Five ways to support your team
The holiday season is a time to celebrate and relax, but for the salon industry it can also be a time of increased stress and a much busier workload. Taking care of your staff over this busy period is really vital. By prioritising your team’s wellbeing, they’ll be more motivated and productive. We asked MAMAWEST owner Sheridan Shaw to give us her top tips on how to keep your team healthy and happy this holiday season.
1. Keep communication open
Keep lines of communication open with your team. Encourage them to express their concerns, share their workload preferences, and ask for help when they need it. This can help prevent feelings of being overwhelmed and ensure everyone is on the same page. Creating an open environment will help your team to share their thoughts and feelings, and make them feel valued.
2. Be flexible with scheduling
Recognise that the holiday season can be a particularly hectic time for your team. Offer flexible scheduling options where you can. Try to take into account individual preferences and availability and consider rotating shifts to distribute the workload evenly. Creating an environment where you respect your team’s time will help them respect yours – and the business’s.
3. Provide breaks and downtime
Working long hours without breaks leads to burnout and actually makes your team less productive. By scheduling regular breaks for your team you can encourage them to recharge. Get in some team bonding! Say thanks to your team for a year of hard work with an end-of-year-party. A little bit of downtime can go a long way in keeping morale high.
4. Offer support and recognition
Give your team the support they need to do their job well – this could be through making sure that all the equipment is functioning, full and ready to pick up. It could be through showing up yourself and throwing yourself in to help or be a supportive ear. Recognise when they’re staying late or working double-time to make sure that every client has a fantastic experience.
5. Encourage self-care
It’s vital that work isn’t all-consuming for your team. Remind them to take care of themselves outside of work hours, and make sure you’re giving them enough breaks and days off to do so. Encourage healthy habits like good food, regular exercise and adequate sleep. Work this around your team – if some people are night owls, they might appreciate a late start and a late finish, or vice versa, if you know one of your staff likes an early night, give them the the early start, early finish.
To help ensure everyone’s on the same page, we’ve put together a morning huddle template. Spend a few minutes each morning filling this out and encourage your team to read it (and add to it if they need). Write down any important info, staff birthdays, products of the day, and your to-do list.
If you’re a solo business, this is still a great tool to stay on track of everything and manage your business goals.
Pro tip: Print and laminate this morning huddle sheet so you can fill it out each morning with a whiteboard marker!
Click here if you’d like to download the PDF version.
When your team’s taking care of themselves, they’ll be better able to handle the busy demands of the holiday season. Create a work environment that thrives when it’s busy. Your team will thank you – and so will your salon!
