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you’re hired
LizMcKeon offers her top 10 interviewing tips
Conducting job interviews can be a daunting prospect for a salon owner - but if your small business is growing, the chances are that you will need to hold job interviews sooner or later.
Keep in mind your role, as the interviewer, includes both conveying and obtaining information from a candidate that expands on the job application and the CV. It’s also a chance for the applicant to gain information about the salon and the position to help them make a decision as to whether to accept the job offer, if one is made.
The secret to finding the best new member for your team starts long before you hold interviews. Choosing a new member of staff has to begin with defining what skills and attributes you need in your salon, so make a list of what you need from the perfect candidate – they must have experience of ‘x, y and z’; they must also have ‘a and b’ qualifications.
Then make a list of ‘nice to have’ (things that would be good, but not essential). Use these lists to write your advertising and job specification for the new position. This will help you to attract the right candidates for interviews.
interview tips
Prepare a separate job specification for each candidate.You will need to make notes on how each person meets the criteria you require.
Get the setting right. Both you and the candidate need to be comfortable and reasonably relaxed – that way both of you will get more out of the interview.
Establish rapport. Greet the applicant with a pleasant smile, firm handshake and a casual statement or two. Outline the interview objectives and structure.
Give information about your salon and, if necessary, sell the position. Be sure to do this after you’ve let the applicant answer your interview questions. If you tell the applicant exactly what you’re looking for first, they can adapt their answers to fit what they perceive as your needs.
Communicate clearly – you are not there to scare the candidate. This will be counter- productive, as the person will become too nervous and less likely to speak.
Use open questions and allow the person to speak. If they can’t answer your questions, perhaps they don’t know quite as much as they implied on their CV. Remember the 80/20 rule during an interview. As the interviewer you speak 20%of the time and the candidate speaks 80%!
Encourage the candidate to ask questions. Towards the end of the interview, once you have all the important information you need written down.
Give yourself plenty of time. Depending on the role, a typical interview could last about an hour, so don’t schedule them to start every 30 minutes. Instead schedule interviews on the hour, allowing 45 minutes per candidate and 15 minutes to write up notes and prepare for next candidate. Also, it is off-putting for candidates to
meet one another, so allow a gap for one to leave and the next to arrive.
Close the interview. Thank the applicant for her attention and interest. Indicate what the next step will be and the time frame within which it will occur and stick to this.
Evaluate your notes and compare candidates. Complete an evaluation form and firm up your notes, noting specific information about the candidate where possible. It is crucial to rate each candidate, as you may not be able to recall specific details of the interview at a later date.
questions not to ask
The rule of thumb is, if it has nothing to do with the position you want to fill, don’t ask. Basically, stay away from questions that concern race, religion, age, ethnic background, gender, marital status and national origin. Some questions you might ask are things you consider small talk and aren’t meant to offend – just don’t ask them. Be on your guard even when you are chatting informally.
Conducting interviews is like any other new skill – the more you do something, the better you will get at doing it.
LizMcKeon is a Business Coach andTrainer, specialising in the beauty industry.
For further information call 00353 1 892 8007 or check out
www.lizmckeon.com
GUILD NEWS 79
Questions tokeep inmind
1 Can she do the job? 2Willmy clients like her? 3Will she fit intomy team? 4 Can Imanage her?
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