Mini Moment #17: The Real Secret to Keeping Great Staff - with Abbe

TRanscript

[00:00:04] Jen: Welcome back to the inner sanctum Salon Rising the podcast mini moments brought to you by timely. Hey Sam.

[00:00:10] Samara: this is the reason. I can never do that. 'cause I'm always so impressed with how you roll that off your tongue. You

[00:00:16] Jen: did really well.

She's rolling fast today. 'cause we are fueled by cold brew. Yeah. But yeah, it's. Just rolls off the tongue now, guys. So in this mini moment, I'm really excited to talk about this because as Abbe pointed out, it's one of her superpowers. But I also believe it's one of yours as well, Sam, is that

[00:00:35] Samara: Yeah.

[00:00:35] Jen: Ability to retain staff Now, this is a big conversation at the moment. Mm-hmm. It's. Industry wide across hair and beauty. So let's go like quick fire tips and insight we have into that. Retention. Yeah. Side of things. When we're talking about staff,

[00:00:54] Abbe: I think creating a safe environment for them to come to work to is number one.

So to create that safe environment, it looks like saying yes to sick leave and not asking a question, saying yes to annual leave if they need to. Obviously with boundaries in place, you can't always say yes, but allowing them the space to feel safe to come to work and know that they're not going to be ridiculed for asking for something that they need.

[00:01:20] Samara: Mm. I love that because I think so often. We have to remember as salon owners, it's their life. Yeah. Yes.

[00:01:29] Abbe: Yeah.

[00:01:30] Samara: they're not doing us a disservice. They're living their lives within our business and I think having them come, I had a staff member the other day, and she knows we've had like we are.

We've got some that are moving away and it's really sad. And she's like, I know that you're already stressed. I've never felt more peaceful about it. Yeah. But she came to me and she was like, okay, I've gotta tell you something. And I was like, what? And she was like, I'm gonna go on holidays. I was like, that's amazing.

Yeah. She's like. In like August. So I was like, incredible. She's like, for two months I'm like, yes.

[00:02:00] Jen: Yeah.

[00:02:00] Samara: Like it's their life. I don't want her to feel that she can't go and have a two month Euro holiday. Yeah. They

[00:02:08] Abbe: absolutely

[00:02:08] Samara: deserve that.

[00:02:09] Jen: Yeah. Because it's their life. But also, put me in your bag. And take me with

[00:02:12] Samara: you.

Yeah. But like, can I come to Europe for two months? Yeah. Just saying. But I also want her for the next couple of months. Six months to be so excited for that trip

[00:02:20] Abbe: and talk about it at work. Yes. Not feel like they have to whisper around you. Yes. Like get involved with their lives and like be happy for them because Yeah, at the end of the day, they're humans too, living their lives.

[00:02:30] Samara: And then go home and have a whinge about it to yourself. Go home and be like, Ugh, how am I gonna make that happen when they're sick? Just don't respond for a couple of minutes because you know you are in your head, you're going. Oh

[00:02:43] Speaker 6: yeah,

[00:02:44] Abbe: yeah.

[00:02:44] Samara: I don't know how I'm gonna make this work. I'm feeling really stressed.

Yeah. Go into your appointment book, move all the things you need to move, and then once it's calm and you've sorted it,

[00:02:53] Abbe: yeah.

[00:02:53] Samara: Then text them back so they don't

[00:02:55] Abbe: put that pressure once you like, you like over that initial shock, I feel it's, you realize it's not that big of a deal. Yeah. No. And most 99% of clients they understand.

Yes. If you're like, I'm so sorry, but this person's baby is sick. You need to reschedule. Yeah. And 99% of them understand. Yes. So you do realize that it's really not that deep like. These people are living their lives as well.

[00:03:15] Samara: Yes.

[00:03:15] Abbe: And they're

[00:03:16] Jen: just, nobody intentionally sets out to let someone down. No.

[00:03:19] Samara: You know,

[00:03:19] Jen: I mean, absolutely

[00:03:20] Abbe: not.

No.

[00:03:20] Jen: Yeah.

[00:03:21] Samara: And if you've got a, if you've got a good team, like you said, like Yeah. The whole point is building a safe environment. Yeah. Safe meaning if I'm unwell, I'm safe enough to know that they've got me.

