The success of your salon relies on the skill, dedication and uniqueness of the talent you have working for you. From the reception desk to assistants, everyone is a critical part of your thriving business. Similarly, in addition to using salon client retention strategies, every salon needs an employee retention strategy, too.
Is your talent adaptable and willing to learn new skill sets? It seems like every day there is a new, viral hairstyle or nail design for salons to stay relevant on. This is why it is so important to recruit and retain high-quality talent that can adapt to new industry trends and take your salon to new heights. Whether you’re located in a region where stylists have many salons to choose from or you’re the go-to salon for up-and-coming stylists, retaining talent can be difficult.
That’s why we have created this guide that will show you how to attract new talent and retain new talent. While every salon is different, these workforce development tips can be adapted and customized to fit the needs each salon might have.
Take Inventory of Your Staff to Understand Your Talent Needs
As you prepare to search for and hire new talent, it’s smart to take a holistic look at the talent you currently have. Taking inventory can help you identify gaps, whether it be not having enough assistants or receptionists or not having stylists who are capable of performing certain skills. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to identify where your needs lie when it comes to recruiting new talent.
- Do I have an immediate need for new talent? If yes, what kind?
- Are there any special services that I can’t offer because I don’t have the talent to accomplish it? What special services do I want to offer and what kind of talent do I need to hire to offer those services?
- How is our salon handling bookings? Are we feeling understaffed?
- Does our salon equipment reflect the modern workforce? Or do we need to invest in salon chairs?
- Which area of my salon am I most confident in when it comes to talent?
How to Attract New Talent to Your Salon
Now that you have a comprehensive understanding of your salon’s need for new talent, it’s time to enhance your workforce development practices to land and attract new people. There are some approaches that we recommend.
Turn Your Salon Into a Place Where People Want to Work
Recruiting high-quality talent can be competitive. Every salon offers its own kinds of perks, culture and prestige, which is why it’s important to figure out what makes your salon a great place to work. Here are some questions you can ask yourself, as well as your people, to help you determine what makes your salon shine, as well as ways your salon could do better.
- What is our culture like?
- Why do our people like working here?
- What perks do we offer to staff?
- Do our employees stay long?
- Do we have a high turnover rate? If yes, why?
- What is one policy or perk we could adopt to attract more talent?
Treat Your People Right
The salon industry and hair professionals are a well-connected bunch, which is why it’s so important to treat your existing talent right. You wouldn’t want word getting out to prospective talent that you don’t treat your current employees right.
Publish Descriptive and Exciting Job Posts
In order to attract prospective talent to your salon, you will need to publish job posts on industry and local job boards. With these job posts, be as descriptive as possible both about the open position, as well as the environment of your salon. Sometimes, the job post is a person’s first exposure and impression of your salon. You want to create a posting that entices them to apply and show interest in your company.
Build a Pipeline of Talent with Apprenticeships
If you want to secure the latest and greatest talent coming out of cosmetology school, you can establish an apprenticeship program that allows students to work at your salon while they’re in school. This not only familiarizes the talent with your culture, but it can also increase the loyalty new talent feels to your salon.
Upgrade to the Latest Salon Equipment
If you’re looking for ways to make your salon more appealing to talent, you could start by purchasing salon equipment that will attract high-quality talent. The type of equipment your salon has says a lot about the environment. So if you want to appeal to the best talent, you have to have the best.
Make Sure Your Digital Presence Is Reflective of the Times
Something that the incoming talent may be looking for when they become interested in working at your salon is your website and social media presence. People want to work at companies that reflect their own beliefs and ways of life. If your social media presence and website are lackluster, it may be a talent deterrent.
Make Your People the Face of Your Brand
On social media and your website, do you see your existing talent’s faces? If not, now may be a good time to highlight your people with regular social media takeovers or bios and headshots on your website. Making your talent the face of your brand gives your salon a personality, and it can really help prospective talent envision themselves working at your salon.
Ask for Feedback
If you want to make sure that your salon is always at its best and a prime spot for new talent, you should be soliciting feedback from your staff regularly. Hearing your existing employees’ needs and reasons for being at your company can help you better your salon, which will naturally attract more talent.
Now, you and your team can confidently recruit the talent your salon needs! Remember to always keep an open mind when recruiting talent while continuously improving your salon.