Finding Quality Salon Staff

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Posted March 9, 2021

In the wake of Covid-19, we are hearing from our members how excruciatingly difficult it is to find quality staff. Employees that might have been in a salon previously are now offering mobile and at-home hair and beauty services, and staff that stayed employed during the pandemic are loathe to move to a new role with the uncertainty of the times.

Here’s how salon owners can secure quality staff during this difficult period.

 

Be creative with your search

Not all job hunters are looking on job boards. Think bigger with your employee search and think outside the box to find employees in unusual ways that your competition may not have thought of.

 

• Engage a specialist hair and beauty recruiter, who often have a bank of prospective employees on hand that could be your perfect fit.
• Put a shoutout on your social media platforms and encourage your followers to tag a hairdresser or potential apprentice they may know.
• Ask your staff to put a shout-out on their socials to help bring their peers into your salon. We know how well-connected our industry is, and sometimes all you have to do is ask to engage your team.
• Put a [well designed] sign in your salon window. You will be surprised at how many people walking past won’t have looked on your social media, and they could be your next employee.

Offer something different to potential employees.

Most salons offer the same conditions, pay and hours for a standard role – and so an easy way to target better quality applicants is to offer something different. Maybe it’s a higher-than-award wage, or better bonuses and perks. Maybe you can look for a staff member who is only wanting to work school hours, to accommodate the many mums + dads in our Industry. Consider hiring someone only for weekend work and employ them as a casual. By offering more you get a different kind of applicant, who may be a better fit for your team.

 

Identify the qualities you’re looking for.

Finding a quality employee isn’t just about getting resumes in your inbox – it’s also about hiring the right person, with the right qualities and attitude. You only need to employ one person – but you want to reduce the number of times you’re looking for the right person.

Consider how important the culture in your salon is, and the kind of person who will fit into that culture. Do you want someone who will take charge and do their own thing or someone who will check the policy twice before stepping forward? Remember that technique can be moulded, but inherent personality traits often ring true – so focus on the individual, rather than if they apply their colour exactly the way you do.

 

Onboarding your team matters.

Hair and beauty is a service-based industry, and it’s important that we keep that at the front of mind at all times. Onboarding your team is an absolute essential to ensure that your new staff member understands how you run your salon and ensures that you get them trained in your way of doing things quickly. Not only will you find out if the person you have just hired is of good quality sooner, but you ensure that your clients are always taken care of with your salon’s exact values, culture, and brand identity.

 

Securing quality staff is key to ensuring that your salon remains productive and profitable, even in challenging times. By being creative in every stage of the recruitment process, you can ensure that you are finding and hiring the right kind of person for the role and getting them onboarded and working as quickly as possible for you.

For further advice or assistance on this topic, or any workplace relations matter, please #AskHABA by calling the HABA Advice Line on 02 9221 9911, 8:30am – 5:30pm AEDT Monday to Friday.