HIRING SPA STAFF: How to Become a Talent Magnet

Do any of the following sound familiar to you right now?

•You are having challenges hiring the right staff

•You keep hiring drama queens

•You constantly have to babysit and chase some of your staff

• Staff members seldom meet your expectations

If you answered yes to any of the above, you are in the right place. By the end of this article you will learn seven steps for hiring talent and—importantly— why work ethic assessment should be part of your recruitment process.

A few commitments are essential before you continue reading. These mindset adjustments are important to get you to a place where you are a Talent Magnet.

•Hire slow and steady… fire fast

•Follow the checklist

•Let go of desperation

•Follow the checklist

•Stop allowing yourself to believe there are no good staff out there

•Follow the checklist

Yes, “follow the checklist” appears three times: The single reason we employ the wrong staff is we have not followed a process. Why? Because we are desperate. The commitments are simple, yet it is easy to find yourself going off course — and that’s where you need to stay focused.

Let’s dive right into the seven ideas that will change the hiring process for you

1. Send out a SEARCH PARTY

Decide where you are going to look for staff and then go hunt. If you search in only one place, you narrow your odds. Broaden the search and look everywhere: Facebook groups specific to our industry, LinkedIn, Instagram, reputable recruiters (make sure to use two or three to broaden the search), and don’t forget highly-regarded beauty schools, as they often have an online recruitment portal. Takeaway point: You need to search diligently and not just pray the right person will miraculously find you.

2. Prepare a POSITION BRIEF

It is crucial to know exactly what you are looking for in a candidate: their qualifications; how many years’ experience is required administering a particular treatment procedure or using a specific software; the maximum distance they can live from their workplace to be appropriately accessible. The more detail in the brief, the easier it will be to attract the right people to apply for the open position. It is common to hear about a salon manager receiving hundreds of applications that do not meet even the minimum qualifications for the role they are looking to fill. Or you may find the perfect candidate, only to discover they live many hours away from your spa. Ensure your brief gives the type of detail you want to see in a candidate’s CV or resume, which will help them to understand your requirements and will ensure you can quickly eliminate applicants who fail to meet your standards.

3. Require a standardized APPLICATION

Spa leaders have two ways to handle the CV or resume portion of a job application. One is to receive the document however the candidate chose to prepare it—which may result in questions when necessary information is not listed. The other way is to specify the information required on all resumes. The latter policy will aid your decision making and save time by eliminating unqualified candidates and spotlighting applicants who will fit well into your spa’s culture. A few data points to require in an application may include the job seeker’s current residence (to determine distance from your business); their access to transportation; professional and personal references with phone numbers to call; client testimonials; and “before and after” pictures of their work, if appropriate to the position being hired. Reviewing a standardized application also gives you the opportunity to follow up on questions before extending an interview invitation. For example, check that their work experience includes the skill you are looking for—you might be looking for an experienced front desk coordinator and find the applicant’s background is as a corporate personal assistant, which develops a different skill set to handling a spa front desk.

4. Get to know each CANDIDATE

Preparation is everything! Make sure you have taken the following steps before you even meet your candidate:

•Request a personality profile. (DISC and MyersBriggs are popular options, but you have many choices available depending on the type of profile you would like to see.) If you place value on personality profiles as a measure of aptitude, it is smart to have the candidate complete the profile before you meet them.

•Send a work ethic questionnaire. Establishing your candidate’s work ethic early is important, as an otherwise perfectly qualified and skilled person may exhibit a work ethic that does not match your company culture. Once you have determined which applicants meet your initial qualifications, invite the remaining candidates to complete the questionnaire, with submission required before interview requests are extended.

•Set up a short phone screening. A quick call— rather than an email—to invite the candidate to an interview allows you to hear how they sound and ask a question or two.

By Marisa Dimitriadis - The Spa Consultants

• Perform social media due diligence. Check all social media handles to get a little more background for conversation during the interview, as well as to spot any red flags regarding comments about past employers and colleagues.

5. Conduct the FIRST INTERVIEW

First impressions matter! How a candidate presents themselves at their interview is most likely the type of effort they will put into their appearance and composure at the workplace. Make sure you are prepared with all documentation you need and all questions you would like to pose. Asking a standard set of questions is encouraged as it will allow you to compare responses between candidates—but be prepared to pose followup questions regarding any responses that raise your interest. Make notes during the interview: In addition to serving as a reminder of the candidate’s answers, your notes will be helpful in formulating follow-up inquiries for a second interview or for reference checks.

6. Put them to the (TRADE) TEST

Have every candidate perform a trade test, no matter how highly recommended or experienced the individual is. In fact, you should always have the candidate perform two treatments, one that shows off their strongest talent and one where their application indicates room for improvement. Trade test treatments may be shortened—so if you are hiring a massage therapist, for example, request a 30minute facial and 15-minute back massage to be able to evaluate their mastery of these different skills. Or you might want to ask for a nail paint and a 30minute facial, if providers are responsible for both treatments in your spa. Always combine two. Take note of the candidate’s appearance during the trade test: Have they put in effort to appear professional? Also listen to their dialogue during the treatments: Do they perform a thorough, in-depth consultation and respond appropriately to their guest’s conversation?

7. Check every REFERENCE

Make reference calls yourself as the owner or manager, regardless of any checks already conducted by a recruiter. Ensure you are speaking to a person who knows the candidate and can give you useful insights and verifiable information. Remember this magic question to ask any previous employer: “Would you employ this individual again?” Conducting reference checks thoroughly is immensely valuable no matter how impressed you are by the candidate’s background and interview.

Remember, to be a talent magnet, you should observe all seven rules in this guide to hiring the right talent. Follow the checklist!