One of the biggest threats to building a successful business is high staff turnover. Two of the best dynamics for building a clientele are consistency and availability. So obviously when the first dynamic exists, the second cannot be achieved.
What to Do?
While there is no absolute solution for staff turnover, there are a number of things that can be done to minimise the problem.
Often the problem happens because you employed the wrong person in the first place. If you have a number of candidates for the job, it’s easier to pick the best on - but if there aren’t, you might be tempted to employ the only candidate. Experience has shown it’s better to leave the position open until you find the right person.
The first three months are crucial in determining how long someone remains in your employ. When someone joins your team, both you and the new employee have expectations, which can be the main reason they leave, if expectations aren’t aligned.
When somebody joins your team, make sure they understand Team Values. Common respect for everybody's right to be happy and successful. Negative issues must NEVER be brought into the salon especially race, religion, and gender difference. Most importantly, the Customer belongs to the salon and, as such they each are everybody's client.
If you want staff to become an asset in your business, you need to invest in them. From day one, staff are entitled to be given every opportunity to be successful. This includes being given a fair share of the walk-in business. It also means getting constructive feed-back regarding the quality of their work, their ability to consult with clients, and finally, their ability to grow the business. After one or two performance reviews, staff should be ready to set their own targets and take responsibility for their monthly earnings.
Try to adopt the mindset that staff are your internal customers and treat them the way you want them to treat your salon clients.
- Terry Miles, MD of MySalon Software
Email: info@mysalonsoftware.co.za
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