Tips on Reducing Staff Turnover

There’s 2 words to best describe the world we live in today, “more” and “better”. People are moving at such a fast pace these days, balancing their work life as well as trying to maintain a personal one! There’s always a new iphone launching, a newer version promising a “better” version of the last, with “more” features, apps and ways to stay connected. Personal connections and interactions have now been overtaken by online networking and communicating. People search for that better car, better house, better clothes…BETTER JOB. People strive for more money to obtain these better things and so it begins a constant cycle of striving for more to get better. How does this translate into careers today? Staff turnover. Staff turnover is inevitable but the ones who are affected the most by this are employers. This affects not only their business and pocket books, but most importantly the success of their establishment. There are ways for employers to decrease the turnover of their staff and lessen the chances of their employees looking for the next best job with the promises of more. Training, Appreciation and Recognition are going to attract staff and keep them as loyal and productive employees.

Provide Training

First of all it is important for employers to be the “more” that employees are seeking. Offer more services, beef up your service menu and offer the most cutting-edge on trend services. Provide training for all the services you are offering and advanced training as well to take your employees to the next level and make them the best educated staff around. Training can come in may different forms including product knowledge on retail lines, hands-on training for the services you offer or things like first aid and personal development workshops. When employees are educated they feel confident and appreciated. They feel they are worth their boss investing in them and believing in them and this in return helps to put that looking for better attitude at bay. Ask Executive Spa Group how you can access grants for staff training

Appreciate Your Staff

Appreciation comes in many forms and is unique to every employer/ employee relationship. There is no right or wrong way for an employer to show their staff how appreciated they are. Staff discounts for themselves and close family members, commission on product sales, bonuses when personal and professional goals are met and a positive, well stocked, beautifully maintained working environment and a simple “Thank You” are all some great examples of employee appreciation. This is by no means a one-sided relationship, when the employee feels appreciated they will in return work harder, more efficiently and most importantly happily! It is vital for employers to schedule some time to get to know their staff outside of work, this helps to maintain healthy workplace relationships and strengthens bonds between the employees as well. One of the biggest causes of staff turnover is conflict in the workplace. It is important to resolve conflicts before they spread and involve multiple team members. Communication is key!

Recognize Your Staff

Staff recognition is an integral key to minimizing staff turnover. There are very few people who don’t like a shout-out for a job well done or a compliment. It is important for employers to celebrate the wins and strengths of their employees. Some ways for employers to do this is verbal recognition to the employee themselves, or to any and all employees who have met their goals in staff email blasts, staff meetings or some type of recognition board. Employee spotlights or features in client email blasts as well as on the company website are an amazing way to make employees feel special and introduce them as well as their strengths to existing and potential clients. There is a saying that greatly refers to the topic of staff turnover; “The Grass Is Greener Where You Water It.” If an employer invests in their staff, helps nurture their skill, builds on their knowledge and makes them feel appreciated and empowered then that helps to quell the searching cycle. If an employer is giving the “more” experience and being the “better” option then there is no reason for staff to be looking elsewhere. The best thing for employers to remember is happy staff is staff that is not online looking for the next best employment opportunity. Training, Appreciation and Recognition are the gold standard for reducing staff turnover and keeping loyal, hardworking employees.

Paying Employees

Congratulations on being ready to employ staff! This is a big step for your company. While it can be scary to put your company’s reputation in the hands of someone else, knowing your responsibilities as an employer can help ease your transition.

When you hire employees, you must register for a CRA payroll account. This account will be linked to your Business Number (BN). To open your CRA account, you will need to complete a RC1B form.

As an employer, you will need to submit the following forms to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA):
TD1AB

TD1

These forms are Personal Tax Credits Return forms that you have to give all new employees to complete. These forms help you determine what deductions you need to make from their paycheque.

What if employee is being paid hourly + commission?

It is common to pay beauty industry employees by commission, unless your employee is claiming expenses, the forms above will suffice.

Additionally, Alberta Employment Standards Code requires you to keep the following records for every employee:

**NOTE: Payroll records must be kept for at least 3 years from creation date.

PAY SCHEDULE

At the end of each pay period, you must provide each employee with a statement of earnings that includes:

• regular and overtime hours of work;
• wage rate and overtime rate;
• earnings paid that show each component separately;
• deductions from earnings and the reason for each deduction;
• time off in lieu of payment of overtime; and
• statement period.

