Mr. Henkin

Spas, Health & Fitness

Planning a Spa? Avoid the Pitfalls: Staff Traits That Make or Break

By Gary Henkin, President & Founder, WTS International

Our previous two installments in this series devoted to spa development focused on the importance of taking appropriate steps to plan, design and prepare the facility for a successful launch. Part I in the series discussed the importance and value of feasibility studies and how best to avoid critical mistakes and pitfalls associated with the design process. Part II addressed the importance of taking a focused approach to the pre-opening process in thinking through, in an orchestrated way, the steps required for a successful launch of the spa. Timeline development, licensing, staffing modules, operating systems, budget and menu development and the importance of retrieving accurate and timely data were but a few of the items highlighted.

In order to ensure that a hotel or resort spa will offer a truly memorable experience while maximizing revenue and potential for a positive bottom line, one item is of critical importance. Perhaps the most important decision that will influence the success or failure of a spa operation is to select staff that will "make a difference". Putting it another way, will guests and other spa patrons remember their experience as one that is delineative and memorable in some way, and one they wish to share with spouses, friends or colleagues? Spas may be beautifully designed and have a wonderful and diverse menu of services; however, if the staff aren't really attuned to their customers, friendly in their demeanor and well trained, the entire spa experience can be ruined before it ever starts. In our view, staff selection and training is the make or break decision for most spas and leisure facilities. Yet, in many cases, not enough time, effort or emphasis is placed on this crucial area.

Placing a premium on the hiring and retention of personnel who share your values, culture and service ethic will reap substantial dividends. Whether your site is a hotel, resort, condo hotel, private club or residential development, sourcing quality personnel and retaining them for the long term can help your business stand out from the crowd and attract loyal repeat visitors.

Finding the Right Fit for the Right Position

Our clients consistently ask, "Where and how do you find qualified spa staff, and what qualities and traits do you seek in the selection process?" In the past, our response skewed more toward the specific qualifications and practical experience candidates brought to the table. Although experience in the work environment is clearly an important factor, it should not be the ultimate criteria in finding the best person for the job. Today, it is even more important to establish what we typically refer to as "core qualities and values," and we recommend that your staff selection traits should embrace and mirror these. Taking a hard look at a candidate's customer service, communication and organizational skills will usually yield better results than just looking at a resume or work experience alone. That said, before you start the solicitation of candidates for the Spa Director position or other key slots, create an organizational chart mapping out each position with roles and responsibilities for each; this will greatly assist your efforts in understanding what the spa will need.

Having a broad base of candidates for open positions allows you to match the right person to the job responsibility and to the site. Such a job "fit" must be present if a relationship between the staff and the hotel or resort is to succeed over time. Each property develops its own personality, and it is important that new employees fit in with existing staff and with the clients they serve. Sometimes, management hires a candidate, but there isn't necessarily a clear fit between the person and the property. There are any number of viable ways to source qualified staff, including advertising in trade publications and associated magazines and periodicals. In addition, the Internet provides a broad means of reaching people in your particular market niche. Attending trade shows, networking with colleagues and establishing relationships with spa industry vendors also produces positive results.

One of the best ways to find capable individuals who will be a good fit for your property is soliciting recommendations from your existing personnel. Because these individuals are experienced in what is required to serve guests to your standards, they typically have an effective understanding of the traits a new hire must possess to be successful. Several of our clients have utilized creative ways to achieve this goal, including holding contests or offering employees various incentives for referring successful job candidates. You might even find a winning candidate from outside the confines of the hospitality industry. Some of the very best spa directors and front desk personnel have experience and backgrounds in areas beyond the obvious, such as public relations, marketing and sales, guest and/or member services, or retailing.

