CREATING A WELLNESS TOOLKIT FOR YOUR TEAM

by Iain Bell

As the spa industry faces a recruitment and retention crisis, Iain Bell sets out the compelling case for implementing a 360-degree wellness policy in your business

This is an unprecedented boom time for our industry with research indicating real growth through to 2030. But the outlook isn’t totally positive. Speaking to a number of operators, it is clear that there are now some major issues that are common across the spa, hospitality and leisure sectors – a combination of operational, staffing and customer concerns. In addition, many of us are still finding our feet as the pandemic eases and the global mental health crisis starts to increase in both visibility and impact.

The dilution of morale coupled with increased absenteeism places considerable strain on spas as they shore up to increased demand and business momentum with a predicted growth rate between 5-10% year on year. This places pressure on operators and managers to deal with day-to-day running and somehow maintain their value proposition and offering in a booming market. In an all-too-familiar response, many tend to focus more on market growth than fostering the human dynamics essential to maintain and drive business forward.

Protecting human resources

Reports also indicate customers displaying a post-pandemic anger, and how our industry deals with conflict depends on experience and training. Many spas have recruited a new generation of young therapists who need time to nurture greater emotional intelligence and hands-on experience. This clearly dictates the need for a clear policy around negative customer engagement and how we best nurture and navigate our teams within a five-star hospitality environment.

We need better conversations and more practical methods to build a positive and resilient working culture. Our human resource strategy must be to protect and keep our teams intact with a positive mindset. We have always left much of this responsibility to our owners and operators. It’s now the collective responsibility of the individual and community. This is central to providing 360-degree wellness. It is the new reality and long-term resilience builder.

A wellness roadmap

We know our customer base has become more demanding and diverse. Spa and wellness have become essential for people taking a greater interest in wellbeing and there has been a surge in the connective nature of wellness apps, trackers and online exercise and nutrition. It’s a bigger business game and more diverse.

To move strategically within this complex sphere we need real wellness boosters that cultivate a positive working environment in the right direction. We are on the very edge of a massive cultural shift and everyone needs to be on board.

Working towards wellness

The world is moving into increasingly diverse working patterns but in the hospitality and spa world this is not a choice. While other industries benefit from flexible hours and workloads, we are 100% people-based. We show commitment and resolve day in, day out in a people-centric business. Therefore our teams need more support and direction to harness wellness tools. To get ahead, we must engage in communication about mental health, and the pursuit of a healthy, dynamic working culture.

It’s best practice at work and best practice at home – this is how a 360-degree approach works. When we talk about the value proposition in a growing market, this drives revenue and ROI. It also drives our teams to an essential release from the stigma around mental health and anxiety.

Together we can drive wellness through knowledge and education. In turn, this cultural shift decodes wellbeing and creates an open, level playing field. Our teams buy in, our customers benefit and our business thrives. It’s a new approach to team building.

Case study: Wellness tool kit

“As the pandemic took hold, the Executive Fitness Foundation was asked to deliver online wellness workshops to drive knowledge and transform ideas into positive outcomes.

“We were asked by the medical and surgical fields to create a bespoke experiential kit. The brief was to combine essential practical elements with a rolling education programme. All bespoke and client-centred. “The kit recognises the effects of a medical working environment and how to tackle and reverse negative outcomes. It shows how fatigue, dehydration and muscle stiffness can be treated, and how to utilise scent and VR technology to boost meditation and ensure a focused, stress-free mental state.

“It lends itself perfectly to alleviating the pressures of a fully functioning booked out spa environment.”

A check list for wellbeing in your business

1. Empower all colleagues to converse, nurture and treat mental ill health. There should be no ambiguity in working towards a culture of mental health confidence.

2. Boost and post interdepartmental knowledge about workplace wellness. Knowledge is power.

3. Wellness functions on an open forum, through employee support networks and campaigns. These drive accountability and cohesion.

4 Champion your business through staff wellness. Celebrate it and invest in it. It’s a clear business strategy.

5. Show the positive culture to your teams and members.

6. If you are investing in buildings and facilities then automatically invest in wellness for teams. It’s core to business strategy. Shore up your people first. n Within hospitality, leisure and tourism we are marginalised in working from home – we are frontline, person to person. This is how our wellness strategy must work n Promote digital wellness where apps provide practice and accountability. This boosts peer-to-peer engagement and dials up cultural change.

Iain Bell is founder of the Executive Fitness Foundation. His global expertise spans over 30 years in wellness, health innovation and spa consulting. An expert wellbeing facilitator, educator, international speaker and writer, his passion is to connect holistic health with modern medicine. iain@ef1.com