Blog Spot - With Don De Sanctis

Oh-dear, it’s that time Year!

The holiday season is not too far away and without a doubt everyone is feeling the heat already. With this in mind, every year I try my hardest to ensure that my team is prepared and does not get burnt out during this season. Preparation of this busy time of year is the key to success not only in the financial view of the business but also for the wellbeing of the team and clients.

The first thing I do in preparation is to ensure that I have staffed my shops so that my staff do not get burnt out in the crazy, busy rushes that we get. During this time, I will typically have more staff staffed on frequently so that this is covered. Having more staff also will allow for everyone to be able to have more breaks so that they do not get exhausted.

Your staffs’ wellbeing both mentally and physically is always extremely important but especially at this time as everyone is overwhelmed and needs extra support. As an employer I always offer my team support by having an ‘open door’ policy where I can be contacted whenever by whoever of my staff and I offer support for work and personal related worries. I also do regular check ins at all my stores to ensure that my staff have the opportunity to feel comforted and reassured that we are all in this together.

Finally, we have extended hours at our headquarters for customer and staff support. All our Barber Boys community needs can be attended to with longer hours. Our staff in store are also reminded that customer service needs to be upheld no matter how busy we get, our high standard never drops.

Workplace culture is the most important aspect of any company, which is why I pride my business on having a strong, family-oriented culture. We have an annual end-of-year party where we treat our staff to dinner and drinks and take this time to reflect on the year we had. Having this event allows everyone to get together and celebrate another great year in holiday spirit!

Although crazy, the holiday season is one of the best times of the year. My advice is to prepare and embrace this festive season and celebrate the end of another year.