Workplace wellness
Is your team happy, or just busy? Here are four ways to boost productivity by prioritising workplace wellbeing
You definitely know how to make clients look good in cutting edge styles, but is your team feeling top-notch? According to the charity Mental Health Foundation (MHF), approximately one in seven people suffer from mental health illness at work. Undeniably, staff in our demanding industry are vulnerable, working back-to-back appointments, late nights and long hours, whilst also being a confidant to clients, often taking an emotional toll. So, how can you help?
Prioritising workplace wellbeing not only promises healthy team morale, but productivity for your business too – studies show salons running specific wellbeing initiatives are by far outshining the rest in terms of business success. In fact, according to MHF’s study, these businesses are generating nearly 10 times the amount of the money initially invested in wellbeing, and that’s based largely on a reduction of both absenteeism and presenteeism. Proof putting in the time and the money works!
… So, let’s take strides towards a healthier work/mind balance – here are four reasons why:
Maintaining a work-life balance generates productivity
For just five minutes at the start of each day, Claire Jones from Self Love Salon in St Helens meditates with her team. Speaking on our wellbeing panel at the Salon Smart Summit, Claire explained how seemingly insignificant moments of mindfulness help in combating stress and anxiety, facilitating ‘fresh starts’ and ‘clear heads’, which help to pave the way to a positive day ahead.
Be creative! From organising activities like yoga to getting involved in volunteer or charitable work, create opportunities for your staff to enjoy moments of contemplation and to focus the mind elsewhere; feeling a sense of pride or expressing compassion by contributing to the community’s wellbeing can have a big impact on self-esteem.
Sharing her views on the Salon Smart Dublin stage last month, Wildflower’s Danielle Garner believes staff need to switch between the masculine energy of creating or doing, and the feminine energy of nurturing and resting to create balance. “If I make my team happy in their day-to-day life, I will actually achieve so much more productivity while they’re at work, too”, Danielle explains. Carla Rose McQuillan, owner of THE SPACE Hair Soul Beauty in Dublin echoes this sentiment, following the philosophy within her business that “one cannot be truly satisfied by work until they are satisfied by life”.
Being flexible will help keep your talent in-house
Warning: bending to every client whim may have counter-effects! Have realistic expectations of your staff and be respectful of their needs to avoid burnout or poor work-life balance. Offering guaranteed days off or flexible rota swaps are two simple ways to help ensure your people feel valued and appreciated.
Also speaking at Salon Smart, Maven Hair Studio’s Michelle Grimes is a firm believer of leading from the heart, with an emphasis on providing flexibility and understanding in the workplace. For example, she acknowledges the struggles experienced by staff trying to start a family while juggling work pressures – and she recognises people’s priorities are different and wide-ranging. Consequently, Michelle has created a co-working space with a unique model that welcomes self-employed hair professionals, allowing them to run their own businesses, but with the support of a salon environment. Co-workers can access mentorship, events and education – a support network they wouldn’t normally benefit from being freelance. The result? Longstanding resident stylists and a strong team unit.
Supportive work environment = a positive team mindset
It’s all about people power! Enhancing a genuine sense of belonging at work and feeling ‘part of the team’ greatly improves productivity, while boosting staff morale reduces conflict and miscommunication, which in turn strengthens bonds between colleagues and lifts the overall vibe. When your staff members watch out for each other, their combined energy will be channelled in the same direction: looking beyond their own needs and working towards the greater good of the business.
From apprentices to top stylists, a deepening of team-wide friendships and a growth in respect levels, means everyone will feel safe to voice opinions and share ideas and, ultimately, work better, together.
Promoting communication and openness leads to a more efficient workforce
Schedule regular conversations within your team, if you haven’t already! Create a non-confrontational and welcoming space for each individual, as well as the entire team, to be heard. Express yourself openly, to allow employees to get to know you better, as you learn about them too. When your team trusts you and comes to you for guidance, issues are more easily resolved, and goals can be more efficiently achieved.
Encourage your employees to reflect on their own duties and share over a chat or journal their struggles and goals. Monitor their needs and performances, to understand their expectations and capabilities. Then together, you can develop a plan that fulfils and benefits both parties.
So, no matter how small you start, make a pledge to prioritise mental wellbeing and you could reap the rewards in productivity, staff retention, client relationships and yes, profit! Energy creates energy, and positive change in mindset has the power to influence the entire ecosystem of your hairdressing business from the inside out.