Hiring for Smiles

By focusing on the skills and qualities crucial to the success of your business, you can develop a list of requirements to seek for your spa during the staff selection process. These can include a warm and engaging personality, excellent verbal and written communication skills, organizational know-how, work ethic, special customer service skills and experience, computer skills, financial acumen, and leadership ability. The interview is your best chance to determine if an individual has the qualities you're looking for. During the interview, create scenarios that mimic possible situations at the spa and then ask candidates how they would respond. Of course, you'll want to include situations involving customers, but also pose some with fellow staff members. If they can't handle a surly personality in an interview, how will they do so on the job?

Another effective tactic is to ask potential employees to describe situations in past positions where they have had to step beyond their own job description or go beyond the call of duty. Look for specific details and ask how the situations were resolved. (If a candidate can't provide an example, or stumbles with this question, perhaps you should not hire that individual). Then, bring the interview back specifically to your business and explain the importance you place on employees being team players and customer-service oriented. A candidate's reaction to your standards will tell you a lot about their ability to satisfy your requirements.

Call past employers and references to verify the information on a resume. Although many companies will not provide specific information about past employees, most will verify dates of employment and tell you if a past employee is eligible for rehire. It doesn't hurt to go ahead and ask if the employee got along well with others or received any recognition for providing stellar customer service.

Training is Critical to Success

Consistent training of staff is crucial to success. All too often, this is given short shrift by ownership of the spa and left solely to the device of the Spa Director or Facility Manager. It is extremely important to take the time to thoroughly educate your staff with regard to the "culture" of the property itself and to pass this through to virtually every individual who will represent the spa's interests; this should include the Spa Director, receptionists, massage therapists and estheticians, attendants and all other full time and part time staff. Begin the training regimen with extensive one on one meetings with the Spa Director and other key personnel. Ultimately, you will want to have team/group meetings which should be scheduled on an ongoing basis once the spa opens. Too often, once the initial training sessions are completed, the Director does not revisit the training protocols with regularity, and this can promote invitation to operational failure. This should be done through a training manual which outlines roles and responsibilities for each position at the spa along with expectations and performance incentives. If you or your Spa Director are not focused on consistent, non-stop training process, your spa will never achieve its potential in providing a memorable or delineative guest experience, operational excellence or maximizing revenue and net operating income.

Retaining Staff Enthusiasm

Once you've hired the right candidate(s), make sure your employees keep their enthusiasm alive. The creation of support systems and internal resources, combined with extensive customer service training programs will result in both employee and facility user retention. These systems are often overlooked, particularly in the spa industry where the importance of ongoing staff training and execution isn't stressed on a consistent basis as much as it should be.

According to the International Association of Business Communicators, almost half of all companies have failed to effectively explain to employees the purpose of their jobs and the mission and strategy of their businesses. Don't be one of those companies! Clearly explain to all new employees (and reiterate to existing ones) that your business exists to serve your customers. Make them aware that customer service is paramount and you will support reasonable actions taken to support that goal.

If you hire staff with a natural desire to please other people, you'll attract and retain a loyal, enthusiastic clientele. Realize that retaining high-quality staff members is just as or more important to the spa's success as an effective marketing program or the outstanding delivery of the spa treatments. If you make this a top priority, you'll likely go a long way toward meeting your financial and operational expectations.

Our next article (Part IV in this series) will focus on the importance of fully integrating your spa into the culture and fabric of the hotel or resort and how best to achieve this goal. In addition, we will offer tips and recommendations regarding marketing plan development, retail sales and revenue generation.

President and Founder of WTS International, Gary Henkin has 30 years in the planning, design and management of health clubs, spas and athletic facilities. He has developed feasibility and needs assessment studies for spa and/or health club properties. WTS has become one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing leisure consulting and operating firms. The firm has about 1,000 employees worldwide and provides services to hotels, resorts, luxury residential properties, exclusive golf and country clubs, day spas and real estate developments throughout the United States and overseas. Mr. Henkin can be contacted at 301-622-7800 or ghenkin@wtsinternational.com Extended Bio...

HotelExecutive.com retains the copyright to the articles published in the Hotel Business Review. Articles cannot be republished without prior written consent by HotelExecutive.com.