader. Here is my secret recipe to creating a truly motivated team:
- Keep communication open
Every month it’s important to have one-to-ones with staff, highlighting their strengths as well as offering constructive criticism so they can perform to their optimum level. I also hold regular team meetings to ensure everyone is working together to deliver the highest standards we can to clients.
- Make it worth their while
I provide an attractive commission policy, whereby along with their basic salary they get a percentage of every treatment they perform and every product they sell, which encourages the team to be busy – upgrading treatments and retailing when and where they can. As an extra incentive, staff receive a gift card of their choice when they hit a certain target on a monthly basis which is a great supplement to the commission and adds to their motivation. To be rewarded for their hard work and success continually motivates them to perform to the highest standards.
- Book in quarterly team exercises
Every quarter the team take part in a team building session, most recently at Wildwood, an adult tree top adventure park. The activity involved us working together and encouraging one another to get through the next obstacle. Activities like this boost team morale and create fantastic memories, which my staff still talk about now.
Bonding outside of salon life is so important and I feel activities like this are a great way to get to know your team. If they feel that you care about them and their interests, then you will have a way more productive team.
Images: The team at Wildwood and at Idyllic in Cranleigh
- Get the team involved in community initiatives
It’s important to get your team involved with all aspects of salon life and over the years we’ve held numerous charity events inside and outside the salon. This year we decided to take part in Comic Relief by joining in a sponsored dog walk, as well as holding an in-salon bake sale. For every person in the team to feel involved was a great motivation.
- Be a pillar of support
This is key to creating a motivated team. You have to enable staff to develop in their profession by learning new skills and encouraging them to continue to train. I spend time with all my employees to help them in areas they feel less confident, whether that be a specific treatment or retailing, and give them hints and tips on how they can overcome those hurdles.
Having a positive outlook will generally help them enjoy their jobs and perform well.
