Philippa's Blog, Recruitment

Becoming a complete and balanced therapist in 2016 – Loyalty and Trust

Posted on by Philippa Abbott

spa_sense_sept_fb_tip_picWhen this topic came up I thought it was fitting to share this blog Ii wrote a couple of years ago as it so fitting. Develop loyalty and trust by finding a suitable job and staying in that job. I hope you enjoy and take the time to listen; it will do you SO much good in the future and in your career!

Whilst trawling the internet I found and article in the Times where Jeanne Meister says “Job hopping is the new black”. This comment really upsets me but to further find out that that millennials think that job hopping is the only way to get ahead; saddens me even more. The reality is; it’s happening. People in our industry have no desire to become indispensable to a company and work their way up. They just up and leave in a heartbeat if something is not 150%. As a recruitment company; this is something we deal with on a daily basis, so I decided on this as a topic for my blog.

The article reveals that the average person stays in a job for 4.6 years, an average any Spa / Salon owner in South Africa would greatly welcome. Staff in the South African spa and beauty industry are staying for a maximum of 1 year which is just not good enough. The workforce these days is so fickle and they hop for the smallest most inconsequential reasons. When we left college we were always taught; it takes at LEAST 6 months to become comfortable in your new job. Stick it out, learn the ins and outs of the business and get settled in before you just jump ship at the first site of trouble. More often than not the grass is only greener on the other side because there is more S**T.
These main excuses we are given when our candidates leave after a few months:

• Changing Salary Structure
• Higher basics
• Hours are too long
• Weekend work is too tedious
• “Unfair” employment contracts
• Staff drama
• Targets being too high

I believe these are exactly that “excuses”; not valid reasons to leave a job you have been trusted to do. I also think leaving so quickly exposes individuals character flaws. The first thing a potential employer looks at on someone’s CV is how long they have been in their previous positions. Jumping around shows lack of loyalty and commitment; two of the most important attributes employers look for in their staff. Think about what you are saying to your future employer when you have worked for so many different places:

• It’s too hard
• I do not want to work for my salary I just want a cushy basic
• I am scared of hard work
• I am too lazy to ask why certain items are included in the contract
• I have no intention of staying for a year so I am not signing that contract
• I do not get on with or care to try get on with different people
• I am not willing to push myself to earn more money

If you were an employer would you hire someone who had this kind of attitude? I am an employer and I certainly would not!
What you have to understand is that by staying in a job for a good amount of time, you gain so much like:

• Seniority
• Leadership
• Stability
• Added training and development
• Benefits and incentives
• Self-Improvement
• Dependability
• Flexibility
• Perseverance
• A say in the company’s future

So what I am saying is that dream jobs are not found, they are created by us. So I urge you to do the following;

• Take responsibility for your own life
• Put your big girl pants on and smile – Everyday!
• Leave your troubles at home
• Don’t create drama at work
• Stay out of everybody else’s drama
• Turn challenges into opportunities
• Create a positive movement that other staff follow
• Just get on with your job and work hard – you will reap the benefits

Employers also have to take heed of this situation; as this is not going to get better on its own and we are going to land up with the most useless workforce of unskilled and underdeveloped staff. I understand that it is hard to invest in staff that don’t stay; so we find ourselves in a proverbial catch 22 with no foreseeable way out. But we have to try to do the following;

• Inspire
• Motivate
• Stay positive
• Be flexible – what works for one staff member may not work for another
• Create a movement staff want to be a part of
• Become resilient
• Soldier on regardless
• Have a rock solid staff retention program

So employers let’s mold our employees and develop the part of their job roles that they love. Focus on the individuals and make sure that we are doing everything in our power to grow them into what they want to be.

Employees don’t be afraid to voice your concerns; half the time a problem that seems so huge; can be solved in 10mins by just talking about it with your manager / owner. Stick it out and you will be the one who wins in the end.

Philippa Abbott

I qualified as a Somatologist in JHB in 2001. I began my career in the spa industry working on cruise ships for Steiner Transocean. I furthered my studies on my return to SA qualifying in advanced make up and special effects. I then moved to London where I worked in 2 of the most prestigious spas. I acquired knowledge in all aspects if the spa business and moved quickly from hands on therapy to part of the management team. When I finally came back to South Africa to settle for good I joined the management team of the Spas of Distinction where I grew my skill set even further and established a professional network throughout the South African Spa Industry. It is here where my roots are now deep seated and where I will remain for good. I started Spa Sense in 2010 and we have grown from strength to strength every year since then; forming key relationships with all the industry specialists. I head up the consultancy division of Spa Sense and run many of our training courses including Front Office, SOPs and Spa Sales and Retail. I also oversee our recruitment division making sure that all my clients and candidates expectations are always exceeded by the level service they receive from my team. I am incredibly passionate about what I do and hope I remain blessed enough to be in this exciting industry forever. This blog is a place I can share my views and experience so I hope you enjoy the articles and find them useful enough to use in your business.