In a world where philosophical divides occur almost daily, our staff in hospitality, spa, and wellness continues to seek and encourage healing and empathy in a community collective, which can only be described as our tribe. It’s innately human to want to serve for the greater good, and in the process, meld our differences in solidarity. This unspoken and often spontaneous human characteristic is a sign of maturity and emotional intelligence. Our tribe becomes a collection not only of doing good for others but also of being good to others.
Today’s employment candidates seek companies that have a social cause tied to their mission statement and an employee culture in which companies and industry leaders work together toward common goals. When those in an industry collectively join hands, embrace their business competitors to share an appreciation for helping others, and send that message to potential employees, stunning results can happen.
Today, industry data from the International Spa Association (ISPA) and the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) indicate we are in the midst of one of the greatest staffing shortages ever experienced in the spa industry. In consideration of our maturity then, what becomes attractive to qualified candidates seeking careers in spa? The answer lies within the collective mission of organizations and industries whose missions of purpose can attract candidates.
Three of the largest industry collectives, ISPA, GWI, and Beauty Changes Lives show us that working together toward common goals alongside social impact initiatives is on the rise. This brings with it the promise of attracting qualified candidates seeking careers in our field. ISPA and Beauty Changes Lives joined forces to launch “Get Your Dream Job,” a partnership aimed at creating a nationwide call to action to build awareness and promote the benefits of working in spas and salons.
Recently, GWI’s Social Impact Initiative began identifying, cataloging, communicating, and inspiring evidence-based social impact approaches and programs that benefit society. Its manifesto encourages a shared vision of social responsibility in the collective work done by wellness, spa, and medical members to further efforts for the greater good. Some other socially responsible activities include Green Spa Network’s Tree Planting Initiative, in partnership with WeForest, to mobilize the spa and wellness industry to plant one million trees by Earth Day 2019. Its effort speaks to the generations who want to regenerate the earth using trees’ natural ability to reverse climate change.
All of these organizations working together provide a forum for reaching out to an employment base seeking potential career opportunities. Corporate social responsibility initiatives have been shown to impact job satisfaction, job tenure, and the attractiveness of any given career. Many Fortune 500 companies are recruiting a diverse talent pool where education and experience is paired with volunteerism to drive growth and leadership.
In our industry, it is paramount today to have managerial leadership working hand and hand with human resources to bring forward community service to enhance recruitment efforts. Marketing and public relations messaging needs to highlight employee endeavors to further draw candidates to our shrinking base of employees. Let’s not forget that distinctive, tight-knit groups who share a common culture and social ties are the simple foundations of a tribe, and those members translate emotional intelligence into becoming family. Isn’t that what today’s talent pool is seeking?
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