Important traits to look for in a salon manager

No matter what industry, we work hard to be exceptional in what we do - constantly striving to grow and maintain a positive reputation in our workplace. Some positions focus on a few fundamental tasks, whereas professions such as a salon manager require excellent multitasking skills and come with a number of duties. When hiring a new manager, you should assess new candidates by paying special attention to a number of key skills. Of course, experience in the field is desirable, but even veteran salon managers could use an extra skill set! Here are some of the most prominent features of an ideal salon manager you should be on the lookout for.

Being present

Salon managers should be present at the salon before opening and after closing times - and leaving staff to fend for themselves will not cut it! A salon manager should be present and there to resolve HR matters  - anything from problems regarding the work environment, staff management and care for staff comfort at work.

Additionally, they should ensure adequate customer service - tending to the needs of clients. Any complaints should also be addressed by a salon manager, as staff may be too busy with other customers. By being present at the salon, staff members know that they can trust the salon manager to help them, and customers have someone they can address any matters to.

Being productive

Simply being present at the business is not enough - an ideal salon manager needs to be productive in order to create a good reputation for themselves. When looking for the right manager, make sure that they are productive. Do they ask clients for feedback on their experience, help clean work areas, greet clients and are active in the salon’s day-to-day? A hair salon manager missing at least one of these qualities is most likely not a good match for your business. When it comes to productivity, make sure that the candidate is fulfilling tasks such as:

• Maintaining inventory - to better help manage salon workflow, the manager should be keeping adequate inventory levels. If there are low levels of back bar products, certain treatments will not be available for clients. Proper inventory management is key - but with tools such as Booksy, a virtual salon manager, tracking product levels is no problem.
• Streamlining work - in an ideal setting, staff are fulfilling assigned tasks, clients are being quickly serviced and leave the salon smiling. However, this is not always the case. To make sure everything is going as planned, salon managers are there to keep everyone organised and motivated.
• Staying interactive - everyone knows the saying “teamwork makes the dream work” - and a salon manager who is a team player is like a dream come true for salon owners! Make sure that the potential salon manager is a team player and discusses business ideas with the rest of the team!

Your salon at heart

By far the most important trait of an ideal hair or beauty salon manager is treating your salon as if it were their own. This position should be treated as a substitute salon owner, and even the most minute decision should be thoroughly reviewed. Your salon is in good hands when the manager:

• Introduces new procedures - by implementing procedures for the salon team to follow, managers help to create a perfectly-flowing work environment. By keeping a strict procedures list, staff stay focused only on priorities, such as tending to clients, offering additional treatments, cleaning their workspace, etc. A well-organised team means more sales and growth for the business!
• Does the recruiting - for most salons, recruitment is done by an experienced salon manager, who looks over a candidates entire CV and decides if hiring them would be beneficial for the business.
• Does the dirty work - usually, managers are given the tasks of managing payments, revenue, posting on the salon’s fan pages and creating offers as well - which all require a substantial amount of time.

Before hiring your next salon manager, make sure they have similar traits to those listed throughout our guide. Make sure to give potential staff a test run to see how well they fare, and with the help of your Booksy tool, track their progress. Sign up for your free trial today!