Welcoming Employees Back: Key Aspects to Remember

As restrictions continue to lift and more facilities are able to reopen with increased capacity and services, not only are you welcoming your members back but you are welcoming back the most important part of your business, your employees and team members.

To deliver great customer service = you must deliver a great internal employee service.

Here are some key aspects to remember when welcoming your employees back:  

Define the Role and Discuss Expectations

Has the job they are returning to changed? Likely, YES, and it involves enforcing mask policies, additional cleaning and operational responsibilities. Spend time discussing the “new” role and what the expectations of that role are. It is important you are setting up your employee for success during the transition back to work. Take time to understand what they are also looking for in returning to work and make sure everyone is on the same page.

Ask and Listen

Have you actually spent the time to ask your employees how they are doing or what is going on in their lives? Listen and make genuine effort to check in personally on a regular basis. The majority of your employees may have been either out of work and/or working remotely for the past 12-plus months and have anxiety about returning to work or are struggling with other stressors. Work has become a second family for many people in today’s world and your employees should know you care about them and their well-being, just as you do for your members.

Support and Provide Opportunities

Maybe your membership base, class numbers and/or personal training clients are not quite back to what they were but that doesn’t mean you can’t find other opportunities for your employees. Consider adding in new programs based on their interests. For example, small group training, mindfulness classes, outdoor options, etc. Encourage your employees to share their ideas and other ways to improve operations, member experience, classes and community events.

Celebrate Success and Milestones

With everything else going on, these small celebrations can be easy to overlook but they add so much value to your employees. While it is great to celebrate success at work, meeting membership or sales goals, it is also important to recognize success or milestones that might not always be attributed to financials.

Mark your calendar and make a point to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries – work and personal – as well as other personal events such as babies, engagements, competitions, etc. Your employees should know how much they are valued and appreciated not only while at work but that their personal successes are also celebrated. 

“Clients do not come first, employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” – Sir Richard Branson