Danielle Correia is the President and Founder of sugaringLA, with nearly 20 years of experience at the helm and four California locations. As a business leader, she believes that employee engagement and happiness are essential for creating a luxurious client experience. Correia emphasizes the importance of ensuring staff feel engaged and satisfied in their work without added pressure or stress.
Correia has learned over two decades that culture is the key to employee engagement. Work-life balance and smart scheduling practices are important, but ultimately, the culture underpinning a business has the biggest impact on employee engagement. To build a culture where employees are happy to show up and consistently do a great job, Correia outlines five steps that she has found effective.
The first step in building an engaging culture is making the right hiring choice, specifically hiring a trustworthy manager who leads by example, is present at each business location regularly, and is not out of touch with the team. The second step is offering plenty of training to empower and educate employees, boosting their confidence and job satisfaction. Extensive training ensures quality and consistency across all locations.
Leading with authenticity is the third step in building a positive culture. Correia believes that genuine authenticity can transform a business’s reputation, leading to trust and respect within the team. Encouraging a positive work environment and fostering positive relationships, open communication, and appreciation for hard work are important aspects of creating a positive culture within a workplace.
The fourth step Correia outlines is encouraging a positive work environment, which is more than just a physical space but also fosters positive relationships and open communication. The final step is creating a culture of care by showing empathy, addressing employee concerns, and supporting their professional and personal well-being. By caring for employees, a supportive and nurturing environment can be created that encourages growth and loyalty.
Correia believes that culture-building is the secret sauce to team happiness. While it may not fix all employee concerns, maintaining an authentic, positive, and caring culture can create a workplace where employees are excited to come to work every day. By leading with authenticity, investing in team development, and maintaining a positive and caring work environment, businesses can create a thriving workplace that is both fun and productive.
