5 recruitment mistakes to avoid

Recruitment has become a problem in the salon and spa industry and can become a burden when we are busy operationally. 

The frustration comes when we don’t have enough quality applications, or perhaps we have CVs but the candidates don’t live up to expectations when interviewed. It’s easy to see why some salon owners get so tired of recruiting that they become scared of it and take on an attitude of, “Let’s not manage difficult staff members, in case they leave and we have to recruit again”.

There are five key mistakes many salon and spa owners make when recruiting:

1. Desperation
Have you analysed your figures to make sure recruitment is a must? Before you recruit, it’s crucial to consider all options. Sometimes, a change in the rota, opening hours or performance of your staff can make enough of a difference to avoid the need to recruit immediately.

Another form of desperation is employing someone you’re not 100% sure about. Just because you have clients in the diary, it doesn’t mean you need to recruit someone who doesn’t fit your ideal candidate profile. It’s damaging in the long run.

2. Lack of process
Process is possibly the most important aspect of recruitment, yet we rarely focus on it. How are you screening your CVs? Who is your ideal candidate? Who is recruiting? Which day is best for recruitment? Is there a trial day?

Strong leaders know the ideal team they want and work towards that goal. Creating a process for recruitment allows you to build a team with the same mindset.

3. No Phone interview
This is the most important aspect of your recruitment process and will save you a lot of time in the long run. An initial phone call allows you to eliminate unsuitable candidates without wasting your time on a full interview. You can take it a step further by having Skype or FaceTime video calls so you can also see how the person presents themselves. This is a must if you are recruiting for senior management.

4. Lack of inspiration
I often think, would I want to be interviewed by me? Is my interview technique so powerful that I would feel inspired by it? How would I feel if I were this candidate?

Your vision, targets, retail mindset and training plan should all be discussed at interview and used to inspire the candidate.

5. Not giving feedback
If we want to raise the quality of candidates, and therefore the industry, surely we should give constructive feedback as to why they didn’t fit the role. It’s fine to give the candidate guidance on how they could improve their interview technique and why they have not been chosen this time.

Recruitment is a mixture of luck, processes and standards. The clearer you are about what you want, the more likely you are to attract your ideal candidate.

Valerie Delforge is a spa and salon business consultant and delivers business training modules at the London School of Beauty and Make up and via bespoke programmes for individual businesses. Her previous roles included head of spa operations for Steiner and general manager of L’Occitane UK