To get respect from your millennial tanning salon employees, you must be truthful. Millennials have little time for B.S. Their access to the Internet in their young and early adult lives caused them to be raised in an environment of availability of facts. Because of this, they always want the bottom line. The best way to handle the Millennial with good or bad news is to simply tell the truth. This is the hallmark of tanning salon owners who succeed through the trusting ambitions of every tanning salon worker.
Honesty About Wages and Raises
Without trust and respect for your word, you have little hope for your employees taking an emotional interest in your tanning salon. Unfortunately, some tanning salon owners make a huge misstep when they try to deceive their Millennial employees. Here’s one all-too-common example: “Sorry, but there are no raises for merit performance this year.” I’ve heard of at least two tanning salon owners say this then turn around and host a major employee holiday party complete with catered food and a full bar. It’s not consistent with what you told your employees, and there’s no way your staff won’t become resentful about this.
Honesty and Employee Theft
Dishonesty breeds resentment, and resentment often leads to employee theft. Unfortunately, this is an ever-present reality for most if not all tanning salon owners. There are many things you can do to help prevent employee theft, such as cameras in the lobby, etc. Still, the most effective ways to curb employee theft is to curb your employees’ desire to steal from you. When employees steal, there must be three elements present:
- Opportunity, which is found in any retail business.
- Need or greed, both of which are possibilities for anyone who works for you.
- Justification. Like it or not, your employees will make themselves believe they have a “right” to steal from you.
Honesty and Performance Reviews
If you don’t give periodic reviews or any kind of feedback on how your team of Millennials is doing, they should have no reason to do better. Too often, there is no feedback, or feedback that’s incomplete or inaccurate. It works both for terrible or wonderful employee evaluations. Telling someone that they’re an excellent employee without any facts or examples to backup your opinions is as bad as not doing the same for problem workers. Again, the message should be honesty and transparency.
Honesty and the Tanning Salon Owner
Do you want some honest efforts from all of your Millennial tanning salon employees? Then you need to be honest with them. Try sharing your honest assertions about where the salon or salons are financially, as well as your market share, competition analysis, and many other facets of your business. As one major CBS exec told me many years ago, “When in doubt, tell the truth.” You’ll best manage your Millennial employees if you apply those words of wisdom in your tanning salon.