What Does Employment Look Like To You?

By Kristie Kesic, Cobelle Creative

Within our industry, there are so many types of employment options. Are you an owner, do you work among a big team or a small team, are you an independent stylist, have you been a long-term employee, or do you like to change from salon to salon?

Our industry has changed so much, just in the time I have been around, and I feel it’s a never-ending discussion when it comes to types of employment. Do I have my beliefs and opinions about each, ABSOLUTELY…. BUT I honestly feel no option is wrong because there’s an option for each induvial and there’s a reason everyone has chosen their said option.

I genuinely want to understand a little more about people’s choices, and what they look for, so I thought I’d do some research myself, ask questions and hear the perspectives from owners, independent stylists, and employees’ long-term and new. Hopefully, this gives a little insight into just some employment options within our industry.

Firstly, I asked some of the seriously successful business owners I know, what they look for in a new employee and what makes a great team member.

Sheridan Shaw - Mamma West 10 employees, owner for 2.5 previous sole operator.

Mikey Forster – The Disco 9 employees, owner for 11 years.

Kate Henderson - Elysium Hair Brisbane, 15 employees, owner for 15 years.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN EMPLOYING A NEW TEAM MEMBER?

Sheridan: I look for hunger, integrity, open-mindedness, willingness to grow, humility and a gut feel

Mikey: I’m mostly looking for personality. I’ve always been a massive believer in you can teach skills, you can’t teach personality. An interview with me looks more like a casual chat. We meet at the salon, chat about our day, what their week has been like etc. This really gives me some time to check out what they are like and if I think they will fit in with the team. They should also come dressed to impress. We work in fashion

Kate: Openness, Drive, and Dedication: Seek individuals who are open to new ideas and want to do their best work. Continuous Growth: We look for team members who thirst for knowledge and constantly strive to improve their skills.

Alignment with Salon Values: We work hard to speak to the hearts and minds of candidates who align with our values of freedom, respect, integrity, connection, and kindness.

Each of these salons I would say are very different, yet all so very successful. The common factor that equates to their success is very clear and it’s the fact they employee staff that suit their culture and fit in with their team. I personally live by the belief; I would rather be a staff member down and control our bookings rather than employ the wrong person.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEAM MEMBER?

Sheridan: Someone who can read the room, is in touch with their emotions, wants to play in a team, humble, not better than or less than.

Mikey: A good team member can look so different. Depending on the salon, role etc. It’s a hard one to put into words. You want someone who supports the salon's brand, goal, feel and is great on the floor and on paper.

I then reached out to the long-term employees. Some of us have worked extremely hard to nurture and maintain long-term employees, so I wanted to seek employees’ perspectives as to what keeps them at their salons for the long haul.

My Instagram poll recorded

75% said the salon environment

12% said it is the clients

7% said career opportunities

6% said money.

To get a real perspective on longevity, I reached out to Evie Golding, who is a beautifully respected and loyal team member and has been with her current salon Rokstar for 4.5 years.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD BOSS?

Evie: A good boss is someone you respect and has similar values and morals that you align with. That means a boss who is there to support you and help you gain confidence in your personal and work goals. A boss that keeps your job fun and exciting with education/ training. Setting you up for success and allowing you to be the best version of yourself and helping you reach those goals.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEAM?

Evie: A good team is a group of people that you value and align within your overall goal

If you feel that a team isn’t meeting you at your goals then be the change and lead by example, be the one to help guide your team to success. That is what a good team does, works with each other strengths and weaknesses, and together have a common goal and purpose.

I feel a workplace that you love and enjoy being at is so powerful. It likes a relationship, you gotta put in as much as the other side puts in. Respect and hard work go both ways.

At the moment with my Boss Brodie, she is such a powerhouse of a woman, and I am in awe of her and learn so much from her every day.

I also come from a long line of very loyal hard workers, so I think that helps in a way as my parents always supported me but also didn’t let me quit when the going got tough. I think that is an important thing, being able to not let things get you down or cloud your judgement about a workplace if everyone else is on the negative.

