MedSpa Training: How to Define & Assign Roles Within The Practice

The Caveat

While clear duties and responsibilities are helpful for ensuring a smooth transition into a new role, AesthetiCare has a caveat they share with all new hires: Don’t work here if you need a clear job description and won’t do anything outside of that. 

In an effort to unite the team and generate a community mindset, our medspa operates with the goal of supporting those around you. Whether it’s taking out the trash or helping someone complete a room turnover, management expects the team to be open to duties that may not be your own, but support the overall environment of our team and the medspa itself. 

Identify Your Needs

Before you can start assigning roles, you should have a clear understanding of what your practice needs. Take a step back and assess where you are now and where you’d like to be.

Consider the services you offer and the volume of patients your current providers are seeing. Do you need more front desk staff to manage appointments and greet clients? Are you short on providers who can perform popular treatments? Maybe you’re lacking in the marketing department and need someone who can generate qualified leads or boost your online presence.

Your staffing needs may evolve as your practice grows. A small startup medspa might have team members wearing multiple hats, while a larger, more established practice can afford to hire for specialized roles. Be prepared to reassess and adjust accordingly on a periodic basis.

Core Roles In a MedSpa

Clinic Owner/Manager

• Responsibilities: Overseeing daily operations, ensuring compliance with regulations, managing staff and leading business development efforts.
• Key Skills: Strong leadership skills, knowledge of industry regulations, financial management and strategic thinking.
• Training Focus: Business acumen, performance metrics, team management and staying updated on market trends​​.

Provider (Nurse, Aesthetician)

• Responsibilities: Administering treatments (e.g., injectables, lasers), performing consultations and creating treatment plans tailored to client needs.
• Key Skills: Medical expertise, empathy, ability to customize treatments and maintaining up-to-date certifications​.
• Training Focus: Advanced clinical training, consultation techniques and identifying client needs beyond initial inquiries​.

Front Desk

• Responsibilities: First point of contact, managing appointments, handling payments and introducing clients to services.
• Key Skills: Customer service, time management and strong communication skills​.
• Training Focus: Customer service and phone skills, general treatment understanding, and answering client questions.

Marketing Manager

• Responsibilities: Promoting the clinic through digital and traditional channels, managing social media and organizing events.
• Key Skills: Digital marketing, branding, content creation, event management and lead generation​.
• Training Focus: Social media advertising, content marketing, understanding client behavior and creating lead funnels​.

Office Manager

• Responsibilities: General clinic operations, staff scheduling and team management.
• Key Skills: Organizational skills, multitasking, personnel management and leadership​​.
• Training Focus: Administrative skills, staff coordination, conflict resolution and workflow optimization​.

Hire Based on What You Can’t Teach

When it comes to building your dream team, focus on hiring for skills that are difficult or impossible to teach. While technical skills are important, they can often be learned on the job. What’s harder to teach are inherent traits like a positive attitude, strong work ethic and a genuine passion for patient care. For instance, when hiring a front desk team member or patient coordinator, prioritize excellent communication skills and a friendly demeanor over a familiarity with your specific booking software. The latter can be taught, but the former is innate. 

Finding the Right Person for the Job

Once you’ve identified your needs and the qualities you’re looking for, it’s time to match the right people with the right roles. This process involves more than just looking at resumes and qualifications — although that part is important, too. 

Consider each candidate’s strengths, weaknesses and career goals. Someone might have the skills for one position but the passion for another. A nurse with a knack for social media could be perfect for a dual role as a treatment provider and marketing coordinator.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Sometimes, the perfect fit for a role might come from an unexpected background. A former hospitality professional, for example, might excel as a patient coordinator due to their customer service skills.

When hiring and assigning roles, be clear about expectations and responsibilities. Provide detailed job descriptions and make sure each team member understands how their role contributes to the overall success of the practice.

The Power of Performance Evaluations

In a medspa setting, performance evaluations are crucial for maintaining high standards of patient care and fostering employee growth. They provide employees with feedback on their goals and job responsibilities while keeping individuals aligned with the overall business strategy, ensuring everyone is working toward the same objectives.

There are two main ways to approach performance evaluations: 

• Annual reviews: Formal one-on-ones with a supervisor conducted once or twice a year.
• Continuous performance management: Regular check-ins that provide real-time feedback throughout the year.

While 65% of companies still use annual reviews, many medspas are finding success with continuous performance management in addition to the annual meetings. This process allows for more timely feedback and quicker course corrections when needed.

Regardless of which approach you choose, set clear expectations and provide regular feedback that focuses on both behaviors and results. Encouraging self-evaluation and developing action plans for improvement are also key components of an effective system.

Remember, when giving feedback, you should praise your providers publicly to showcase their wins and demonstrate to others that good work is valued. However, criticism and negative feedback should always be delivered privately. This way, your team members can absorb the feedback in their own time without feeling berated or punished. These two core ideas contribute to more positive emotions within your team and allow for personal growth. 

Let Your Staff Be Part of the Business

Empowering your staff to take ownership of their roles can lead to lower turnover, increased job satisfaction and better performance. Encourage your team to contribute ideas and be part of the decision-making process where appropriate. At AesthetiCare, we even allow our team to provide feedback on job candidates in an effort to maintain a cohesive and inclusive work environment.

Consider implementing a system where staff can earn additional certifications or cross-train in different areas. You may also give select team members new duties to increase their responsibilities and potentially their revenue. This not only increases the versatility of your team but also provides opportunities for growth that boost morale and employee retention.

To this end, we recommend fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement. The aesthetics industry is constantly evolving, and your team should evolve with it. Encourage attendance at industry conferences, workshops and training sessions. MINT Aesthetics offers a variety of training options that can help your practice stay at the forefront of the industry.

Eager to Learn More?

Defining and assigning roles within your medspa is an ongoing process that requires thoughtfulness, flexibility and a deep understanding of your team’s strengths. By implementing effective strategies for role assignment and performance management, you’ll create a more efficient workplace that helps drive your business forward.

If you’re eager to learn more, check out our course on superstar staffing for more tips on defining roles within your practice and hiring the right person for the right position.