So this cool stylist turns up to you for a job! and you say yes…

Look lets face it.. You have no-idea of what they’ll be like until the day they come and set up in the corner of your salon and begin their path of destruction within your salon! I fell for it. A ton of years ago a girl called Helen came to me for a job. Her reference was from Toni & Guy. She gave me the number and told me to call and ask for James. After talking to James … Me being nice and kind gave this MONSTER a job –  Now to be fair on me I didn’t know she was a monster I though she seemed like a hot-talented-hairdresser…

Just weeks after she started in the salon and I had already lost 2 stylists due to her, the appointment book began dropping in bookings like you would not believe! Helen would be more than happy to sit on backside drinking coffee at my $8,000 desk in the front of the salon. Huuuuh , loser!

To cut a long story short, she was fired and I found out that the reference I phoned in the beginning at Toni & Guy was in fact her boyfriend mothers house, where a just as moronic dumbo answered the call and messed me around.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT MY HAIRDRESSING SALON?

Dead simple. You can stop these morons getting into your salon before they GET-IN. It takes time and some screening but can be done.

Check out the list below it’ll help you.

Develop a system for screening out losers through an application form and telephone interview process. These are much less time consuming than face–to–face interviews ( you know what its like, it can be so hard getting time in the salon when its nuts or when your short staffed but MAKE the time for this… it saves hassles later on, believe me).

The 3 Stage Interview

Stage 1

Telephone interview for 15 mins – You will soon weed out the losers without having to spend your precious time with them. If they seem OK then use lots of questions like “tell me what do you think the job you have applied for involves” and “how do you feel when the salon is busy, what makes you laugh, what makes you angry” etc think of questions that they can not say YES or NO to. Use silence, one of the best open question techniques… it makes them feel they have to say more and they usually do!

Stage 2

If they sound good, get them in for a day to work and also get them some models to do, even if they are just starters.

Stage 3

Get one of your team to interview them at the end of the day and decide as a group if you are going to take them on because they have to work with them as well!… right?

Try NOT to React Inappropriately – When the applicant says they could not make the interview because their spouse took the car to the bar, just grin internally and bear it.

Develop ways to hide your astonishment. This can help avoid confrontation. When the applicant explains the 7-year gap in work experience as ‘a series of odd jobs’, understand that this explanation may be perfectly rational to him/her (if they are vague … make sure they explain 173% why!).

Do not be surprised at what anyone says.

Beware of applicants that have left every previous job “because of personality conflicts”

Beware of applicants that have left every previous job “because the company went out of business”.

Beware of applicants whose references are currently in prison (just kidding)

If an applicant tells you all the evils of their last employer think what they will someday say about you.

Handling the interviews gracefully can be a learned skill that can provide some fun yet not detract from real objectives.

DON’T FORGET THIS: You are going to interview some amazing hairdressers. You are going to have some rock ‘n’ roll superstars come for a position in your salon. It’s easy to be put off with their ego and it’s easy to think they are all bad. They’re not. I’ve turned guys and girls away thinking they were no good and they have been amazing and ended up working in the salon up the road.

Getting interviews right is a skill that can make or break your salon. Stylist coming and going every other week WILL unsettle clients and can pull your salon to a grinding halt.