HR Corner Leave policy a retention tool by Isabella Lee Sunday-off policy breaks industry mould and helps maintain a happy workforce The pursuit of beauty is ageless and the beauty business has grown appreciably in Hong Kong in recent years, with strong demand for beauty products and therapies. Beauty salons, spas and slimming companies are among the major competitors, so it follows that there is continuing demand for experienced beauticians. Companies involved in the beauty business are taking various measures to attract and retain staff. And one of them, Neo Derm (HK) Ltd, has gone the extra mile by adopting an extraordinary approach to maintain a healthy and happy workforce. It gives them Sundays off. Golden day-off Most businesses regard Sunday as a "golden day" for business, but Lim Meng-teng, managing director of Neo Derm, explains, "We want our staff to enjoy the day off on Sundays because it's a family day. This is just one of our many staff policies to make our therapists feel good. We believe that happy employees bring happy customers, and so we are very conscious of the needs of our staff." Neo Derm did not always have its Sunday-off policy. In its founding stages, dermes, reenex and Elyze beauty centres served customers on Sundays like others in the same industry, using a system of shift-work to help spread the burden. But it sought the views of its therapists and found their top priority was a stable work schedule. So, as Mr Lim explains, "When our business picked up, and as a way of rewarding their good work, we not only brought in the Sunday-off policy but adjusted our working hours so that therapists work eight hours a day and have a six-day week, which means there is no need to rotate their working hours." "We are very conscious of the needs of our staff" This generous schedule makes Neo Derm a strongly favoured employer since almost all salons and spas in Hong Kong operate seven days a week — a policy that is quite understandable when the current high business rents are considered. Not surprisingly, Neo Derm's turnover rate for the therapists was a mere three per cent during the fourth quarter last year whereas every time they advertised a vacancy, a large number of applications flowed in. "Altogether we needed only five new staff, so we had a large pool to choose from," Mr Lim adds. Million-dollar training With more than 300 employees, Neo Derm has become one of the largest dermatological aesthetic groups in Hong Kong since being established in 1997. In choosing new staff Neo Derm sets the bar high because it is not easy to become a therapist with the group. Newcomers must be skilled in using the high technology and sophisticated equipment involved. However, as Yvonne Tang, the group's retail training manager explains, a comprehensive training course is offered to the right persons. All new joiners must complete a two-month orientation course during which they will learn both hard and soft skills. The intensive course includes a series of programmes from basic treatment knowledge to the latest beauty technologies conducted by experts in respective areas. It also enables the newcomers to tune in with the group's unique culture and service mindset. "Only after at least 60 hours of hands-on practice, and provided they pass an internal assessment, do we allow the trainees to embark on the profession with us," Ms Tang says. Afterwards, further training must be completed satisfactorily as they proceed upward in their career path. "We want to make being a therapist a career to our employees. Therefore, we invest millions of dollars to provide learning opportunities and inspiration to our staff," she adds. Another factor in Neo Derm's human resources management is the use of the Six Sigma as a basis for overall quality control. The model combines a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology to establish quantitatively how a process is performing. Service standards are monitored and enhanced via a DMAIC procedure, which stands for define, measure, analyse, improve and control. "All customers are surveyed to show their satisfaction levels after visiting dermes, reenex or Elyze," says Mr Lim. "We have maintained an average score of 80 per cent in terms of the Six Sigma but we are still striving to improve. The system is a barometer to reflect the performance of individuals and therefore drives them to provide better services to the customers." Neo Derm sources and distributes innovative dermatological beauty products and equipments serving thousands of clients including medical practitioners and high-end cosmetic service providers. The group also provides specialised beauty services through its wholly-owned brands, dermes hair removal specialist, reenex skin rejuvenation professional and Elyze advanced slimming solution located at popular districts. Salient points - Happy employees bring happy customers - Sunday-off policy a way of rewarding work performance - Two-month orientation course teaches hard and soft skills - Continuous learning opportunities and inspiration for staff - Six Sigma system rates customer satisfaction and service standards Taken from Career Times 23 February 2007, p. A20 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]