Dealing with the staffing crisis

Dave Courteen, managing director of Mosaic Spa & Health Clubs, explains the causes of and solutions to recruitment issues in the UK spa sector

There are several factors that have contributed to the shortage of staff in the spa and wellness industry. In the UK, the effect of three lockdowns has had a huge impact. Some of the therapists across our 18 spas have said that experiencing furlough for a third time was too unsettling for them and they decided to stay in the temporary jobs they had secured.

I think we underestimate the emotional toll of Covid-19 on younger team members. They are the last to get the vaccine and are, by the nature of the job, working in close proximity to clients. A lot of students coming out of college with therapist qualifications don’t even intend to work in the industry. They chose the course because they have to stay in education until they are 18. So this means the number of available graduate therapists is lower.

The overall problem has been made worse as a number of our European therapists went back to their families prior to lockdown and either don’t want to come back or are finding it difficult to do so due to complications from Covid-19 restrictions or the effects of Brexit.

The value of therapists We must work as an industry to communicate its value to prospective employees. Some hotel operators often leave the spa alone as it is seen as almost a separate entity to the overall hotel offering, but we need to ensure that spa teams feel valued as a core part of the wider hospitality setup.

An often-quoted reason for therapists leaving the industry is the pressure of back-to-back massages, so it’s important to communicate all aspects of the role. Colleges and beauty schools have a role to play in helping people to understand the physical aspects of the job. In my experience, if therapists have fun at work, feel they are listened to and are valued by their boss, they don’t have an issue with the physical challenges.

We also need to be clear – therapists are employed to give massages. However, with changes in the way spas operate, we now allow guests to choose their treatments on the day, enabling therapists to sell other treatments like facials. This means they don’t have to do as many massages as previously expected. www.mosaicgroup.co.uk

Passionate about developing people to deliver excellent customer service, Dave Courteen is an entrepreneur with over 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry. Operating 21 health clubs and 18 day spas in hotels on a contract management basis under the Mosaic Spa & Health Club umbrella, he also owns three standalone health club and day spas in the UK. “We must work as an industry to communicate its value. We need to ensure that spa and spa teams feel valued as a core part of the wider hospitality team.”

Image courtesy of Whittlebury Park Spa & Health Club