FYI- cash shortages can only be deducted from an employee IF:
1. the employee is the ONLY ONE with sole access to the cash
2. the employee authorizes the deduction in writing with the amount and date of shortage being deducted

If you plan to reduce any employee’s wage rate, overtime rate, general holiday pay, vacation pay or termination pay, the employee must be notified before the start of the pay period in which the reduction is to take effect.
Keep in mind, these rates must always be at least the minimum required by the legislated standards.

REMITTING TO THE CRA

You must remit to the CRA all deductions you made from an employee’s paycheque (federal and provincial income tax deductions, E.I. premiums, and CPP) before the 15TH of the month AFTER the month in which you made the deductions.

All remittances must be made in bulk for all of your employees.

ISSUING T4s
You must provide a T4 form to your employees ON or BEFORE the last day of February for the previous calendar year. This T4 contains information on the total CPP, E.I. premiums, and income tax deductions you made on your employees behalf for the previous calendar year.

If you have any questions or concerns with the information provided on this article please contact Executive Spa Group.

‘Cultivating the Beauty Industry’

---

Executive Spa Group
(780) 604 2772
info@executivespagroup

Post Chair/Room Rental Job Listings Alberta

In a previous article, LinkedIn reports IBISWorld’s notes stating that beauty industry employment will grow steadily through 2017 at a nearly 4% annual rate.

Though these are U.S. figures, Canada is expecting a similar growth rate at 3.1%. In the article What’s Next? Beauty Industry Trends Point to Blooming Booth Rental Market, Elizabeth Kraus discusses relevant industry news as well as 6 ways the growing booth rental market might change the Beauty Industry.

Renting space in your salon/spa has pros and cons. Success in this personnel model depends primarily on 2 factors: your knowledge of rules and regulations on this topic, and the tenant/landlord relationship you conduct.

Like Judiffier Pearson says in the behindthechair.com’s article Booth Renting 101: A Guide for Owners and Renters, “The true spirit of booth renting is a tenant-landlord relationship”. Remember, this is an article from the U.S. thereby Canadian information may differ.

If you are well-informed, renting space in your salon or spa can be an excellent method of secure income.

---

Executive Spa Group provides Alberta beauty industry employers an opportunity to promote their rental opportunities. This is a complimentary service we offer to cultivate Alberta’s beauty industry.

Our job bank features a Room/Chair Rental category where you can post as many details you would like to describe.

Our job bank is free, fast and easy to use. When you post your listing with Executive Spa Group, you are able to post multiple listings for up to 30 days at a time. Candidates submit their resume and other application material directly to you, thereby allowing you to be fully in control of the screening and hiring process.

By advertising in our room rental job bank, you will ensure your posting is seen by beauty professional job seekers across Alberta. Our room rental opportunities job bank can help you reach more qualified service providers than ever before. Simply complete our template outlining the skill set you require and submit it for posting. It’s that easy. And because Executive Spa Group specializes in the beauty industry, finding service providers has never been so easy!
Why post with Executive Spa Group?

• Our job bank is Alberta Beauty Industry focused
• Our job bank is visited by Service Providers in Alberta looking for their next employment opportunity
• Executivespagroup.com attracts top industry employers and job seekers
• Our job bank is easy-to-use
• Our job bank is absolutely FREE!

To post your chair/ room rental job listings click HERE.

---

EXECUTIVE SPA GROUP

Renting Space (CHAIR/ROOM RENTAL) in the Beauty Industry- Self-Employment Minus the Headache?

Alberta’s Beauty Industry allows for many ways to make money. You can find an employer that pays an hourly wage, a commission, or a mixture of the two.

Another route to making money in this industry is to rent space in an already established salon or spa. This path is for independent, creative persons who would like to dip their feet into self-employment, but are not yet ready to take the plunge.

Renting space allows you to make your own work hours as per your agreement with the business owner. Keep in mind that most business owners will ask that you create your work schedule around their hours of operations, so keep this in mind when you are looking for a salon/spa to rent space from.

