Chances are that if you run a business, you have assigned a set of KPIs (key performance indicators) to your staff members. These are the indicators by which you measure the success of your team, gauge their eligibility for promotion or work on a management plan to help get them back on track.
If you created and assigned those KPIs prior to the Coronavirus pandemic though, you may want to consider binning them and starting over.
“Particularly in the beauty industry, employees are often given targets to hit and these include the ability to up-sell on treatments and products,” says business expert Tracey Whitby. “And while that’s all well and good, owners need to have a look at those numbers. We’re operating with less people in salons thanks to social distancing rules, we’re also functioning in a recession where simply keeping a beauty appointment may be a luxury for customers – so trying to up-sell to them is likely to leave a sour taste in their mouth.”
Instead, Tracey suggests replacing those pre-COVID targets with more manageable ones. “It may be that getting a client to re-book their next appointment before leaving the salon becomes a measurable KPI, or perhaps introduce a referral system whereby if one of your therapists is able to have one of their customers successfully introduce a new customer to there salon, they get a tick against another KPI.”
Tracey is adamant that insisting that staff work against old KPIs in a climate that they were never intended for is a recipe for disaster.
“What we expected from our staff before, just isn’t feasible now. You also ned to take into account people’s state of mind. We’re all a little on edge. You’re going to get the best performance from your staff by being empathetic and adjusting your expectations. If your team can see that you’re willing to come to the party, there’s a good chance that they will too, and will exceed your expectations.”
Visit the #BEAUTYSTRONG hub at https://www.professionalbeauty.com.au/beautystrong/
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