By Bryan Durocher, Durocher Enterprises

Any business is only as good as the people who are working within it. It does not happen by accident; it is planned right from the start. The most important motto a business owner can adopt when looking for people is to “hire hard and manage easy.” Business owners hiring out of desperation, not inspiration, will have serious challenges. People and leadership issues are the number one time-consuming focus of every business owner or manager. The time, effort and financial commitment it takes to hire people who are not the right fit for your culture are too great.

Welcoming new generations

The workforce currently is made up of mostly Generation X and Millennials, with the very oldest members of Gen Z just coming in.

Millennials—those born between the early 1980s and the 1990s—and Gen Z—born in the late 1990s to early 2000s—are often seen as doing things differently by their more established counterparts. And, as we are all aware, “different” can be challenging. However, these two groups make up 42% of the current population, and it is important to embrace innovative approaches.

Savvy employers include the potential of the generations to make significant contributions to the success of their businesses. They cannot be combined into one all-inclusive group. However, there are certain defining characteristics of today’s younger workforce. Understanding and knowing how to empower these qualities can be extremely beneficial to your business.

Tech-savvy. Millennials and Gen Z are the first full generations to be raised with computers. In fact, not only can they uncover, operate and recommend the most advanced tools and technologies, but they can teach you how to effectively use vital tools such as content management systems and social media. This group really understands how to effectively use marketing tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. They are not afraid of Google, either.

Cost-effective. Compared to other populations, these younger workers appear to be less motivated by money. Thirty-seven percent of employers report that “work/life balance and flexibility” is the most significant motivating factor for Millennials and Gen Z, with only 17% claiming “compensation” as the primary driver.

Team players. If some called Baby Boomers and Generation X the “Me Generations,” we might term Millennials and Gen Z the “We Generations” for their heightened senses of community and peer-to-peer relationships. This translates into more of a group mentality and increased collaboration in the workplace, which is never bad for business.

Acceptance seeking. Some have termed Millennials and Gen Z the “Trophy Generations” in response to the “everyone’s a winner” mentality and the endless pats on the backs associated with their upbringing.

Once again, while some see this as a negative, it can actually be very motivating: A need for praise and validation often facilitates effort and achievement. So, yes, this will mean they will need more feedback, but they’ll work hard to make sure it’s positive in nature.

Stay current. Hiring Millennials and Gen Z helps keep your company up-to-date with social trends, entertainment trends and other key market trends. Build relationships with your younger employees and offer them an opportunity to gain experience with your organization, and they will reward you with continued relevance.

Don’t be fooled by bad press. True, Millennials and Gen Z may be a little different—but, then again, weren’t you when you entered the workforce? With the right attitude and appropriate management, welcoming Millennials and Gen Z into your business might just make the difference between whether your company soars or stagnates.

No matter what generation of team member you are working with, however, you must have clear expectations of exactly what you want for your team.

Establishing an ideal practice

When dealing with the issue of recruitment, the more innovative, consistent and aggressive a business owner can be, the more likely they are going to find the right kind of team members to work with them. Hiring is a 24/7 process, and all businesses should be accepting applications and interviewing, even if they do not have positions currently available. Things can change rapidly, and you never know when the need to quickly hire a qualified, motivated professional will arise.

Before recruitment can take place, however, the business owner needs to make sure they have created an environment that is conducive to long-term employment and the right market position to attract the ideal and best team members.

People who left jobs during the pandemic stated that their number one reason for departing was not having a clear career path shown to them. There tend to be two specific reasons why people leave companies: First, the team member feels disgruntled, unappreciated, unable to advance, stifled creatively or mistreated; second, the team member feels underpaid for the creative talent or amount of work or business they are providing. When you take the initiative in these areas, you can dramatically reduce your turnover.

That said, the three major things you can provide that will help attract champion team members are unlimited income earning potential, an enjoyable work environment and ongoing education.

Setting clear expectations

System and structure actually create freedom—when people understand their boundaries, they adapt to how to best succeed within them. Team members need to have clear job descriptions prior to their first day of working at your business. The job description details the duties required and the level of performance that is expected.

It is also important when working with staff members to have conversations about expectations. People thrive when they have a structure to follow. The team member manual and job descriptions must clearly state what is expected of them and what they can expect. There is a great benefit to producing a company manual or philosophy that details the company mission statement, policies and rules of conduct.

The benefits of the manual and job description include accountability on both sides of the equation. When having a dialogue about job descriptions, listen for opportunities to ask powerful questions that will have your team member search deeply for what is important to them. How will you support your team member to understand the importance of a commitment to excellence and how it will affect their future business?

Motivating your team

Incentives are essential because they support focus. Programs that are daily, weekly or monthly work best; incentives that take longer tend to lose their momentum and excitement. This is the land of instant gratification, and people want rewards immediately.

Medical spa owners should also engage in casual motivation for their team members. Support them in highlighting their achievements and coach them in areas where they need improvement so everyone achieves their highest potential. Motivating your team is the key to moving your business forward.

The goal of casual motivation is to create an environment where everyone is there because they want to be. Team members should want to make you proud because you are easy to work for and you make the staff feel valued. Casual motivation is a “whole coaching” approach and makes the workplace enjoyable and fun. Use profiles on team members. Hire the best team members, set up parameters of expectations, coach them, open lines of communication, establish goals—all these things help team members feel important and valued. Do not use condescension. The boss does whatever is necessary to keep the business running smoothly and is always willing to help out and solve challenges without being frustrated or dismissive. Casual motivation starts from the top with the owner paying attention and being personable without crossing the boundary into team members’ personal lives.

Find out what motivates each individual and use that to coach them to victory, no matter their generation. It is important to discover everyone’s “because.” Why is it important to them to be successful? How will being successful support their life and business? By uncovering their “why,” you will clearly be in touch with what would motivate an individual to be a positive example. The culmination of clearly defined values, personality traits, job descriptions and incentives is the greater likelihood of your medical spa having a team of champion team members.

BRYAN DUROCHER is the author of Wake Up… Live the Life You Love… in Beauty, and is the founder of Essentials Spa Consulting and Durocher Enterprises. Durocher was named one of the “Top 20 People to Know in the Beauty Industry” by Global Cosmetic Industry magazine, and provides coaching, consulting, global industry trends and marketing solutions for medical spa, spa and industry professionals internationally. Durocher Enterprises has been published in many articles and has provided business education internationally at a variety of national and international industry events.

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