[00:03:30] Abbe: Yep.

[00:03:30] Samara: And I won't be unwell if. They, I know they need me because I don't wanna let them down.

[00:03:34] Abbe: Yeah.

[00:03:35] Samara: Safe enough that if I'm going on a holiday, they're gonna be so pumped for me. Because again, it's almost like creating a, a environment that is your number one hype girlfriend. Mm-hmm. You know that when you are Jen, when I am like thinking about doing something, it's safe to be like, Jen, I'm gonna do this.

What do you think? Yeah. She's like, yeah babe, go for it. I love this. Like, go you. Yeah. You don't ring the friend that's gonna be like.

[00:04:00] Speaker 5: like.

[00:04:01] Samara: Do you really think that that's a good idea?

[00:04:03] Abbe: Yeah. No,

[00:04:04] Samara: absolutely not. And that's what it can feel like with bosses.

[00:04:06] Jen: I still tell you that though. If I thought that. I

[00:04:08] Samara: know.

[00:04:09] Jen: Like it's an honest thing. If I thought that,

[00:04:12] Samara: yeah,

[00:04:12] Jen: yeah,

[00:04:13] Samara: yeah. But you would do it in a way that felt good for me. But again, that's the same thing with business.

[00:04:18] Jen: Yeah.

[00:04:19] Samara: Yeah.

[00:04:19] Jen: I don't always now though. It's okay. I'm working

[00:04:22] Samara: on it. That's all right. I tell you when you don't. Yeah. But that's. That's business too.

Yeah. Like, you know, it's not always, sometimes you, if you've got someone who's constantly sick, you've gotta have those conversations of being like, we need to have a discussion about this. And I know it's sticky and I know you're sick. Yeah. But like, there needs to be something behind this.

[00:04:40] Abbe: Yeah. I had to have that conversation with one of the girls, and I love her, but like her, her, she's got small children and small children get sick when they're first starting at daycare all the

[00:04:50] Jen: time.

[00:04:50] Abbe: And so the conversation wasn't. You can't keep taking time off. It was, have you committed to too many hours? Mm. Yeah. Where can we change this for you so that when they are sick, perhaps it won't impact your work so much. Like where can we take a load off you so that you have more time to be with your sick children?

And it's not going to be like constantly shuffling the books.

[00:05:11] Samara: Mm.

[00:05:11] Abbe: It wasn't. You've just gotta come to work. Mm. Yeah, exactly. You don't because,

[00:05:15] Samara: or making them feel guilty. So they're at home feeling like shit that they can't be there doing. No, the reality is, is they can't

[00:05:20] Jen: just come to work. They've

[00:05:21] Abbe: got more children.

Your number one priority is to be a mom. Yes. Like. Painting brows for me isn't your number one

[00:05:26] Samara: priority. Also, your number one priority as a person is yourself. Exactly. So if you expect your team to put your business above themselves, it's never gonna happen.

[00:05:35] Abbe: No,

[00:05:36] Jen: I know. And that's when you really need to be thinking about like why you feel that way.

Yes. What's the underlying feeling that makes you think that your business should be more important? Than someone's health and wellbeing.

[00:05:48] Abbe: Totally. And it often would come from a place of like, maybe you are not taking the time to be with your own sick children, or Yeah, maybe you are not taking enough holidays so that you're jealous of your staff that do get to take holidays like, yes.

Yeah. Yes. Basically it's all in a work. Hey, because

[00:06:03] Samara: that has to be all 100%. Yeah, that has to be 'cause you find when you are really good with your team. Yeah. Like I find when I'm like go, then when I have a holiday, they're like, we don't want to hear from you. Do not contact us. Yeah. And like Laura actually said to me when I got back from having a holiday, which was not a holiday because I have kids, but she was like, I'm so proud of you for not coming in.

[00:06:23] Abbe: Yeah.

[00:06:23] Samara: And I was like, that just lifted me to go, you absolutely just have this. Yeah. When I'm not here.

[00:06:29] Abbe: Yeah.

[00:06:29] Samara: And I'm just like so grateful for that. They don't want me there. Yeah. It's not like they're like, when are you coming in?

[00:06:35] Abbe: Yeah.

