In my role as a business consultant to salon owners, my clients frequently tell me about the many issues they experience in dealing effectively with their staff’s performance. There are countless different and specific situations I help business owners and operators deal with but, in general, I guide the leaders in establishing a system for staff evaluations. This is critical for setting standards, managing them consistently, helping to prevent future problems, and rewarding success.
Here are some guidelines you can use to start managing your salon staff more effectively.
As a salon owner, your team is critical to your success. Whether you have a team of one or of dozens, their performance is a key factor in the overall performance of the business.
There are many categories of team members – from service providers to reception staff and cleaners. Each position has unique demands and therefor unique performance expectations. Most employees are genuinely motivated to do a good job. But what does that mean exactly? When the definition and expectations of a role are clearly defined, each person can more easily chart their own course to success.
Guiding Your Salon Team to Success
A great way to help your team stay motivated and be successful is by conducting evaluations. They are most effective when done in a formal setting: a sitting down, one-one-one discussion. It’s a useful way to give constructive feedback on how to improve, and also an opportunity to let them know what they are doing well. Evaluations help to keep the staff in line by making them aware that you are looking at their performance. This keeps them ‘on their toes’. Often, employees cut corners if they feel no one is watching, or if they think they can get away with it. Evaluations are a great way to do checks and balances on the staff and also a great way to coach them and help them improve. It also shows that you care about them and their performance. Formal evaluations result in decision making based on facts and data – not emotion.
Why Evaluations are Good for Your Salon and Your Salon Team Members
Evaluations are a critical process in your business practice. They assist both the operation and the spa or salon team members in following a path to success.
Why evaluations are good for the salon
- They keep lines of communication open.
- They recognize excellence.
- They document areas that need improvement.
- They offer a consistent method of setting and measuring goals.
- They can be used as a measurement tool for compensation.
Why evaluations are good for team members
- They keep lines of communication open.
- They provide a different, permanent means of communication rather than just talking.
- They demonstrate to the team member that the company is interested in their growth and success.
- They celebrates areas of success.
- They provide goals.
- They give team members an opportunity to give feedback.
- They give guidelines and structure on current and future performance expectations.
How to Not Make a Mess of it All
The information in an evaluation should NEVER come as surprise to the team member. If you are effectively communicating with that person on an ongoing basis, they should – at the very least – have a good idea what you will be talking about regarding their performance. This process should never be used as an opportunity to ‘beat up’ on a team member.
Enable the Success of Your Salon Team
In order for your salon staff to succeed, they must have the right support and training. Make sure the standards and expectations of the evaluations have clear definitions. Your staff will have difficulty achieving a goal they don’t understand. Incentives are also important to give your staff motivation to do well on their evaluations.
Be available to your team. If you are available and in communication with them, everyone will have the opportunity to discuss and clarify standards, and to share advice on how to achieve success.
Do you want to take your skills as a salon owner and manager to the next level? Book a consult at rob@salonprophets.com