1. December:Pulse09 11/13/09 5:57 PM Page 48
CUTTING
DOWN
Job Jumping
ON
The Smart
Way to Educate
Your Therapists
BY ANN BROWN
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A
s most spa directors can attest, job
jumping is a common problem as
therapists search for the right fit
and try to gain the perspective
they need in order to know which
spa is the right one for them to build a career with.
Conveying the basics of the therapist’s role at the
spa, including the scope of their duties and interview-
ing with the right questions, goes a long way toward
ensuring new hires are good fits for your spa, but
there are no guarantees they will stay with your com-
pany. In a business where the staff’s skills are your
product and competition is strong, your investment
in therapist education is a must.
But how can you make sure you get a return on
that investment?
g
Why Invest in Education?
The high turnover rate makes education look like a
risky line item in your budget – no spa director wants
to pay for expensive training, only to have the thera- You invest in your
pist take that knowledge to someone else’s spa.
However, with a strong plan that includes national staff through educa-
educators, open exchange between therapists and an
incentive strategy, educating your staff will pay off
tion, and they agree
with great rewards for your client and, in turn, your to remain at the spa
business. Well-educated and appreciated therapists
make great treatments. Great treatments make happy for a reasonable
clients, and happy clients make great word-of-mouth length of time.
marketing for your spa.
Most often, massage schools cover the basics in
their core curricula and gloss over specialized, essen-
tial disciplines, such as reflexology and thermalism.
By bringing a higher level of education to your spa’s
therapists, you ensure that they will deliver spa treat-
ments that exceed guests’ expectations. For the spa-
savvy guest, the difference between a therapist who
knows the basics and one who has received advanced
education is easy to discern, and they will quickly
identify with the sense of team and empowerment at
your spa.
Even if a new hire fresh from massage school
thinks he or she is ready to hit the floor, a higher
knowledge of specialized modalities is needed in
order to truly deliver a therapeutic experience and
change guests’ lives. Vendor training is necessary, but
rarely goes into the physiological benefits of heat,
water or contrast treatments. This advanced knowl-
edge is as important as the basic product information
and steps used in application.
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Group Mentality
When you bring in nationally recognized educators to
The high turnover rate makes educa- instruct your staff in a group environment, you change the
game for your therapists. When operating in a busy spa
tion look like a risky line item in your environment and providing three to six treatments a day,
budget – no spa director wants to pay therapists literally work behind closed doors, so they often
don’t have time to receive services and stay in tune with the
for expensive training, only to have the benefits they are providing. They don’t have any perspective
therapist take that knowledge to some- on what their co-workers are doing.
Top-level education in a group environment allows your
one else’s spa. hands-on staff to see their co-workers at work. Many times
they are impressed with each other’s expertise. This new
perspective on their colleagues often leads to more trading
for services. The trading between therapists adds to their
proficiency as they receive good, qualified feedback regard-
Professional Development Opportunities ing the modality they have learned from others who are also
Paid for and Offered to Staff working at perfecting the treatment.
(ISPA Primary Members Only)
100 Getting the ROI
95
As you pursue national education, you can make smart
investments by establishing a contract regarding education
90
with therapists. By creating a contract, therapists take on a
85 responsibility to fulfill an obligation to the spa. You invest in
your staff through education, and they agree to remain at the
80
spa for a reasonable length of time and put their newly
75 gained knowledge to use for you. If they fail to remain at the
RESOURCE PARTNER
70 SPA spa, the therapist agrees to pay back the money you invest-
ed in their education.
65
Multi-part training programs are another good option
60 61%
that encourage therapists to remain committed to your spa.
59% 59%
55
Develop contracts with reputable spa educators to spread
54% the training out over a couple of years. Keep your staff
50
focused on the goal by communicating the dates and the
45 lessons to be learned, allowing therapists to see how you are
building their knowledge.
40
38% 39% While that growth in the industry over the last decade has
35 slowed with the current economic climate, it’s more important
33%
30 than ever to make sure you solidify your position with your
clientele. Spa-savvy guests are now watching their money
25 26%
more carefully than ever, and want even greater value as they
20 learn about and realize the benefits of spa therapy. As a spa
15 director, you offer more value for your guests when you invest
in education, and you go beyond basic education when you
10
show your staff what therapy with full intent can do.
5 Educating your staff so they are the top in their field better
0
equips them to create life-changing spa experiences for your
Conference/ Educational Educational Webinars guests. I
Trade show course or Seminars
Registration certificate
ANN BROWN is spa director at Spa Shiki, and also serves on the ISPA Board of
Source: March 2009 ISPA Snapshot Survey Directors.
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Advice from the Pros
What some ISPA members are doing to protect their education investment
Gene Juarez Salons & Spas ees to complete the training and take it seriously. This, along
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON with a strong benefits package and the draw of being a resort
Before going to work in one of the nine Gene Juarez day spas, spa, she said, has helped keep her turnover low. While the
already-licensed hairdressing candidates spend four to seven property doesn’t require employees to stay for a certain amount
months training full-time on paying guests under the supervision of time after completing education, they do sign a non-com-
of a Gene Juarez educator. “This education is invaluable, but we pete clause.
assign it a value of $6,000,” said Gene Juarez CEO Janet Denyer.
“Once the students graduate the program, they are placed in one Le Boe European Day Spa
of our nine premium day spas,” she said. CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA
To protect the extensive investment of time and money, “They Le Boe European Day Spa President Robin Cook only pays for
sign an employment agreement that stipulates that they must education if an employee has already shown a commitment to
work for Gene Juarez for two years. If they leave the company her business. “If I’m making the investment, I’m not going to
prior to two years, they pay back the $6,000 on a prorated basis.” send a brand-new employee,” she said. “They have to invest in
The company has a similar three-week program for nail techs, me first.” That means letting the employee have enough time
estheticians and massage therapists, whose training is valued at to make sure working at Le Boe is a good fit. “If someone’s only
$2,500. These employees sign an agreement to stay on for one been with me for six months, they’re still in that honeymoon
year. period,” Cook said. “You have to make sure [paying for educa-
Denyer believes this system, along with good benefits, is tion] is a wise choice.” She also emphasized the importance of
working. “Sixty percent of our service providers have been with building loyalty among staff through teambuilding, creating a
Gene Juarez for more than five years, with almost 30 percent hav- sense of community and being empathetic. It seems to work for
ing been with the company for more than 10 years,” she said. Cook too: “My people don’t leave me,” she said.
“We attribute the longevity of our service providers to the educa-
tion, atmosphere, support, rewards and benefits they receive,
along with a good management team that has highly Paris Parker Salons and Spas
developed interpersonal skills and sensitivity.” HAMMOND, LOUISIANA
In addition to creating loyalty and a fun work environment with
creative team competitions that increase productivity and offer
The Inn at Perry Cabin – fun prizes, Paris Parker Salons and Spas provides education for
Linden Spa its employees with similar stipulations as Gene Juarez uses.
EASTON, MARYLAND “Continuing education is protected by having an employee sign
Each employee at the Linden Spa, a resort/hotel, is allotted up a continuing education agreement,” said Sharilyn Abbajay, vice
to $500 a year in tuition reimbursement. However, employees president of Paris Parker. “The terms of the agreement is typi-
must pay the costs up-front and submit the training for pay- cally one year. If by chance, an employee desires to withdraw
ment. Any costs over $500 are paid for by the employee. Spa early from the agreement, the employee is charged the remain-
manager Denise Haddaway finds that this encourages employ- ing balance of the cost of the education.”
December 2009 I PULSE 51