What makes a great salon or spa team?

Celebrating salon and spa teams across the UK, the Spa/Salon Team of the Year award recognises the dedication and hard work required from a team to make a business flourish. Here, we give you a breakdown of what made our finalists stand out from the crowd and secured their place in the shortlist

City Retreat, Newcastle 

The City Retreat team of therapists bring a range of talents and personalities to the Newcastle based salon. Therapists see themselves as ambassadors of the business and impress with their dependability and loyalty. Managing director Lesley Carter thoroughly trusts the team to consistently deliver excellence throughout all aspects of the business.

City Retreat believes in regular team-building days to ensure team integration, improve performance and build positive working relationships. The salon holds in-house days where the team is encouraged to work together to improve skills, share experiences and develop positive relationships. The staff are friends as well as work colleagues, and regularly enjoy each other’s company socially. The team also collectively takes part in charity challenges to raise funds for different organisations; this not only improves team dynamics, but also increases team morale, motivation and happiness.

 

K:SPA, Whiteley, Hampshire

K:Spa prides itself on its harmonious and professional work environment that allows everyone to play to their strengths and grow their skills. In 2019, the team boldly made the decision to move towards group self-management, under the leadership of director Kelly Shaw. Instead of hiring a manager, Shaw encourages a work environment where everyone has equal responsibility and accountability. Open communication is key, and the team acknowledges the feelings, concerns, opinions and ideas of other colleagues.

Through this effective leadership programme, the team illustrates consistently high levels of collaboration, innovation, and motivation. The team is supportive of each other and therapists feel secure enough to speak out when they have an issue, resulting in a brilliantly committed team that is trusted to provide exceptional service and showcase their talents.

 

Polished Nail & Beauty Boutique, Marske by Sea, Cleveland

Team Polished are a highly qualified, passionate and enthusiastic group of therapists. Each bringing their unique individuality and talents, the team is dedicated to giving clients a memorable experience. Owner Debbie Wilson is especially proud of her team for their unwavering support and hard work through challenging times and whole-heartedly trusts them to ensure the salon flourishes.

The team are regularly treated with activities such as afternoon tea or social nights [in non-Covid times]. Not only does this illustrate to the team how they are appreciated for their commitment, but it also consolidates their bond outside of work. The Polished staff are also encouraged to take part in charity events to give back to the community and strengthen morale. In the past, the team have raised money for Race for Life, and attended a charity keep fit class for a local cause.

  

Sparx Beauty, Winchester

Sparx Beauty has the philosophy that it’s important to enjoy coming to work and ensure staff feel rewarded, valued and inspired. When recruiting, the management takes extra care to find individuals who are not only highly skilled, but who also fit in with the team and salon ethos. Several staff members are trained in Level 4 Aesthetic treatments and the team is keen to learn, attending supplier training sessions as well as regular in-salon training.

Additionally, Sparx Beauty encourages healthy competition between staff through incentives such as “Chase the Tenner”, a game played with all staff each week. This competition promotes retail sales as the person with the greatest sales that week, takes home £10 as a prize for their hard work. The team are also encouraged to spend time together outside of work and have been on spa days, visited escape rooms and enjoyed meals out together.

 

The Secret Spa, Wrexham, Wales

The team at The Secret Spa pride themselves on a strong sense of mutual commitment, a synergy that generates performance and a passion for their work. They embrace team spirit, driving a culture of support in the group through small acts that make a big difference. The team go out of their way to provide a brilliant service and experience for clients, including home visits, helping with transport to and from the salon, and extending opening hours to meet clients’ needs.

Weekly team meetings, monthly planning sessions, masterclasses and coaching help the team stay cohesive and progressive. Staff are also rewarded with trips to different spas to both enjoy and be inspired by. In 2019, three of the team travelled to Carita in Paris, this trip both rewarded exceptional commitment to the business and gave the team the opportunity to improve The Secret Spa with new business ideas and initiatives learnt on the trip.

 

The Spa Hotel at Ribby Hall Village, Preston, Lancashire

The team thrive through positive working relationships and a supportive attitude of each other. The Spa Hotel believes that success comes from maintaining staff camaraderie and ensuring a caring environment, and it prides itself on high staff retention across all positions.

Senior therapists and head receptionists set an example to all by building and nurturing a supportive culture, with morning briefings including stretching, guided breathing and mediation to prepare them for the day ahead. All are encouraged to contribute ideas and team members can run meetings without supervisors or managers present, creating an informal, relaxed environment where newer members feel more confident sharing their ideas. With a robust six-month induction process and an initial eight-week on-boarding plan, The Spa Hotel at Ribby Hall Village ensures excellence across the team. A mentor scheme also helps new staff members integrate into the business smoothly.

  

The winners of all categories of the Professional Beauty Awards 2020 will be announced live online on December 8, 2020, at 7:45pm GMT. To watch live, just mark yourself as attending on the Facebook event here to be notified for updates and then join us live on the day for the event.

View all finalists for the Professional Beauty Awards 2020 here