Hiring a hairstylist who will help you take your business to the next level isn’t easy.
That’s because the right hair stylist is hard to come by. Especially those so good they can mimic your passion, creativity, and brand.
If you’re hiring for the first time, getting it right is important. That’s because your first hire usually sets the pace for employees you hire in the future. Not only that. Employees that are aligned with values are motivated and contribute significantly to your business’s bottom line!
So, let’s look at eight tips to help you hire your first all-star salon staff member, shall we?
The first step to finding your first salon hire is to evaluate your business. You must determine where you are now and where you want to be in a few years.
This is important as it will help you pick staff members that can help you move your business in the direction you want to go in.
Another critical area you must evaluate is how much help you need in servicing clients. Usually, when the workload increases, the service and care you give your clients tend to suffer.
When you notice that to be the case, it’s definitely time to get some extra hands to help you maintain the standards you’re well known for. And depending on how much help you need, you can opt to employ a part-time or full-time salon worker.
Looking to find a salon staff member who can mimic your passion, creativity, and brand?
Then you must first of all clearly define your brand persona.
What is a brand persona?
First of all, it’s not just something huge corporations have. Even you, as a solopreneur, must have a clearly defined brand persona. And that’s especially true if you’re thinking of growing your business and still maintaining the same atmosphere, ambiance, and personal touch your clients have come to love.
So what exactly is a brand persona?
Every interaction you have with your clients tells them a bit about your brand—things like your values, personality traits, attitudes, and character traits.
Your brand persona is essential because it helps you foster emotional connections with your clientele. It is what attracts the kind of people you attract. And bringing on a salon employee who can’t fit in with your brand persona will only hurt your business.
That’s why you must clearly define your brand persona even before you start looking for someone to help you grow your business. This will help you know exactly what to look for in your first all-star salon staff member.
Ready to take on your first salon employees?
Well, you need to know that timing is everything.
You need to establish whether you’re ready for the big move or not. Remember, hiring an employee is a huge step, and you don’t want to take that step prematurely. A few pointers that can help you know that you need to employ a full-time salon employee include:
It’s always a good idea to time your hiring process just before the start of your busy seasons, like the holidays. This way, you’ll be able to gauge whether the extra pair of hands makes a difference. You’ll also be in a better position to see if you can afford to pay them without putting pressure on your finances.
When you’re certain you’re ready to bring on an extra pair of hands to help with your clients, one of your first ports of call should be within your networks. Yes, both your personal and professional networks.
Let’s face it, finding good help in the salon business is not easy. The demand for exceptional talent is high. And one way to overcome that is to tap into your network.
Ask your friends, other hairdressers, and even salon schools to refer potential candidates to you. People you know are in a better position to fully understand what you’re looking for in a candidate
Once you’ve spread the word that you’re looking to hire a salon employee, it’s time to spread the net wider.
You can do that by creating a job ad tailored to attract the right candidates. However, with millions of job ads posted daily, you need to make sure yours stands out from the crowd. To do that, you must:
The most important part of your job ad is the description. Don’t be afraid of spelling out what the job entails. Be upfront about what you expect from them and what they should expect from you. That’s the only way to attract the right kind of talent. The kind of talent that will stick with you through thick and thin.
Armed with your exceptionally written job ad, it’s time to look for your first salon staff member. And you must do it in the right places.
You must place your ad for a salon employee where the right people will see it. Examples of such places include:
Industry job boards are one of the best places to source talent. While you may have to pay a small fee to post your job listing, it’s definitely worth it as professionals frequent these boards. Examples of such job boards include Behind the Chair, Salon Employment, and many others. You can also try your luck on general job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and others.
Social media
Another great place to source great talent for your salon is on social media. This will work particularly well if both clients and industry professionals follow your profiles. Post your job ad on social media and ask your network to forward it to those they feel would be suitable for the job.
Here’s an example of it in action:
Your website
Your business website is another excellent place to advertise your vacancy. This will help you spread the word about your need for a salon employee. More than that, it will also help you drive traffic to your website.
Here’s an example from Classic Barber & Beard Co that’s looking for a barber to join their business
Beauty schools
Beauty and cosmetology schools are other great places to look for your first hire. A big advantage of sourcing talent from schools is that you’ll get candidates that are rearing to get their feet wet. They’re also still new in the business, so it’s easy to mold them to fit your brand persona and vision. You can pin a flyer on the school’s notice board or their job board section if they have one.
Knowing where to look for talent is an integral part of finding your first all-star salon employee. So know where the talent hangs out and post your job ads there.
By this time, applications should be flowing in. And it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the glowing CVs flooding your mailboxes — both physical and digital.
So how do you pick the right candidate?
Design a recruitment process. One that will help you easily eliminate those who won’t fit into your business and those that will. Here are a few tips on doing that:
Invite suitable candidates for an interview
Because your salon staff member will interact with your clients, you must interview them personally. For best results, make the interview casual. This will help make the candidates more comfortable, but it will also help you see how they’ll probably carry themselves around your clients.
A few things to look out for as you interview candidates include, among other things:
Passion for the profession
One of the biggest assets a salon employee can have is a passion for the job. This helps ensure they are cheerful on the job and that they treat your clients well. Passion is also an essential ingredient in creating an atmosphere your clients will love.
Empathy
Understanding and relating to what clients want and need is another essential ingredient to look for in a salon staff. That’s because you’ll sometimes have clients who don’t know what they want. In such situations, you’ll need an employee who’s patient and who understands their needs.
Able to understand technology
With high competition, it is key that you market your business using online tactics, which in turn requires a level of savviness with tools and apps. If your new hire comes armed with this skill-set it will be easy for you to market your business on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, as well as easily manage online booking.
Finding the right candidate for the job is only part of the process. For you to work well with your employee, you must onboard them well. This means teaching them how you want things done. It also means helping them understand and adjust to your company culture.
Onboarding is not an event. It’s a process that you, as the employer, must be committed to seeing through. Important milestones to consider as you onboard your new salon employee include:
The whole point of onboarding is to help your employee feel at home in your salon. So much so that they can confidently carry out their duties without you having to supervise them regularly.
Hiring your first salon employee is a huge step. It’s a sign that your business is growing. And for your business to continue growing, you must hire the right person. That’s why your first hire is a big deal. It could make or break your business.
So use the tips above to ensure your first hire is an all-star salon staff member who will help you take your business to the next level. If you find yourself struggling to keep up with your appointments, try Booksy the leading scheduling and business management app for the beauty and wellness industry, and it offers a range of advanced features that can help you streamline your operations and grow your business. What sets Booksy apart from other scheduling apps is its robust set of features that go beyond just scheduling.
