The beauty industry is facing a salon and spa recruitment crisis.
From a dwindling number of NVQ Level 3 therapists to universities scrapping spa related degrees, there has been a declining interest in providing watertight education to upcoming beauticians. Those who do make it through have been educated by teachers hit by funding cuts in hours and resources, meaning many beauticians are not up to scratch when they qualify.
In addition to the standard of education, COVID-19 has also impacted the industry. With new measures in place for social distancing, time to clean equipment, and less staff than previously, spas have been unable to run at full capacity. This has meant that many spas and PR influencers are fully booked until October. The end result is a lack of staff to accommodate the needs of clients.
Spa recruitment career pathways
A vital part of tackling the spa recruitment crisis is by educating people that the industry has excellent career progression.
Educating people of the opportunities open to them helps them understand where such a career can lead. Many will be unaware that their starting career can lead to many other pathways in the industry. One such example is starting as a spa therapist and then taking a path to software trainer.
Becky Sims, now an account manager at Premier Software, did precisely that. She shares her story:
“I started working within the beauty industry when I was just 17 years old. My first therapist role was working in an Elemis Spa in Greece, before I progressed to spa management on cruise liners. I enjoyed travelling around the world, doing what I love most – helping people.
“During the last seven years in the industry, I worked at two UK-based spas doing a variety of roles from head therapist to hotel front of house & reservations manager.
“I used Premier Software systems as a client for many years before making the decision to change my career path. I have now worked for Premier Software for three years! I have such a passion for the software and love providing advice to our accounts on the best way to utilise the system based on their operations and requirements.”
The UK Spa Association’s answer
The UK Spa Association (UKSA) aims to target the spa recruitment crisis with their Work for Wellness scheme. This five-phase strategy focuses on the need to attract new talent into the spa industry, complete with a career’s week and a full range of educational resources for support. To add to this, we have also produced a range of recruitment tips to help you below.
To support the UK Spa Association, you can join as an operator/supplier member or join their Work for Wellness campaign as an official sponsor by contacting [email protected].
We also have plenty more advice to help tackle the spa recruitment crisis. These start with our blog entries on how to attract and keep spa staff and how to hire the right candidate. For further and more in-depth advice, why not download our tailored guide for the current climate? This features plenty of tips to help educate and hire those new to the industry or those looking to progress their career.
Download the guide for more details: