When you keep losing your employees...

Usually, it’s losing clients that keeps you up at night. Although losing them is difficult to deal with and usually a sign that there is room for improvement, an increased employees rotation may be a symptom of something even worse. Sometimes, it’s a coincidence and nobody’s fault - you just weren’t on the same wavelength and it’s better to part ways. Nonetheless, they say that the fish rots from the head down - so if you can’t keep your team together, it may be the time for a solid self-reflection.

They just weren’t fit for your business

Truism time: each staff member has different expectations from their workplace, and each employer looks for different traits in their employees. Things that matter to you may differ from those that your new team member prioritises. It may turn out that you just don’t get along with one another - not necessarily personally, but in the sense of business values. For example, the employee may want more independence while your salon focuses on teamwork - there’s no “wrong” and “right”, you just want different things. Some beauty specialists are too impulsive and ambitious to stay in one place for too long. They may also feel incompatible with your salon’s culture. There is nothing wrong with that and it’s not something you should take personally. You just didn’t match - it’s better for both of you to let it go and keep searching for a better catch.

Something is going on behind the scenes

Sometimes there is a very icky situation going on in the salon and the owner is apparently the last person to be aware of it. It may be either a minor conflict that employees will be able to solve themselves - or a very nasty case of discrimination, harassment or bullying. For example, sometimes experienced employees can be hostile towards novice ones. The atmosphere in your salon may be extremely toxic - and you may have no idea. If you want to know how to recognise and manage a growing conflict in your salon, we wholeheartedly invite you to read our piece on that.

Your salon lacks structure and organisation

There is nothing worse than a lack of coordination, predetermined principles and specified roles in a salon. You want to maintain a friendly atmosphere where everybody is equal, but you end up with understatements, misunderstandings and the person with the greatest impudence imposing their will on others. You simply have to create and maintain an organisational structure, with clear descriptions of roles and their decision-making power. Otherwise, you will end up with unnecessary rivalries and overall chaos, caused by employees who are unsure of what they really should, and shouldn't be doing. Employees get tired by the constant uncertainty and the need to fight for their own rights. Even your salon software, Booksy, encourages you to provide employees with different access levels, as each staff member plays a unique role in your salon. Moreover, you should provide your employees with manuals on your salon policy, the etiquette guide, procedure book, and so on. Everyone profits from having a clear set of rules.

You struggle with being the leader

Some people just aren’t natural-born leaders and have to work on their personalities in order to become more assertive, decisive and self-confident. Every business needs a strong boss, especially one that focuses on direct contact with clients. You may be a great friend to your team members and overall likeable person, however, that is not enough to successfully manage staff. Ask yourself:

• Do I allow my employees to walk over me? If you succumb to the whims of your more cheeky and insolent staff members, others may be really vexed, as it is simply unfair. The rules should be equal for everyone and you can’t let selected employees rule over you.
• Am I organised enough? Losing important documents, forgetting about scheduled job interviews, not paying on time... every day is a new streak of failures. People don’t want to work for a boss who can’t pull themselves together, as it is simply stressful, confusing, frustrating and exhausting in the long term.
• Do I do my job? Being a boss takes a lot of responsibility. If you prefer to post photos with hashtag #girlboss on your Instagram than handling your duties, you're going to face serious problems.

If it isn’t your laziness, but a serious struggle - let’s be honest, as a boss you have a lot on your shoulders - seriously consider getting Booksy. It helps you with basically every aspect of being a salon owner, from finances, inventory and marketing to staff and customer management.

Instead of being the boss, you are being bossy

On the other end of the spectrum, there are people who become seriously overbearing when they take such a high position. Ask yourself:

• Am I respectful towards my employees? If you speak down to your staff members, they will either feel unimportant and replaceable, or start growing seriously harsh feelings towards you. They may become more and more withdrawn and careless, as they notice how uncommunicative you have become. And if you have difficulty apologizing or admitting that you're in the wrong, you may be creating a dangerously toxic atmosphere in the workplace.
• Am I supportive? When was the last time you said: “great job” to your team members? When was the last time you have rewarded them with your attention, let alone any form of material gratitude? Are you able to react with understanding and empathy when you are going through a rough time? Are you ready to take their side in an argument with a customer? If not, then you shouldn’t be surprised there is no loyalty on the employee’s side.
• Do I offer enough for what I expect? Or, to be brutally precise: Are the salaries I provide lucrative enough? Cutting corners when it comes to employees wages is a cardinal sin. Salon owners tend to say, "you get what you pay for" - and that applies to your staff as well. The best specialists won’t work for pennies.

Sometimes detecting a staff management crisis isn’t as easy as it sounds - your employees may be seriously wondering whether they even want to work for you anymore, and you might have no idea. It’s much easier to notice if you keep track of your team members’ performance with Booksy employee management. There, you have access to the detailed work reports, records of leaves and absences and automatic calculation of commissions. This way, you will be able to notice any changes in employee behaviour and react immediately, before they make the final decision. Take your time to analyse reports from your smart salon software and reflect on your own behaviour - there is no better way to not only find the reason, but also be able to fight the employment crisis.