Attracting Talent to Take Advantage of Spa Demand

Attracting Talent to Take Advantage of Spa Demand By Lynne McNees, International Spa Association

To understand which issues are most pressing in the spa industry, simply get a group of spa leaders together and listen to them talk. Sooner or later, most of those conversations will likely end up orbiting the challenges our industry faces regarding its workforce. During ISPA's recent Stronger Together Summit, about a thousand professionals gathered virtually to connect and learn from one another. Even though wide-ranging, the subject of the spa industry workforce seemed to find its way to the center of nearly every discussion.

There is, of course, a good reason for that. A 2019 ISPA study, conducted in partnership with research firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, revealed that there were more than 28,000 unfilled spa service provider positions (massage therapists, aestheticians and nail technicians) and more than 4,000 unfilled Spa Director or Spa Manager roles available.

Given the impact of the pandemic, those figures are even higher today, and spa leaders continue to struggle in their search for qualified team members. Resort and hotel spas, many of which reduced the size of their staffs more than day spas, may face a particularly difficult labor market for the foreseeable future as a result of attrition, competition from other industries and a weakened talent pipeline. If those spas can rise to meet these workforce challenges, and take advantage of the opportunity of pent-up demand for spa treatments, they will set themselves up for success and recovery.

Attrition Rears Its Head

According to The New York Times, there were 4.5 million fewer women employed in Oct 2020 than in Oct 2019, and a third of the working women who are unemployed reported not working due to child care demands. Concerns within the spa industry that a significant number of service providers have left their roles and may not return to the industry seem warranted in light of those figures. An exact accounting of the attrition rate for these workers will not be possible until spas can return to full-scale operations. It is reasonable, to expect that, if even a relatively small percentage of service providers elect not to return to their professions,

a spa industry already facing a considerable talent shortage will be in greater need than before of a comprehensive approach to attracting new talent into these roles and closing that gap.

But that task will take time, and meanwhile, resorts and hotels the world over eager to attract returning guests and travelers and provide them with a experience may have to do so without the benefit of a fully staffed spa. At a time when travel is slow to return to normal, a busy spa can serve as an appealing asset and a significant source of revenue for the property, but only if it is able to fill its treatment spaces with service providers who can meet guest demand.

Closing the Talent Gap

If hotels and resorts are to put their spas in the best position to not only recover, but thrive, they must work alongside spa leaders to bring more people into the industry talent pipeline, attract already-qualified service providers seeking career changes and establish talent strategies that help retain top employees.

ISPA is currently developing a toolkit containing resources to aid in these efforts, but our resort and hotel spa members are already putting a number of strategies and initiatives in place to address the issue. One such strategy involves seeking out partnerships with schools that train service providers. Through these partnerships, spas are often able to make direct contact with potential employees, many of whom may not have previously considered a career in the spa industry.

Another group that may be able to offer the spa industry some relief is already-qualified service providers who work somewhere other than a spa. The American Massage Therapist Association, for example, notes that only 4% of all massage therapists work in a hotel/resort/cruise setting, and just 20% work in a spa/salon setting. By prioritizing outreach to the more than three-quarters of all massage therapists who work outside of these locations, spas may be able to identify candidates who bring experience and confidence.

Attracting (and retaining) top talent obviously goes

beyond simply identifying strong potential hires. From there, spas must also create a culture that is attractive to prospective employees (and current staff). Communicating a clear-and accurate-sense of your company's mission and the ways it aligns with the values that so many who work in hospitality share is crucial to that messaging.

Put simply, resort and hotel spas must clearly demonstrate the appeal of working in the hospitality industry to a talent pool that will likely remain in exceptionally high demand for the time being. It won't be easy, but it is essential to their success. Investing in and fostering that talent once it's onboard is equally critical. As Fred DeMicco, executive director of Arizona University's School of Hotel Management put it during the Summit audience, his students' basic attitude toward their future employees is simple: "Help me grow, or I will go."

The Case for Pent-up Demand

Anecdotally, ISPA has heard from a number of resort and hotel spa leaders who have noted that, despite the occupancy restrictions under which most of them have been opening, demand for spa services has been particularly strong. Given the higher-than-typical stress rates experienced, it is not unsurprising that spa services find themselves in great demand, with the potential for that demand to grow even further.

As Colin McIlheney, leader of global research at PwC, said during the Summit, "I believe the mantra at the moment is, 'Open it and they will come.' If we can get the spas open, you will see unprecedented demand to get back to spas and back to the services people want." McIlheney's conclusion is rooted in more than simply the power of positive thinking, as illustrated by his colleague Russell Donaldson, manager at PwC and one of the architects of the annual ISPA U.S. Spa Industry Study.

In practicality, it may not be possible for every spa to book every available appointment and use every square inch of treatment space, but those that invest in the search for talent will put themselves in a position to capitalize on an impending flood of demand.