Nurturing teams saves money Emmanuel Arroyo, senior corporate director of wellness, Rosewood Hotel Group A proactive leader with a track-record including excellent training and culture-building skills, Emmanuel Arroyo believes wellness is set to become more embedded in the spa workplace. “The future has wellness to the forefront and our industry should continue to evolve and adapt by creating workspaces where wellness is the core pillar of the employee experience,” he says. “At Rosewood, we have positively embraced this challenge. In some of our current and future openings, we are including gyms and lounges for associates, with a robust programme of activities and infrastructure to create a stronger sense of community.”
Working hours
Spas should embrace greater flexibility Kathryn Moore Founder, Spa Connectors “With many therapists working up to 40 hours per week, including evenings and weekends, the spa industry has a long-held reputation for unsocial working patterns, which needs to change. “Fundamentally, we have a problem attracting new talent and spa leaders need to be more educated in how to attract and retain the right calibre of staff as well as keeping them engaged and motivated. “An operational shift away from more traditional hours could be a viable alternative to retain staff while balancing the needs of your business. A hybrid or flexible working model for spa staff is paramount. It is also important to fully understand what motivates your team and their core priorities – it may be starting work later, or finishing earlier, rather than just financial gain. “If you have limited operational flexibility in terms of your staffing rotas, consider offering other team wellbeing boosts such as mental health leave days or free gym membership.” 20
Arroyo advises spas to look at how much they invest in training and knowledge rather than focusing just on financial compensation. “Retention is about looking at the entire professional and ensuring personal development for each employee,’ he explains. “A team member will leave if they lack opportunities to gain experience and grow. Nurturing your team will increase productivity and create significant savings in recruitment and re-training. This is in addition to securing talent and ensuring your company’s culture and DNA are preserved.”
Flexibility leads to balance
A healthy work-life balance is crucial to employee satisfaction, and Arroyo believes adaptability is one of the keys to achieving this. “We continue to see staff willing to give up their seniority or financial compensation to be able to spend more time with their families,” he explains. “I support flexible schedule formats that allow staff to sustain a more balanced lifestyle. This will eventually be reflected in the levels of each team’s engagement and productivity,” he concludes. PLATINUM RESOURCE 2024
