Hans-Peter Veit, director of spa for luxury hotel brand Oetker Collection, shared his top tips for unlocking staff motivation at a panel last week during the Professional Spa and Wellness Conference in London.

To be accepted as a manager, and to motivate a team, leaders have to be the driving force, said Veit – and they need to leave the office and get involved.

“Times are over when once you could lead by delegation only,” he said. “Our staff need to see and to feel that we love our job, our clients and our team. We have to take our ass out of our office, and we have to work, we have to assist, we have to coach, we have to be part of the team – and we always have to be on the front line. If we are recognised as the hardest worker on our team, our team will definitely follow us.”

Veit also suggested that coaching is an important skill that leaders need to master, and that listening is key to keeping staff happy.

“Be a helping hand, but never pull,” said Veit. “Push your team to be creative and let them learn to work. Accept and appreciate their ideas and let their ideas be part of your spa...take the time to listen to each and every team member.”

Building a team of leaders rather than followers will also help with staff motivation, said Veit. Create a good work/life balance, and your team will be thankful.

But Veit also cautioned that it’s important to find the right team members to begin with.

“Be aware that you cannot train customer service, so be very very careful when selecting your team – take your time,” he explains. “If you choose the wrong person, you will get lost.”

Veit suggested selecting a team based on soft personal skills, such as joy, authenticity, subtlety, individuality and attention to detail.

But perhaps most importantly, Veit suggested to always be fair in your treatment of staff.

“Fairness is the key element for motivating staff, and they are very sensitive about it,” he explained. “Always be correct, but don’t treat equally – feel free to give more when you get more, and celebrate success.”