Next, I asked the question to the new employees. What made you leave a previous salon, and the overwhelming response was lack of training, (and we wonder why we have a skill shortage) and then followed closely by team environment.

Next, was, what do you look for when applying for a new salon?

83% said salon environment

9% said awards and industry contributions

8% said money

Again, it clearly comes down to the environment. Supplying great education within that environment provides a space in which your team feel safe, appreciated, respected, and can grow. Find whatever that looks like for your salon and each individual staff member and you are already on your way to staff longevity and success.

The independent stylist and salon suite stylists are the ones that intrigue me the most. For me, the thought of working by myself in a smaller space stresses me out more than owning a salon of 10 staff, yet for others it sounds like heaven. So of course, I reached out to 2 men who have made the transition from BIG salon teams to independent stylists very successfully.

Nathan Yip – Pretty Vacant 1.5 years

Stuart Blane – Stuart Bane Colour, Salon Lane Sydney 2.5 years, 20 years prior working within a salon team as an employee.

WHAT WAS THE MOST APPEALING THING FOR YOU TO BRANCH OUT FROM A TEAM AND BECOMING AN INDEPENDENT STYLIST IN YOUR OWN SPACE?

Stuart: The most appealing thing for me about branching out on my own was having control of the environment and client experience. In larger salons, you rely on many others to make the clients' visit enjoyable. With colour trends now being as much about toning skills as the lightening, I wanted the ability to work one client at a time so I could meet clients’ expectations. I work within a co-working space, so I feel like I am still very much a part of a team and have many other very talented hairdressers to bounce ideas off which is important to me.

Nathan: The main reason I moved into becoming an independent stylist was freedom and flexibility. However, this was not my first choice. I have always preferred to be an employee because to me employment meant security. When the salon I was working for closed their doors I took the leap and went out on my own.

It wasn’t my plan, but it just worked out best for me at the time! If it hadn’t of closed, I still may be employed. However, flexibility in time was key for me as I also run other businesses that required me to be available at and nimble with my schedule so for me that’s the number one reason, I have stuck to being an independent!

Would I be an independent stylist without my other side gigs...probably not!

The thing I enjoyed most was being able to manage all the elements of the client journey and test out things I have wanted to do for ages, also being able to fully present the brand I wanted to present

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU MISS ABOUT WORKING ALONGSIDE A TEAM EVERY DAY?

Stuart: I struggle being responsible for everything in my business, I miss having someone to manage my schedule or communication/admin!

I also think it’s important to grow and perfect your craft within a team environment, working freelance requires a lot of self-motivation to stay educated and up to date, don’t run before you can walk.!

Nathan: I don’t miss anything about working alongside a team, however, I am constantly in other people’s salons educating or working as a fill-in stylist, so I get my fix!

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DON’T MISS ABOUT WORKING ALONGSIDE A BIG TEAM?

Stuart: I absolutely don’t miss having your equipment going missing within a team environment… I’ve had the same clips for the past 2.5 years - a first in my 23 years of hairdressing

Nathan: What I learnt about myself is that I didn’t realise how sensitive I was to noise and other people’s energy! Once I was on my own, I finished my days so much less exhausted and rattled in the brain! The salon I was working at was a huge team, concrete floors, blaring music and at times 10 blowdryers it’s no wonder I was shagged.

I grew to enjoy silence, downtime between clients and be able to share myself in between clients instead of having to rinse someone else’s colour or get caught in mindless chatter!

All these employment types may vary but it’s obvious that the number 1 contributing factor to how each option works successfully for each is simply because of the ENVIRONMENT. The salon environment looks totally different to all these employment options, and each is unique. The clients and staff that like the big busy salons aren’t the same people that are going to like the salon suite spaces and vice versa.

Just like anything, there are always going to be pros and cons to every option and the thought of trying to pick apart and work out what exactly is the best employment option for our industry moving forward into the future is a question that’s beyond me, but I certainly know I loved gaining a bit of perspective from researching this piece and I hope you guys do too.