There is a lot of talent in the beauty industry. However, hunting for the cream of the crop can surely be a challenge. You know well that it’s the skilfulness of your team that makes your services so valuable, this is why you care so much about the recruitment process. So, how to find a hair stylist to hire that will truly enrich your team?
The perfect scenario is having a brand so recognisable and widely appreciated, that you don’t even have to look for new talents anymore, they come to your salon themselves. Usually, it takes years of hard work and effective marketing to get there, however, don’t feel discouraged - building your reputation and brand awareness is a process. It may take some time before you notice effects, but it is definitely worth it. Soon you will start getting CVs from people who don’t want to just work in any salon but want to work in YOUR salon. Create the salon that you would want to work at!
Sticking a “now hiring” note on your salon’s door definitely won’t do it. So where to post information that you are running hairdressing recruitment activities?
Remember to keep your salon’s website in good shape! Every potential new stylist will probably check it first, which is why you should make sure your website represents your business in the best light. At the very least, keep it up to date - there is nothing worse than outdated information hanging on the page!
Respect your potential employees and offer them a proper salary. It may sound like common sense, but far too often recruitment guides advise hair salon owners to save on their new workers’ salaries. This is a very atrocious technique - it is your stylists’ hard work that makes your salon so excellent! Frustrated by their disappointingly low outcome, they may experience burnout very quickly or simply start to look for a place that will pay them more. Treating your staff with a reward they deserve should be your top priority. They say that you get what you pay for - and that is true when it comes to beauty services… and their providers as well. If you want to save money when running your hair salon, instead of cutting your new workers’ salaries consider getting a digital helper. Booksy software will not only be your receptionist, but also an employee manager, financial reports generator, marketing helper, client database keeper, appointment book, and more. Leave these areas of salon management to your smart software, saving a great amount of money in the process, which you will be able to invest in your stylists instead!
Formal presentation or not, talking with soon-to-be graduating students is the best way to recruit them. Give them a constructive critique, share tips, coach them on their techniques, ask about their plans and answer their questions. You will not only have an opportunity to build a good base for a relationship, but observe how the young stylists handle critique, whether they are open to listening and learning, which areas require improvement, and so on. This will give you a nice overview before you consider hiring them. You can even invite students into your salon - talk with the school staff and with their consent, invite students to come to one of your classes or events. Upon graduating, hair stylists make brilliant workers, as they seek guidance and are very enthusiastic about learning and thriving. Keep an eye on these rising new talents, they may become future stars of your salon!
In the beauty industry, the moment you stop learning is the moment you start losing. Stylists know that, so they constantly look for a place that will allow them to develop their skills. Support their desire for learning, as it is what keeps your salon growing! Give your existing and potential employees a solid, achievable plan that will get them where they want to go. Provide opportunities and reward devotion to self-development. Okay, you may say, ‘this sounds like a great idea in theory, but what if I train an amazing specialist and they leave to start their own salon? Especially if I give them opportunities to improve their management skills…’ There is always a risk that this may happen, unfortunately, you cannot avoid that. However, if your salon remains an amazing place to work at, your most skilled and confident employees may become managers you can rely on - and this is quite a vision to act upon!
When you are deciding how to recruit hair stylists, you should also define qualities you look for in your future employee, apart from them being a talented stylist. Your perfect new employee should be:
Do not lower your recruitment standards only to fill an empty spot in your salon. Keep your eyes open - you never know when you may meet a person that will enrich your salon crew! They may not become your employee right off the bat, but getting interesting connections will definitely help you when you decide to expand your business. After you recruit the perfect employee, you will be able to track their progress with your Booksy system, as it not only takes care of work schedules or time-off records, but also allows you to generate detailed work reports. This is the perfect way to have an overview of their work without stressing them out. Prepare yourself for recruiting your new salon talent and let Booksy help you with the monotonous part of your job!
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