We recently sat down with Renee Toporek, Massage Envy’s Director of Therapist Recruiting and Retention for the Central Florida and West Coast of Florida regions. The intention was to get input on what graduates can expect when seeking work with this established employer. See the interview below. – Dar Mikula, Editor
What qualities do you look for in your therapists?
Renee Toporek
We look for massage therapists with great communication skills and a genuine desire to help others. Our Brand Promise is “We help you take care of you,” therefore their service delivery with our members, guests and their teammates needs to embrace this promise. Of course, timeliness, commitment to professional growth, and the ability to listen to client’s needs and customize their therapeutic session to address member and guest needs is equally important.
Please outline for us Massage Envy’s application-to-hire process and your minimum requirements.
Interested applicants can apply on-line at MassageEnvyCareers.com or in person. We require a resume and application prior to the interview process. At minimum applicants progressing through the interview process will have a verbal interview and hands-on 50-minute practical session. We call references and process a background check through Universal Background. Once hired, we have an on-boarding system that incorporates on-line training and training with a mentor/lead therapist prior to starting on the schedule. This on-boarding is not teaching the applicant how to do massage; its focus is to ensure that the new employee understands the foundations of our service delivery and is prepared to provide an exceptional therapeutic session. By completing our on-boarding process, therapists also receive four CEUs in Ethics upon completion of our “Behind Closed Doors” course.
What top three ways can applicants prepare for an interview with Massage Envy?
The top three ways an applicant can prepare for an interview with Massage Envy are:
1) Do online research. Review the Massage Envy and Massage Envy Careers web pages.
2) Visit a location or two. Ask for a tour to get a feel for the environment.
3) Go get a massage. Experience what it feels like to be a client at Massage Envy.
What is a common weakness, or something managers find “needs work” in the behaviors of the therapists who apply as bodyworkers with Massage Envy?
Soft skills are the biggest challenge. The therapists have amazing therapeutic touch; however, they have difficulty asking the right questions during the intake and following up after the session to ensure that the client’s needs have been met. There are a lot of therapists with great hands-on skills; not all have great communication skills. Communication is the key to building a loyal clientele following; delivering a great therapeutic service in conjunction with the communication equals success.
Name a few of the advantages of working for Massage Envy over working as a self-employed therapist.
Massage Envy works well with therapists that like working in a structured, consistent environment. Everything is provided for the therapists, i.e. linens, lotion/crème, supplies, marketing, private treatment rooms, high quality equipment hydraulic tables. Our therapists appreciate that their schedules and breaks are designed around their health and wellbeing and our Code of Conduct creates a safe and professional environment for them to work. Plus, we are busy! The therapists will get the work and earn a paycheck. Rarely do they have “sit time”. The therapist has made a huge commitment going to school with the desire to start a new adventure, and we can help them with that opportunity.
