Your salon team is one of the most valuable parts of your business. They are the face of your brand and their success is equal to your success. With strong competition between businesses in the hair and beauty industry, it’s more important than ever to be standing out from the crowds!
As a salon manager or owner it falls on you to lead your team in reaching their full potential, and staff motivation plays a big role in inspiring your team. Creating a strong sense of belonging, and having the ability to take ownership in certain areas will not only help motivate your team but will increase their job satisfaction so they will be more likely to stay working in your salon longer.
These simple steps can help you create a more successful, motivated, and happier team, which will in turn benefit your salon, spa or clinic.
Set salon targets
An important step in driving your team’s success is the use of targets as a goal to work towards. Setting targets will not only motivate your staff but also ensure everyone in your team is working towards goals that will make your business more successful.
To ensure you and your team achieve these targets, there are some things to keep in mind. Be sure to share these with your team so they know what they’re striving for!
Set team targets
Team targets are a great way to encourage teamwork and show your staff how vital they all are to the success of your business. Being able to bond over a shared or common goal will be sure to motivate your team to succeed together. Learn how to set targets for your business and team.
Create individual targets
Different team members will have different areas they need to focus on. Setting individual targets as well as your common team goals can help motivate them in these areas. This also allows you to recognise individual success in your team.
Ensure your targets are measurable
Choose specific performance measures, like service spend, rebooking rate, or retail spend. For example, you could set a target sum for service spend for the week. Consider what areas you would like the business to improve in, then set staff targets from there.
Keep targets specific
This is important as most businesses see a dramatic increase in staff performance when they effectively set individual goals. This includes setting a specific number or dollar amount and putting a time limit against the target. Make sure the time period is communicated to your salon team so they can keep track of their targets themselves as well.
Make sure your staff can track their progress
This is the key to keeping your team motivated. So make sure you give your team access to Kitomba on their smartphones so they can keep track throughout the day or week.
You can set your staff access through Kitomba on a need-to-know basis, so the majority of your salon team may only be able to see their own targets, and likewise, you can give full access to your team leaders or salon managers so they can see all targets, including business targets.
Set realistic targets
Targets should give your team something to aim for, but they shouldn’t be unreachable, and their attainment or lack of shouldn’t be dependent on circumstances that are beyond their control.
Understanding how your team is performing in an area will help you set realistic targets that you can then update when they achieve them. It’s a good idea to initially introduce targets when your staff are already close to achieving them. That way it begins as a positive experience that they’re happy to have as part of their workday.
Business coach Paul Carbis recommends continuously monitoring and adjusting both salon and individual targets to grow them to levels where you would eventually like your business to be – see what he has to say about it in this blog: Small, achievable, sequential steps to success.
Read more about setting targets in your salon, spa, or clinic.
Get the whole team involved
Delegating responsibilities to members of your team will give them a sense of ownership, importance and belonging. Having responsibilities outside of their day-to-day role shows your staff how they add value to the business.
A good start would be to assign responsibilities based on your team’s individual strengths and tendencies. You could even pair someone who has an interest in an area but perhaps not the experience with someone who does have experience, so it becomes a peer teaching exercise. Or share responsibilities between your team members so they are supported by different people on alternating weeks. Responsibilities you could delegate include: looking after retail displays, planning and executing social media, or stock management.
Another way to motivate your team is to empower them to make decisions. Give them the guidance and training they need to take full responsibility for their area. Be available to support them if they need it, but let them run it their way. They might have a different approach that gives better results, or just a method that better suits them but achieves the same result. If you do need to step in, let them explain their reasoning and work with them to find a better way together.
Taking the time with each staff member to listen to ideas, provide feedback, ask questions and get their opinions on different ideas and strategies for the salon, can also be an effective way to increase motivation as they really feel involved in the business.
Upskill your salon team
Your team wants to do great work. And of course you want your team to do great work too! Not only will your clients be happy but the better your employees are at their job, the better your employee engagement will be. This makes it easier to reach the level of productivity and revenue your business needs to reach the levels of success you have in your sights.
This all leads to upskilling your team, which is an important part of keeping your staff motivated. Creating opportunities for employees through training and education to better themselves, both professionally and personally, will lift the quality of their work, therefore making them more valuable to your clients.
Diversifying your salon staff skills also allows more members of your team to perform a wider range of services, or perhaps you’ll be able to add a service to your offering. This will not only help your business, but it supports your team’s career progression. They’ll be more efficient, have better attitudes and make fewer mistakes too – the positives are endless.
Give your team access to the correct training and tools, let your team members know what they’re responsible and accountable for, communicate with them regularly so everyone is on the same page, and they’ll succeed.
Janine Simons, owner of MANE Salon, in Wellington, New Zealand credits her salon team for the success of the business, including the dedicated training programme they run. Read more about what she has to say here.
Image: GM Hair Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Create an inspiring work environment
Your work environment is made up of both the physical space and the relationship with your co-workers. Creating a space that your staff are proud to work in and a team relationship that is positive and supportive will have a big impact on your team’s motivation.
A clean, well-lit, and good-looking salon, spa or clinic can have a positive impact on your staff’s well-being as well as being attractive to existing and future clients. Ensure your team has the right tools for the job and a few “extra-mile” amenities. It might not seem cost-effective at first, but the change in attitude will be obvious among your team when they know you care enough about them to invest in their well-being.
A well-lit space can also keep your team energised throughout the day. If natural light isn’t an option in your salon, then try to use light fixtures with adjustable filters.
Think about providing a space for your team to unwind without disturbing clients and other team members’ work, as this will help morale tremendously.
Lead by example
Setting expectations for how you all work together and leading by example will also help to create a positive work environment. Encourage your team to work together with goals that encourage collaboration, not just competition. Create opportunities for everyone to spend time together outside of work and get to know each other better without clients around by hosting events out such as dinner or a shared activity.
By always treating your team as you expect them to treat each other you’ll be setting an example that is easy to follow. This might mean quietly asking to speak to someone in private rather than openly discussing an issue in front of everyone, or readily sharing praise and thanking your team for work well done.
Motivating your team doesn’t need to be difficult. With the right skills and tools, you can take your team a long way and build a great business.
Kitomba Salon and Spa Software can help you motivate and empower your team with features like targets and handy reminders that will help them reach their goals. Contact us to get a personalised demo and find out how Kitomba can help you grow your salon, spa or clinic.
Want to know more about creating your dream team? Download our guide here with top tips on building a motivated and driven team here.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on 31 Jul 2017 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Read next:
- Staff management guide for salons, spas and clinics
- How to introduce targets to your salon team for rapid growth
- Small, achievable, sequential steps to success: Paul Carbis on setting salon targets
Feature image: Ella & Jade, Brisbane, Australia. Read more about their story here.
