It’s no coincidence that in every successful salon you’ll find a vibrant, happy team that works together like a well-oiled machine. Here’s a little guide to help you foster teamwork and inspire loyalty and happiness within your salon squad.
Celebrate Every Success, Big or Small!
A little celebration can go a long way. Did someone nail a challenging hairstyle or exceed their monthly targets? Celebrate it! It doesn’t have to be grand—a shout-out in a team meeting or a small treat can make your staff feel valued and motivated.
Create a Positive Work Environment
Your salon should be a place where positivity thrives. Encourage open communication, support each other, and create a space where everyone feels comfortable voicing their ideas and concerns. Chris Grimley of Fusion Hair Co says “Our salon standards are maintained via regular meetings to tweak any issues. If a procedure is no longer working then as a team we re-write them, meaning the team takes ownership and the systems are improved with ongoing input.
Weekly meetings include checking each step of the customer journey and carrying out roleplay exercises to ensure all scenarios are addressed, including ‘demanding’ clients or clients who aren’t sure what they’d like, helping to refine the experience and maintain smooth professional consistent running of the salon.”
Team-Building Activities: Fun and Functional
Organize regular team-building activities. Whether it’s a fun outing, a workshop, or even a friendly competition, these activities help build stronger bonds among your team members. Plus, they’re a great way to blow off some steam and have a bit of fun. Love Hair in Worchester regularly go out as a team, even going camping on one occasion! Co-founder Deborah says, “We descended on the camp site with a hysterical amount of equipment including inflatable double beds with headboards, fairy lights and a full rounders kit. We ordered in Thai food from a lovely local couple who make it to order on weekends, they thought it was priceless dropping off a huge food order to our tents! We were having so much fun that by the time we set up the rounders game it was 11pm! We had a couple of new team members and the camping experience really helped them to gel with everybody overnight really, it was a brilliant experience.”
Professional Development Opportunities
Investing in your team’s growth is a win-win. Offer regular training sessions, workshops, and opportunities to attend industry events. When your team feels like they’re growing and advancing, they’ll be more committed and loyal to your salon.
Foster a Culture of Respect and Inclusivity
Ensure that your salon is a welcoming space for everyone. Promote diversity and inclusivity, and make sure that every team member feels respected and valued. A respectful workplace fosters loyalty and harmony.
Encourage Work-Life Balance
A burnt-out team isn’t a happy team. Encourage your staff to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Be flexible with scheduling when possible and ensure that everyone gets enough rest. Happy, well-rested staff are more productive and loyal. Nuala Morey in Bristol offers her team members a work-life package including gym membership, 2 Saturdays off per month and for anyone struggling with mental health, she pays for the first three sessions of any therapy and helps them find the right support.
Offer Perks and Benefits
Who doesn’t love perks? Offering benefits like health insurance, staff discounts, or even just free coffee and snacks can make your team feel appreciated and taken care of. Little perks can make a big difference in loyalty and happiness. Look at schemes like the one run by Salon Business Solutions, offering membership to a rewards and perks programme with discounts on big name brands from Apple and Amazon to Sainsburys and Deliveroo, completely free to salons buying from them.
Host Regular Check-Ins
Regular one-on-one check-ins with your team members can provide valuable insights into their satisfaction and any issues they might be facing. It’s a great way to address concerns before they become bigger problems and to show that you care about their well-being. Karine Jackson suggests sometimes taking these out of the salon, and by visiting a really nice bar or restaurant, you can also demonstrate what excellent customer service standards look like and spark new ideas for back in the salon.
By implementing these tips, you’ll not only create a harmonious and efficient salon team but also foster an environment where everyone feels happy, valued, and loyal. Remember, a happy team leads to happy clients, and that’s the ultimate goal for any successful salon.
Team not working for you? Salon coach and Salon Gold Superstar, Caroline Sanderson says if you have an uncooperative or disruptive team member, you’re better off without them. One tricky employee can upset the vibe of the whole team, so keep this in mind when recruiting and appraising. “It could be that you need to lose key members of staff that don’t align with your mission, and although this could create fear, it would only cause long-term pain to keep them on board. You may fear that if you lose a staff member they might take all the customers with them, which would lead to losing money. Even if losing them does cause you pain in the short term, if they weren’t aligned with your values and weren’t working with you to achieve your vision, they would only have caused you greater pain in the future. Stick to your purpose.”
Don’t forget, you can contact any of our Superstars for personalised advice about your business!
