How to recruit great therapists?

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riva

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We have been trying unsuccessfully to recruit beauty therapists for the past 3 months. Tried all the usual routes which worked before. Wondering if Brexit has anything to do it as we also see a lot of other ads for therapists who are getting even lessor views than our ad. We need someone experienced and NVQ 3/4 and so schools are not an option. Our terms are generous and we are in a great location.
I finally got fed up and decided to use a well known and very expensive beauty recruiter. She has since presented us with 3 wonderful candidates. We have offered a position to one and have decided we will go ahead with another. So I'm taking 2 of the 3 that she sent our way. And even created a new role for one of them as we were only looking for one initially. This is London fyi.
My question is... what did we miss? Is this how others get their staff? Its working out to be 1k per therapist as a finders fee. That's expensive. But I'm happy to accept it if this is the way forward. Of course I've no idea if they're the right fit and if they will stay but 3 months of nearly nobody responding to adverts, plenty of no-shows and the one that we did offer a job to received job offers from every interview she attended... I'm wondering if its us or if something has fundamentally changed or if its our inexperience in recruiting. Any thoughts?
 
I don’t think Brexit has anything to do with it.

People on here have been struggling to employ for years and even have been advertising for over a year.

The main reason is anyone qualified and experienced end up working for themselves or running their business in one way or another as they inevitably earn more (generally speaking). The people who want to be employed have recently qualified and as soon as they get experience from a salon they then go out on their own and the cycle continues.
 
Are you only offering full time positions? You might have more luck if you offer the posts on a part time basis.
Some experienced staff don’t want the hassle of self employment but equally, don’t want to work full time. Also, with more part-timers, you can juggle rotas more effectively and fairly.
 
I don’t think Brexit has anything to do with it.

People on here have been struggling to employ for years and even have been advertising for over a year.

The main reason is anyone qualified and experienced end up working for themselves or running their business in one way or another as they inevitably earn more (generally speaking). The people who want to be employed have recently qualified and as soon as they get experience from a salon they then go out on their own and the cycle continues.
I agree with you but this is a very negative outlook.

There are people out there that want to work but don't want the stress of being self employed. I think the way forward is through apprentices keeping them happy, giving them milestones and rewards to keep them with you.

I know I may sound optermistic (As I don't actually own my salon just yet) but if you have this negative view of, "every one wants to work for themselves, all college training is crap now and there are no good stylists around" then I'm sure you won't find them.
 
I have a miserable time recruiting and have watched this get worse with increasing momentum over the last 30 years. Training used to be very different, full time - Monday to Friday - and for three years. In the last six years not one therapist I have interviewed has been able to name the superficial muscles of the face let alone anywhere else. Colleges do not seem to be teaching anything that resembles traditional Swedish massage, and some of the facial massages I've experienced are truly horrific, during trade tests I ask candidates to perform different massage tasks and most can't even understand what I'm asking of them. People I do recruit always end up feeling angry and cheated by their college education. It takes me about a year to train therapists and it's nearly broken me over the last six years. As educational funding has become non existent beauty education has become more and more diluted. 15 years ago when I was recruiting in large spas I was inundated by C.V.s for every post and spoilt for choice with highly trained therapists I could have hired 20 therapists with every recruitment round. It takes me 6-8 months of advertising to fill a post now.

I also have a strict rule that I do not recruit therapists who have attended "intensive" short courses. Their A&P is non-existent and 26 days of education does not a beauty therapist make!.

If I had known that things were going to deteriorate so badly I would never have started my current business, it's the only part of my job that make my soul break.

I'm off for a lie down in a darkened room!!!!!!
 
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Wow. Thank you for the responses. Just so glad to know its not only me. What's the way out of this I wonder? I'm really attracted to the thought of setting up a school but a proper one. I've tried everything with recruiting, compromising in any and all ways- offering part/full time; salaried or self employed; whatever they want really. Generous commission structures but still struggle.
I do think there's less competition now that the pound has fallen and lots of Europeans don't find UK an attractive place to work anymore. My friends in recruitment say the same thing.
The apprenticeship is an idea moving forward. This is an interesting conversation though...
 
Most want to take the ‘Fast track’ to getting trained.....and then go mobile/log cabin route.
I have moved to a much busier position and have a lovely salon.... but STILL cannot find staff...
They expect all the usual goodies, demand a high basic, but what do they bring to the table...?
The promise of a clientele never seems to materialise - my guess is they keep them ‘mobile’
Sadly on trade testing, a poorly executed ‘trim’ seems to be all they can muster
 
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We struggled for about 6 months then a chance conversation with a tutor sent a student our way. She is completing her level 3 and is an absolute delight. I’m afraid I have to agree that there is a glut of basic trained therapists who set up from home then sit on forums asking how to get clients. We are now pretty well staffed but I constantly have my eye on people I know who may be looking for something part time and I nab them or let them know I would seriously consider employing them.

Good luck

Vic x
 
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