Lorraine Jackson: “Spas can thrive rather than survive”

We spoke to three experts in their field about topics from recruitment and education to creating collaborative working environments and employee wellbeing.

In excerpts from one interview, Lorraine Jackson, recruitment executive at Red Careers, discusses the importance of team performance on spa operations.

“Resilient spa operators allover the world have recently found themselves forced into a ‘massive reset’; course correcting and recalibrating.”

Maintaining your team’s wellbeing in this ever-changing landscape, knee deep in crisis management, may seem like a task stretched beyond capacity but, in my opinion, there has never been a more important time.

“Early research into the health impacts of lockdown suggests employees experiencing reduced motivation, loss of purpose and anxiety.”

Evidenced to have longer term effects on mental health, it is inevitable that these experiences will filter into the workplace for many months to come.

“Spa team engagement is a key part of the delivery of a robust wellbeing strategy, and effective communication, training and education are top priorities.”

For me, the key is making it fun, regular and meaningful. Some of the greatest thinkers, including Steve Jobs, swore by walking meetings; a walk outdoors during a one-to-one or a simple yoga stretch in a daily team brief are amongst some initiatives that could easily be implemented.

“Honest, transparent communication with key messages in a simple language always gains confidence, but do be careful to ‘mind the gap’.”

Keep communicating, even when you don’t know the answer, as people fill gaps with worry. A short staff questionnaire can be time well invested, offering a less intrusive way of gauging your team’s wellness.