When I first owned and ran my salons, before starting NuBody Equipment, I found that hiring an aesthetician was a little bit like cooking a pot of chilli – I would add a little of this and that and no matter how careful I was, I still might ruin the chilli - or hire the wrong person.
After a number of years and more experience, I found a system that worked very well for me and I think it might do the same for you.
I keep the following attributes in mind when going through the hiring process;
Do they have good technical skills?
Do they have sales abilities
Do they have a great personality
Are they professional and value cleanliness
Do they have passion for the industry and continue to keep learning
Laying a good foundation for success
STEP 1: The Application
There are similarities to hiring in any profession and the application form is the quickest way to begin vetting potential candidates. To be successful, ensure that your application form is detailed enough to ask the basic foundational questions you will need to know before choosing to move to the interview stage.
Beyond the applicants own contact information, you should ask for the applicants last three places of employment. Ask for the employers contact info, the applicants job title and supervisor's name, duties performed, reasons for leaving, employment dates and their salary history. Do also ask permission to contact the applicants current and former employers.
Don't forget to ask for the applicant's aesthetic or cosmetology license number and the date it was issued.
Ask for the names and addresses of beauty schools attended, year of graduation, college education and any advanced training courses or significant seminars they have attended.
Remember, there is no point asking these detailed questions if you don't also follow up and to the background research. Check their credentials and verify they have received their license. Check their experience and speak to previous and current employers.
STEP 2: The Interview
Now is the time to ask further questions about their abilities and qualifications as well as get a sense of their professionalism.
Ask them about their past work experience, who they worked for and how long as well as why they left that position. It is a great opportunity for the applicant to expand on their work history and a good indicator of their professionalism.
I like to ask specific situational questions such as, 'if your work day ends at five or six, would you be willing to continue working if you are needed?' I also ask what trade magazines or online blogs they read and when they last attended a tradeshow.
It is also important that the applicant is sales-oriented. A lot of their success will depend on their ability and willingness to promote themselves. I like to ask them, 'How will you get new clients? How do you plan to promote your services?
If you are interviewing applicants fresh out of school with little or no job experience, ask about their goals. 'What goals did they set for themselves before they began school and did they met those goals?'. Then ask if they have set new goals and what they are.
Follow up by asking, 'Where do you see yourself in a year from now? How do you see your future in the industry? All of these questions help me determine where their focus is.
STEP 3: Skills Demonstration
I always ask my applicants to demonstrate their skills, both on myself as well as a few clients that I trust and who trust me.
I'll ask the applicant to role play with me as if I was a new client of theirs and wanted a hair removal or skin rejuvenation treatment. By engaging in role play, I can see whether the applicant will first give a skin analysis. I can see how well she engages with me as the client and if she explains all the steps. I'll ask a number of client facing questions to see how she handles them and if she knows what she is talking about.
And in general, I will get a feeling for how comfortable she will make a client feel and how enjoyable and effective she will make the service for the client.
ONLY after I have the applicant give me a treatment will I consider a follow up treatment for one of my actual customers. I like to have a second opinion to judge if the applicant has the personality and sensitivity that a client will respond positively to.
STEP 4: Terms of Employment
Be sure to explain your terms of employment to your applicant during the hiring process. This way there won't be any misunderstanding and be sure to spell the terms out in writing so everyone is on the same page prior to starting.
STEP 5: Introducing New Aesthetician to your clients
To have your new aesthetician be successful, it's important to give them a good start by properly introducing them and promoting their services. Print business cards, send email campaigns to existing clients, offer referral programs, promote on social media and even print flyers to mail out within a 15 minute drive radius of your spa or salon to help build their client list.
I'm a good cook, but prior to creating this process I still ruined the occasional chilli dish just like I occasionally hired the wrong applicant – it used to be a hit-and-miss process - until I formalized this procedure and I hope it helps you too!
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