October 23rd, 2019

Hiring new Employees:
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How do you find the perfect Employees for your new Salon?
This can be one of the most challenging parts to the Salon Business startup. Employees, yes, we need them, but who is the perfect fit? Where do we find these elusive individuals? How do we know if they will work out?
Let’s go step by step through the process. I will share with you some of the actions I have used to fill my Salon with competent, professional talent.
In the past, when I was getting ready to open my Salon, I put a huge banner in the window of the Salon with the information about the opening and employment opportunities. It’s never too soon to get the word out.  In many cases, it takes several months to get your business up and running. This banner in the window is just one step in the talent acquisition process. Make sure to add your contact information and an email for your potential new employees to send a resume for your review.
You can start an interest list for anyone who has reached out for information or any “tire kickers”. These individuals may be your future employees. Many times, a Salon Professional wants to make a move and is looking for the right opportunity. They may not be ready at the time, but could be ready in the future to make that move to your Salon.
I have used Social Media to spread the word about upcoming opportunities in my new business. Again, start this process months before you are ready to open your doors.
Instagram is a very good tool to advertise your employment availabilities. Take time to add the benefits for joining your Team.  Advanced Education, supplies, compensation, paid time off, free products and any other benefits you plan to offer your staff.
Join Face Book pages that are specific to your industry and post your employment opportunities there. I live in Arizona, there are at least 5 FB pages that are specific to our area and our Industry. I post there my employment challenges and opportunities. These pages get local eyes on your business. I post what I am looking for, such as a receptionist, stylist, massage therapist, lash artist etc. Many times, the people looking at these posts are not the ones looking for employment, but know someone who is looking. These people tag their friends who may not have seen these posts. Their friends are looking for them and passing this information on. This is a wonderful resource for untapped talent.
Don’t forget Craig’s List. You can add an employment opportunity on a paid ad under the Salon/Spa jobs, there is a small fee for the paid postings, or I like to post in the Beauty Services Section at no fee. I find many Salon Professionals browse these categories on a regular basic to see who is advertising and what services they are offering. Their friends and family browse these categories as well and can pass this information on.
There are many other places you can advertise your business and your employment but these are a few that have been very effective for me personally.
Don’t forget to visit your local Beauty Schools. You may not want to hire a fresh stylist just out of school, but you may find a rare gem here. There are many exceptional stylists that are newbies, you need a few to round out your staff.
Most Beauty Schools offer lifetime employment placement. These students check back from time to time to see what the job board postings have to offer. I always recommend that you keep in contact with your local Beauty Schools with any possible hiring you may be doing in the future. I have found a few seasoned professionals just this way in the past.
As you receive resumes and inquiries, make sure you send a reply via email with all the details you can supply. The more information you supply the better equipped your potential employee will be with your Salon culture.
What kinds of products you will be using, hours of operation, services you will be providing, employee benefits and dress code if you are going to implement one are things your potential employees will want to know in advance. Give as much detail as possible, if there are any details your potential employee is not in agreement with, they have this information in advance. Any disagreement can be discussed, and figured out long before you hire.
There really is no easy way to guarantee who will be your perfect employee, but if you follow these practices when recruiting, you should have a pretty good idea of who will work out.
Anyone objecting to your Salon policies, product being used, dress code, hours of operation and compensation package including benefits, will most likely not be a good fit.
Take your time, don’t rush this process. Many Salon Owners make their biggest mistake in the hiring process because they ignore that “gut” feeling about a potential employee. We are so driven to get our business up and running, filled with eager employees, we may overlook some nagging feelings.
If you have any reservations about a potential employee, listen to your own intuition. I feel that we possess an innate ability to recognize when we are not being told the truth. There is an inner nagging feeling that something isn’t just quite right.
You only get one time to start your business off on the right foot. Take your time, be patient with the process. Be extremely honest with your potential employee, let your expectations be known from the beginning. Answer every question, give as much detail and engage your potential new employee in what they are looking for in an employer.
If you follow these guidelines, you should be able to weed out those who are not a good fit and hire the Salon Professionals who are excited to join your team. These Salon Professionals will respect your honesty, and the culture your Salon is going to build in the future.
In a future post, I will share very specific things to do in the interview process. I look forward to sharing these tips with you soon.