What you need to know to future-proof your salon recruitment strategy

It is more essential than ever to have the right salon recruitment strategy, explains salon business coach Penny Etheridge from Radiant Hair and Beauty Consultancy. Here she explains how the Coronavirus has changed the landscape of the hairdressing industry and what you need to do to get the best staff for your salon business.

1. Salon Recruitment Strategy: The use of technology

If you learn how to use technology within your salon recruitment strategy you will be able to adopt a more flexible and accessible first stage interview process for prospective new employees. During lockdown, video meetings became the norm so let’s use these new found skills and continue the trend with first stage interviews being held online. In a lot of industries video is already a normal interview process. However, video interviews need to be planned out thoroughly with a formal structure and candidates well prepped in advance on the technology that will be used for the interview. Prior to the interview taking place I would also advise sending out a polite email to your applicant, not just to confirm the date and time, but also to outline the importance of looking professional, making good eye contact and ensuring they will be able to position themselves and their laptop or iPad in a private, quiet space for the duration of the interview.

2. Salon Recruitment Strategy: Create referral incentives for existing employees

Ask yourself: Are you making the best use of your existing employees' network of family, friends and ex-colleagues within the hairdressing industry? Using an existing network will help you to expand your recruitment reach and find the right talent for open positions. It’s a fact that employee referrals turn candidates into permanent hires about 55% faster than normal recruitment channels. Similarly, individuals who are recruited through a referral have a higher retention rate within that business. By introducing a high reward job referral scheme within your company, you can implement a strong recruitment channel for bringing in new talent. It’s also a great way for employees to engage and build relationships with one another. Recommendation reward packages help organisations keep their employer branding strong, which is especially important when your company is focused on attracting and bringing in new talent. Plus, it gives your team the chance to sell the positives of working for your brand and company  within the marketplace.

3. Salon Recruitment Strategy: Never stop searching – even if your team is 'full'

Post-COVID-19 you will find there are many fantastic hairdressers who are now entering the job market due to extreme circumstances. Your salon recruitment strategy should be to never stop searching for the right additions that will enrich your existing salon team. These candidates may not become your employee straightaway but making interesting connections with them will definitely help you when you decide to expand your business in the future.

4. Salon Recruitment Strategy: Do not hire out of desperation

It is essential that you find the right candidate for your salon brand and team. You should never lower your recruitment standards to fill an empty spot in your salon. Plus, a hire and fire approach looks amateur and will create discord within your existing team. Take your time to find the perfect fit. By having an 'always on' approach to finding the right candidates for your salon you will hopefully never have to hire out of desperation and will avoid bringing the wrong type of candidate into your team. For more information about salon business coach Penny Etheridge go to www.radianthairandbeautyconsultancy.com.