Top Tips for Recruiting Salon Staff

Benjamin Shipman, co-founder of The Hair Movement, Sidcup

Identify the Personality and Skillset That You Need

Before you start the recruitment process, make a list of the attributes you want from a new team member. Don’t just list the skill deficit that needs filling; list the personality traits you want from someone joining your team. Someone who has all the right skills but a personality that jars with the existing team can prove de-motivational for everyone and have a detrimental effect on your business.

Know Your Brand

To find the right people, you first need a clear vision of what your brand stands for and have confidence in it. If you want to recruit someone who is a fit for your brand you need to know what the goals and ethos of your business are. This way your communication will be much clearer and prospective employees will understand what you are looking for and have confidence in you as an employer.

Don’t Instantly Reject People Based on Their CV

Not everyone is great at writing CVs, so it’s sometimes worth going back to an applicant and requesting more information about them. If they make the effort to provide what you ask for, it shows they have drive and commitment.

Be Aware of the Commitment Needed from You

I have the utmost respect for salons that take on apprentices, but you need to be aware of what a huge commitment it is to train someone from scratch. I prefer to take someone in their late 20s or early 30s who has established skills and passion but maybe needs motivation. I enjoy helping people become the best version of themselves.

Be Transparent About Your Expectations and What You Can Offer

During the recruitment process, ensure no-one is oversold. It’s vital to be completely transparent about what they can expect and what is expected of them. If you can’t deliver something, don’t say you can; this will just lead people to become disillusioned and demotivated. Also, make sure they know the kind of commitment and work ethic you expect from a team member. Give them all the information they need to make an informed decision - remember, recruitment is a two-way process.

Phil Jackson, Business Coach at Build your Salon

Be Flexible

Advertise for full-time and part-time team members. Personally, I love the flexibility of having part-timers and there is an inbuilt robustness to the business model when you have team members who can do a few extra hours to help cover short-term sickness, holidays or maternity leave. It is important to appreciate how priorities have changed for many people, with some looking for a different work/life balance. On the flip-side, you may have a part-time vacancy in mind, but are you seriously telling me that if a perfect candidate came through the door with a great skillset and a batch of regular clients you wouldn’t make room? Really?

Find out more about the benefit of part-time staff here.

Advertise Your Vacancy

A lot of salon owners are disappointed when they advertise their vacancies on Facebook, but when you think about it that makes perfect sense – you’ve spent years building your Facebook page to appeal to customers, not potential employees. You need a blatant call-to-arms to get your customers to share your vacancy off your page. That doesn’t mean potential applicants won’t be stalking you on social media. Try to ensure at least 20% of your posts show what a great place your salon is to work, what a great, friendly team you have and how you invest in the training and development of your employees.

Update Your Expectations

Take the opportunity to refresh your job descriptions. Make them easy to read and don’t be afraid to make earning potential and your performance expectations crystal-clear. Coaching your team towards targets they didn’t realise were important is hard work. Putting your targets in your job description ensures what you expect has been communicated from day one. It may mean some potential applicants are put off from taking their application further - which is great! Only those who feel they can hit those targets will apply.

Review Your Application Process

I’ve helped salon owners get some great applicants by making it much easier to apply for a position. If it’s OK for you to advertise a position on social media, I think it should also be fine for an applicant to express their interest on social media too. Judging applicants on whether they have a beautiful CV doesn’t get you great stylists or therapists; it gets you people who can put a CV together.