Another benefit of renting space is the ability to offer your own services. This allows you to expand your service menu and only take training that is of interest to you. When you rent space from an already existing business, your services are not legally associated with the services offer by the salon/spa you rent from. In order to avoid a conflict of interest, it is very important to come to a written agreement with the business owner clearly describing the services you are allowed to offer from their salon/spa. Its best to rent space from a salon/spa that does not offer your specific services, otherwise, you may end up creating an ugly, competitive environment for yourself.

The ability to use your creativity to attract new clients is another benefit of renting space. As a space renter, it is your responsibility to get new clients to give your services a try. If you rent space from a thriving salon/spa, you will see a steady flow of clients, however, this does not mean they will become your clients too. You will need to create marketing material to promote your services. This can include business cards, social media, posters, etc. Ensure you and the business owner agree to your marketing methods and how much space in the salon/spa will be designated for your marketing material. For example, will you be allowed to put your sign on the front window? Remember, all these things will matter as your services become more popular and you grow. A sound, clear, thorough contract will help to eliminate unwanted matters in the future.

Renting space allows for control of your work/life balance. As long as you work within the salon/spa’s hours of operations, you book your own clients thereby controlling your own schedule. You also process your own payments, so only you know your financial standing at the end of each month, thereby you decide how you will balance your work/life budget.

Sounds good so far? Consider this…

• You will need to make a small financial investment with the potential for loss. This small investment is pocket change in comparison to how much you would have to spend if you were opening your own business.
• You will work independently, however, if you choose a positive environment you will have a support system of the salon/spa staff.
• You will be giving up benefits, such as E.I., holiday pay and sick days, but your schedule is always up to you.
• You will have to manage an unpredictable income, so ensure your life situation allows for a certain degree of uncertainty.

Still can’t decide if renting space is for you? Your decision can only be made after careful consideration of several factors.

Your personal situation, including your health, your family’s health, your financial situation, your support system, your family responsibilities, and your commitments all matter.

In addition, your skills and knowledge must be evident to your clients. Also, you must be willing to work hard and persistenty, and build long-lasting realtionships with your clients and distributors.

WHAT DO YOU LAWFULLY NEED?

• Insurance
• Business license
• Certification (as per occupation)

For more information, contact Executive Spa Group. Whatever decision you make, we wish you the best of luck!

Executive Spa Group
Cultivating Alberta’s Beauty Industry
(780) 604 2772
executivespagroup.com

Interview Tips for Beauty Industry Job Seekers

At ESG, we understand interviews can be a scary thing, so we decided to share some interview tips with beauty industry job seekers.

Before we start, let’s keep in mind a few things…

Things to remember:

• Both parties want to make a deal
• First, show you have the skills required
• Second, find out if you are actually interested in the job

SETTING UP THE INTERVIEW

Try to follow these steps:

• Find out as much as you can: Who is interviewing you and what are their positions in the salon/spa?
• Always answer your phone professionally while looking for work
• Voicemail- make sure your message reflects your professionalism

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Things to remember:

• They don’t know you, or your skills and knowledge. Explain yourself thoroughly when answering questions
• Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions such as pay and benefits
• Body language. Refrain from crossing your arms, slouching, etc.
• Ask to rephrase if you do not understand the question
• Ask if you can take notes. Writing down questions helps some people concentrate and also gives you the opportunity to come back to a question if you get stuck. Clarify to the interviewer that you intend to leave your notes behind
• Thank the interviewer

Typical Questions

1. Questions about you and your skills
“Tell me about yourself/Strengths/weaknesses.”
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The interviewer wants to ensure you are working on your current weaknesses.

2. “What if” questions
“Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a coworker.”
The interviewer wants to know how you have actually handled conflict, not how you hope to handle conflict in a best-case scenario.

3. Your interest in the spa/salon
“Why do you want to work here?”
The interviewer is looking for commitment. NEVER give a vague answer. Show the interviewer you’ve done your research.

4. Plans and expectations
“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
The interviewer wants to make sure that you are motivated enough to be promoted in time.

---

We recommend you write down answers to all the questions above and practice reciting them before your interview. Writing your answers will prepare your response and avoid those awkward “ummm”s.

Be prepared for a technical interview if your first meeting goes well!

We hope our interview tips help. Good luck on your interview!

Visit our job bank.

EXECUTIVE SPA GROUP
Beauty Industry Resource Centre
(780) 604 2772
executivespagroup.com