Upon proactively recognizing the specific challenges on motivating and managing staff, salon owners or managers need to find effective ways to attend to these. However, there is actually no definite way to resolve those issues considering the fact that there are many types of salon business models.

Diverse approaches could be employed depending on the type and case of your operation. But the good news is, there are other solutions that can be instituted to maintain a creative, busy salon environment full of hard working and motivated staff.

Whether you are a first-hand or experienced manager, we have some ideas and tips for effectively managing and motivating your salon staff.

1. Accountability

In its simplest form, accountability means taking ownership. As a manager, if you really want a culture of accountability among your staff, you must recognize that once you begin this shift, you are going to be the one under the microscope too – not just your staff because accountability begins with the leader.

Also, remember that a culture of accountability is built on a foundation of clarified expectations. Clarified expectations define the procedures to achieve desired outcomes. Your staff needs to understand the rules of the game and what winning looks like. You need to ensure that your staff understands that you are asking them for their ownoutcomes, not activities. For example, you want the person who sweeps the floor at your hair salon to take ownership of the floor being clean, not for the mere activity of sweeping. If he then finds a better way to ensure the floors are clean and does it in ways that improve client satisfaction, that’s the real prize.

Accountability is also something that cannot be mandated. Even saying “You are accountable for this…” doesn’t ensure your staff feels ownership. So while accountability cannot be mandated, it can be cultivated. It begins by maintaining staff who share with you the same mission and desired outcomes.

2. Performance Contribution

Customers expect excellent service when they enter a salon. With tight competition in this industry today, no one can afford to risk losing a client through the inappropriate behavior of poor performance. An unhappy client will simply take your salon business elsewhere. It is often easy to turn clients off. This client will then circulate complaints with their peers and the bad publicity spreads. This is not good for the business. That is the very reason why you have to let every individual in your management know how their performance affects the business as a whole. And in order to ensure that they are maintaining a somehow good performance, you set rules, policies, and standards where you can evaluate them accordingly.

3. Strengthen team relationships through team building

Salons can be hotbeds of interpersonal relationships that’s why it is important to consider creating fun opportunities for the staff as a whole to spend time together. Most owners or managers agree with the concept of team building – to build, foster, and manage a team. From simple get-togethers in the salon to organized trips away, team buildings provide the easiest and funniest way of motivating staff to become more efficient and collaborative.

4. Incentivize Performing Salon Staff

A great way to boost staff drive and optimism is to provide them with incentives. There are times when some of your staff go above and beyond, those who shine with amazing dedication to their clients and the salon, or those that have innovative creations by mastering a new technique. Make sure you show appreciation for a job well done with words, tokens of appreciation or other forms of incentive. This will keep them heading in the right direction and be motivated to discover numerous ways that can improve their performance.

5. Always leave the door open

Open all the lines of communication by having an “open-door policy.” It’s good for staff to know how to solve problems on their own, but they should never be too uncomfortable to come to you for help solving larger problems. Know the concerns of your team and deal with them head on. However, some may view this as frightening, as this may be taken as something offensive, but as the salon owner, it’s better to be on the neutral ground when talking about disputes. Be positive in your approach and dependable in your attitude. Do not lose your temper. Instead, be reasonable and amenable. If the lines of communication are open, it will be easier for the staff to voice out their opinions without being offended or defensive. And this will truly lead to a relaxed milieu within your grounds.

Remember that every employee has opportunities to impact the bottom line of your business. Problems with your salon staff such as those mentioned above could be solved. The tips discussed might be the answers that can be incorporated into your salon pos management system. Take note, learning the best ways to manage and motivate your salon staff to improve themselves will ultimately increase your client satisfaction which could shape your company’s growth and survival.