karen deehanwrites
awelcome addition Karen Deehan considers recruitment in the beauty industry
During tough economic times it’s more important than ever to reassess the components that make up your business. The products you carry and the treatments you offer are vital, but one area that is sometimes overlooked is staffing.
Having the right therapist for the job has a huge impact on how successful your salon
is.As well as being able to perform treatments, they also need to have an in- depth knowledge of the retail products you stock and the ability to sell them.
People are what drive a business, so it’s important to take a step back and look at how you advertise new positions. If you rely on a postcard in your window or an ad in the local press, the chances are you won’t get a wide range of high quality applicants.
consider using a specialist
Recruitment consultants that specialise in the beauty industry can often be the most effective way of making sure you have a selection of the very best candidates to choose from. They will advertise your position on their own website as well as other online ‘job boards’, which research has shown is the most common method of looking for new roles. Good recruitment agencies will also sift through all the CVs and only send you the best, saving you hours of work.
Although recruitment agencies can be an invaluable tool when hiring new staff, it’s important to choose one that offers added value. It’s a competitive market, so you have a lot of choice. Cherry picking the best candidates is no longer enough, investigate what else they can offer you.
“On average, salons can save around £2,000 by using an agency that pre-trains staff, rather than recruiting for the position themselves.”
“Most therapists will need additional training once they start working for you, and this means extra cost and time away from the salon,” says James Reed, manager of specialist recruitment consultants Beautymatch. “At our consultancy we actually pre-train staff in Environ Skin Care, Jane IredaleMineral Cosmetics and theAdvanced Nutrition Programme. This is an invaluable service to salons who stock those brands, because new staff will have an in-depth knowledge of the products and treatments before they even start and can begin generating revenue from day one.”
consider the costs
The money you save by using an agency that pre-trains staff far outweighs the recruitment fee. Consider the costs involved if your new starter hasn’t been trained. If they have to spend time out of the salon on a course you still need to pay their wages, you also have to clear their diaries of any treatment appointments and the likelihood is you will need to pay for the training itself.
There is also the added issue of salons waiting several months before training a new employee because they don’t want to invest all that money in case the person turns out to be unsuitable for the role. This delay means that the staff member is initially not as efficient as they could be. On average, salons can save around
£2,000 by using an agency that pre-trains staff, rather than recruiting for the position themselves.
It’s also important to choose a consultancy who can recruit at all levels. If you’re looking for a junior therapist, consider an agency that works with college students.
“Beautymatch sources staff at all levels. This includes undergraduates on the iiaa college programme, we select promising young talent and find them their first role, helping them to get a foothold in the industry,” says James. “It also helps to address the problem of students going through intensive study and exams only to find there’s no job waiting for them at the end of it.”A therapist who has just graduated can be a welcome addition to your team because they are likely to be enthusiastic and keen to learn. You can also mould them and help them develop new skills, which helps to keep them motivated.
Remember that as competition amongst recruitment agencies is fierce, you are in an excellent position to demand more. When deciding which one to use, ask yourself if it gives added value, like pre- training staff and supporting salons by offering preferential rates. By choosing the right one, you will not only save substantial amounts of time and money, you will also get a highly competent team member who is a real asset to your business.
Karen Deehan works for the International Institute for
Anti-Ageing (iiaa). For more information visit
www.iiaa.eu or telephone 0208 450 2020 quoting Guild News.
GUILD NEWS 73
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