How to deal with tension among employees who don’t get along.

Staff management is by far one of the most challenging aspects of our roles as spa/salon managers and business owners; even when everyone gets along. Staff conflict can be extremely damaging as it directly impacts on moral within the business. Clients can sense when there is unrest and it is bound to affect their experience at your establishment. We work in a very female dominated industry so we often have to contend with hormones and emotions running high. We have to ensure that when it comes to dealing with tension among employees that we do not falter by dealing with the problem ineffectively as this may have a massive and negative effect on our businesses.
Firstly, we have to make sure that we have a solid and well thought out recruitment procedure; and that we are selecting the right staff member from the beginning. If you do not have the time to carry out this process properly; then ensure you have a trusted senior staff member that can run it for you and recruit on your behalf. Alternately enlist the services of a reputable recruitment agency, one that understands you and the needs of the business. The agency must have the ability to align your company vision, culture and job role to the candidate’s personality and skill set. Selecting the correct candidate can save you an enormous amount of time and, essentially an enormous amount of money.
How do you achieve this?
1. Have interview templates for each position in your spa/salon. This will ensure you do not omit anything.
2. Include qualities and traits you are looking for in a candidate and include a few questions that will help you understand the qualities of the candidate. For example, ask the candidate to describe themselves in 3 words.
4. Trade test candidates on every treatment they are expected to do. You cannot tell if a therapist is 100% capable if you only test 10% of the services they will be performing.
5. Write notes for each point so that you remember all aspects of the interview If you see several candidates in one day it will be very difficult to differentiate one from the other after a long day of interviews.
6. Understand the candidate’s expectations and ensure they understand yours. A large percentage of unhappy staff attribute their unhappiness to companies propositioning a job to them which is later turns out to not be what they were expecting.
7. Reference Checks are a vital element of the recruitment process and should not be missed overlooked.
8. Once you have selected the most suitable candidate, allow them to interact with your staff before you hire them. Have a “trial day” where the candidate comes in and experiences a day in your establishment. Watch them closely and ask your staff for their feedback afterwards, this will allow your staff to feel like they play a vital part in the process of hiring new recruits.
9. Once you are satisfied that this candidate is the correct fit issue them with an employment contract. Ensure that your contracts are clear, fair and easy to understand. Ensure that once you have offered a candidate the position you give them ample time to read the contract so they are in complete understanding of your expectations.
10. Most importantly be prepared. This is a lengthy process so it should be something that is on-going and well maintained. It should not be left for when you have a resignation. Build up a bank of good CVs so that when a staff member resigns you are fully prepared and the transition is smooth. This will help to alleviate any possible loss of revenue due to an empty column.
By following a thorough recruitment process you will be armed with a workforce that shares your company vision however there are always other things that need to be taken into account to ensure you are running a business that tries it’s best to avoid conflict. Here are a few common problems we encounter and how they can be avoided.
Cultural Differences
South Africa is melting pot of different cultures and we have to ensure that all different races, nationalities and religions are respected amongst all staff members. A strong code of conduct is vital in this regard. Your code of conduct must identify all your company policies and procedures; but must also highlight your staffs’ behavior at work. Respect and understanding for other people’s belief systems and backgrounds is important to ensuring a peaceful and harmonious working environment. Take time out to train your employees about the different cultures that make up your staff compliment.
Different Training
Across the country different schools and colleges teach our staff different ways of doing things. Not only do we have diverse training in South Africa but we have foreigners working for or with us that have received training in other countries that will differ from what we were taught. This results in different levels of standards and work flows for each of the services we offer. For this reason it is so vitally important to ensure that all of our treatment procedures are standardised and that each one of them is documented in a Standard Operating Procedure. In this way everyone knows what is expected of them for each treatment and there are no grey areas.
Treatment Room and Area Standards
Unfortunately, we do not have all the same personal standards and conflict often occurs when one therapist leaves a treatment room or area in a different state to the way she found it. This is why it is so important that you have clear guidelines as to how everything should look and how it should be laid out at all times. A ‘lookbook’ is a tool that comes in very handy in this regard. You should set your spa/salon up exactly the way you want it to be at all times and photograph each and every area. All the images are compiled into a document with an explanation of each photograph which forms part of your employee handbook. This will become gospel and anyone who does not comply can be disciplined accordingly.
Accountability
When no one is held responsible for ensuring procedure is adhered to, rules are broken and staff can become upset. Take responsibility for the action. For every process put in place there must be someone accountable to ensure that the job is done. Thorough job descriptions and checklists must exist to ensure that jobs are being done correctly and standards are being maintained constantly. Consistency is key, and every day the standards must be the same so that the person accountable for each policy is brought to book if any of them; is not adhered to.
Training and Development of Staff
This is not always on-going. So often we complain about things not being done properly or unrest amongst our staff but in actual fact no-one is clear on what they are doing and they are just going through the motions. Training is vital to ensuring good overall standards. Refresher training from time to time will also help to remind staff of how things should be done so a consistent level of service is maintained.
Non communication
You have got to be vocal. Your staff has to hear from you every day. They must know how they are doing and know what is expected of them on a daily basis. This is the most important piece of the happy staff puzzle.

In theory if everything is laid down and policies are adhered to rigorously, there should be absolutely no reason for staff to disagree. So why does it still happen? It’s called the “human factor” and sometimes it’s just unavoidable; even after we have taken all the previous points into consideration. Throw people and personalities into the mix with a sprinkling of oestrogen and emotion and we have the perfect recipe for conflict. For this reason, we have to be able to deal with the conflict when it occurs.
We have to ensure that diplomacy is our top priority and that we do not takes sides. You have to remain neutral and assertive; you cannot be aggressive as this will only aggravate the situation. In the same light you cannot be too passive either. Be direct and tackle the problem head on and as soon as it happens. The longer you wait to resolve an issue the further the negativity will spread through the workforce and ultimately to your clients.
Follow an easy 4 step approach to ensure all tension between colleagues is nipped in the bud as soon as possible.
1. Address
Pull the conflicting employees aside individually and hear them out. Do not interrupt, just listen with an open mind and hear both sides of the story.
2. Investigate
There are always 3 sides to a story so make sure you gather as much information pertaining to the conflict as possible so that you can assess the situation in its entirety.
3. Discuss
Once you are clear on your plan of action call the employees in for a discussion let them openly deliberate. You then deliver your verdict and the course of action you are going to follow to ensure that the conflict is resolved.
4. Follow up
Keep an eye on the situation and make sure you follow up with further discussion with the 2 parties to ensure that all is resolved and that peace has been restored.
Even though it feels like you have to run a military operation to avoid tension; bear in mind that there is always time for light heartedness. Let your employees have a little fun. Promote the benefits of humor at work. The workplace should be a place that employees enjoy. Add fun to meetings when you can. Be positive and give your employees praise and feedback. Take the time to offer words of approval for the work employees complete. Being positive and you will generate positive results.
Always remember:
Happy staff = Happy clients