Jason Ratcliffe 
If an employee proves to be a bad fit, for the sake of that employee, the business and the wider team, they should be moved on quickly
In the previous article, getting an idea, turning it into a product and getting out there and selling it was discussed. In this article, managing staff and fostering a culture that meets both the practitioner's needs and the needs of the business are detailed.
Getting traction for a product requires taking a front seat to promote and sell the product in person. Eventually, there will be a point where more staff need to be hired to keep growing. Employing first staff can be a challenge, and getting formal advice on producing an employment contract and handling pay as you earn (PAYE) should be considered. However, there is another element that is going to be discussed: namely, who you should employ. In Sara Blakely's (the creator of Spanx) talks (Blakely 2020), she shared her experiences of her first hires and when she had to let people go.
Fill the voids
There will be aspects of each practitioner's business that will not play to their strengths. It could be administration and logistics, in which case, someone will be needed to handle operations. It could be that someone is needed to handle public relations (PR). Blakely found her PR representative by giving her a free product and then walking with her to lunch, where she said how much she enjoyed the product. When Sara offered her the head of PR role, she had no previous experience, but Blakely wanted her to begin with her enthusiasm and grow and develop in the role. Another hire started as Blakely's personal assistant and moved to running product development in a few weeks (Blakely 2020).
Look for people who are going to be extensions of you in specific areas and will want to develop it. By getting those weak spots covered, there will be more energy to concentrate on the enjoyable aspects of the business and your personal strengths.
Culture trumps experience
In some cases, experience and qualifications are essential requirements for a role. However, having the right attitude and values and caring about the customer and patient are just as important. Blakely found that employing people who have amazing skillsets but are a poor organisational fit usually ends in failure. In many cases, when starting out, people who can be hands on, help when needed and potentially help with decision-making, as well as being able to have a frank conversation with a supplier or speak to a patient, are a good choice. The ideal person will treat the business as their own and will look out for a good return on investment. Having a good sense of humour and not getting offended too easily are also desirable attributes.
Hire slow, fire fast
Even after the applicants have been filtered down, luck plays a large part in employing the right candidate. Some great questions to ask are:
- If you had £1 million, what would you do with it?
- What are your passions?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years' time?
- Describe yourself in three words.
Trying to recruit for a role that you are not strong in yourself can be quite challenging, so that is where looking out for passion and commitment will help, as well as the candidate's curriculum vitae (CV) or application form. Once a great person has been found to fill that role, it is likely that they will be able to assist in or be responsible for hiring more people for that area of expertise. Make sure that a fair salary is offered for their services, as this demonstrates that they are valued. Offering a low salary is a red flag for many prospective employees for this reason.
» To inspire employees, ensure that your company has a purpose beyond making money. With aesthetics, the purpose is to make people feel great about themselves. Remind them of this to keep a purposeful work environment, rather than merely somewhere to get paid «
If an employee proves to be a bad fit, for the sake of that employee, the business and the wider team, they should be moved on quickly. Terminating employment is one of the most unpleasant things that must be done, either as a business owner or leader, but it can be managed with kindness. An honest conversation may be needed to see if there is another role in the business that they can take on. Using a performance management plan can give the employee time and guidance to improve or, indeed, time to look for a position in another company.
Try to do it yourself
As the business begins to take off, there will be more experts telling you how to run aspects of it. Sometimes, experts will need to be brought in, but try to get your team to do it first, and only pay for consultants where they are really needed. When attempting to spend less money, frequently, there will be a better output, as you are more in tune with your business than an outside consultant. Accept that you are always going to be learning as you go and encourage your team to do the same.
Building a culture
Setting the right culture is critical for each business, as this lets your team know how to act on your behalf. Employees need to feel trusted and empowered and know that they can make mistakes and that they are not going to be micromanaged. They need to have well-defined goals and know how those goals relate to overall business goals. Celebrate both the wins and the failures—let staff know that they are acknowledged and appreciated. The mentality of a start-up company should be used by keep trying to fail fast and learn from it. Everyone has been to sales wins meetings, but what about a meeting where what has not worked is openly discussed, too? Establish a no blame culture where, when things go wrong, they are openly identified and resolved as a team, rather than hidden away.
It is worth considering writing a risk appetite statement for your brand. For example, detail that you want the lowest risk appetite possible to patient/employee safety and regulatory compliance. For strategic and operational objectives, have a higher risk appetite, and, for transformation and innovation objectives, have a high-risk appetite and appreciate that, sometimes, these endeavours do not work out. This enables an understanding of where caution and experimentation can be used.
To inspire employees, ensure that your company has a purpose beyond making money. With aesthetics, the purpose is to make people feel great about themselves. Remind them of this to keep a purposeful work environment, rather than merely somewhere to get paid. Sharing your purpose with patients and suppliers will help them to get on board with your brand. Allowing your employees to engage in some philanthropic purposes as a paid day is a great way of helping them to bond with your brand, as well as promote your business. Another method of teambuilding is to take the team to work on a charitable project for a day as a way to give back to the community and bond.
Always make sure the reasoning behind each product is understood. What problem is your product trying to fix, and why is it different to your competitors? How does it fit in with your brand's purpose? Can you iterate your products to provide a better service?
Maintaining your culture
As the team grows, consider teaching new hires explicitly about your culture. Make sure that company leaders stay closely connected to the organisation's purpose and goals. Once your premium brand is established, using your purpose can also help you create a sub-brand to serve a larger audience that may not have been able to afford your main brand, while still serving your core purpose.
Conclusion
Building a culture into your team allows your brand to retain your personality and values as it starts to grow. Defining a purpose beyond money and empowering employees is a great way of ensuring that staff are inspired to make good decisions on your behalf. The aesthetics sector is all about making people look and feel fantastic—use this fact to build your brand purpose and inspire your team.