[00:06:35] Samara: But I think that that, and the same thing when you have to leave early.

If you've got sick kids, they're like, babe, we've got this. We have you. Yeah, yeah. But if you don't have them, they're not gonna have you not, no,

[00:06:45] Abbe: it's a two way street. You've got a 100%. Put your big girl pants on.

And

Take them under your wing 'cause you are responsible for them. You're responsible for them being able to pay their rent.

You're responsible for them being able to live their life. You're essentially responsible for their, some of their happiness. Really? Yes. 'cause they're spending most of their time in their life. In your space.

[00:07:07] Samara: Yes. Yes.

[00:07:08] Abbe: So you have to, you have to make it comfortable for them.

[00:07:10] Jen: Yeah. Okay. So safety and comfort.

What else, if anything else. Uh,

[00:07:15] Abbe: just paying them correctly and on time.

[00:07:17] Jen: Yeah.

[00:07:17] Samara: Yeah.

[00:07:17] Abbe: Like, I was owed about $4,000 Super. And that boss was going to make me pay the interest. What? 'cause she, yeah. You know how you get like a little bit of interest if you don't pay the super or something? She was gonna make me pay because she tried to say that I didn't get my forms in on time.

And from that point on I was like, I'm gonna own a business and I'm gonna pay those girls their super.

[00:07:38] Samara: Yeah.

[00:07:39] Abbe: Like, just pay them fairly and on time.

[00:07:42] Samara: Be consistent.

[00:07:43] Abbe: Be consistent. Yeah. Yeah. Be consistent.

[00:07:45] Samara: I think be consistent across all of

[00:07:47] Abbe: those

[00:07:47] Samara: things.

[00:07:47] Abbe: Yeah. With your moods, with pays, with like how you run things.

Saying yes or saying no. Consistency.

[00:07:56] Samara: Yeah.

[00:07:56] Abbe: Key for sure.

[00:07:57] Samara: And if anything irritates you Yeah. Go work on that first yourself. Yeah. And find where that comes from.

[00:08:02] Abbe: Yeah. Ask yourself why you are feeling irritated by that. And often it is a you a you problem, not a them problem.

[00:08:08] Samara: Yes.

[00:08:08] Jen: Yeah.

[00:08:09] Abbe: Like perhaps it's because Parker's screaming in my ear, not because one of my staff is called in sick.

[00:08:14] Samara: Yes.

[00:08:15] Abbe: You know,

[00:08:16] Samara: and as you said, we've spoken about, put strategies around it. Yeah. If they're texting at eight o'clock and saying that they're sick and you open at nine and that's when school drop off is Yeah. It's like,

[00:08:26] Jen: no, no guys.

[00:08:26] Samara: Tell me, I want, if you wake up at 2:00 AM I want the 2:00 AM text message.

Oh, yeah. And that's, that's, and I, my phone will be off, but it means when I wake up, I deal with that before I then go and mother, otherwise I'm mother terribly.

[00:08:39] Abbe: Totally. And then that's when you get frazzled. And it's easier to blame the staff member than you as a mother.

[00:08:44] Samara: Yes.

[00:08:45] Abbe: For being frazzled as a mother.

[00:08:46] Samara: Yes.

[00:08:46] Abbe: Yeah, like this, this week, one of my girls said, I don't think I'm gonna be able to send my child to daycare on Tuesday, but I'm giving him the heads up and I'm like, let's call it now.

[00:08:55] Samara: Yes.

[00:08:55] Abbe: Yeah. Let's call It's, call it now. We'll swap. The easier, you know that like even if she's on the ars end of that sickness, you can be at home with her.

[00:09:03] Samara: Yes. Yeah.

[00:09:04] Abbe: Because you're her mom.

[00:09:05] Samara: Yes.

[00:09:05] Abbe: And that's where you should

[00:09:06] Samara: be. And then you just, like, as a staff member, you're just like, I'm just deeply grateful for that. Thank you. I just thank you for having me in that, so Oh, I love your insight.

[00:09:15] Jen: Yes, thank you. Such good insight. Okay guys, so it's a quick little taster, but those are the little takeaways that we're gonna give you today.

And thanks again for joining us, Abbe. No worries. Thanks for having me. Bye.