Strange interview - what is the norm?

[andrea27]

I had an interview yesterday and left with very mixed feelings. I have been thinking about it since. It was an interview for a beauty therapist position. It lasted 15 minutes. I wasn't shown the salon and the treatment rooms. We just sat outside the reception in a hallway.
She says come in on saturday and you will work on clients doing treatments you are the most confident in. She was going to pay me for that.
Now comes my problem. How can someone, without showing me where everything is, without giving me any training and without seeing how good/bad I am ,let me work on paying clients?!!
Is this the norm? Are employers not suppose to give their new staff any training before they work on paying clients?
There is no way I am going back to that salon. She couldn't even be bothered showing me the salon but wanted me to work there this saturday.

 

[laurakate]

Urgh! hate hate hate hate these so called "employers". Avoid this person.

She is not following a standard recruitment proceedure. A trade test should be about assessing a persons ability on non paying clients. For all she knows you could be anyone working on those paying clients and to me, that shows that she doesn't care for her business or the professionalism of the industry in general.

I assume that she wouldn't be watching you on the paying clients and that makes it worse! She is therefore not using Saturday as a means of assessing you as a potential employee but as a means of getting someone to cover the vacancy and make her some money in the process.

Its disgusting how the industry is full of people like this! (It makes me really angry because I have been in a situation similar to what you describe too many times to count!)

I'm glad you could tell that something wasn't right because the more people who boycott this sort of "recruitment proceedure" then hopefully the less it will happen.

I wish you all the best in your job search. See this as a learning curve that will make the more professional employers stand out to you in a good way

Edit: after all that ranting (lol!) a standard interview should consist of an interview and a trade test where you carry out treatments on a member of staff or friend of the employer where the employer watches you (unless it is the employer who you are doing the treatments on). It is after this that they should be able to make a decision as to whether they want to employ you. Things like "trial days" as I've heard them called are not acceptable....you're either employed by them or youre not and if youre not yet employed by them then you shouldn't be working there even for a day.

 

[frizzfreehair]

There was a girl on here a few weeks ago, went for a "trade test" and ended up doing paying clients she then discovered that the girl working beside her was also doing the same, they came to the conclusion that they were being used to do paying clients, im not sure if this is legal but i doubt it, its funny tho that they have said you will be paid, do you know how much??

 

[frizzfreehair]

Is this salon within a hotel??

 

[laurakate]

There was a girl on here a few weeks ago, went for a "trade test" and ended up doing paying clients she then discovered that the girl working beside her was also doing the same, they came to the conclusion that they were being used to do paying clients, im not sure if this is legal but i doubt it, its funny tho that they have said you will be paid, do you know how much??

yeah i think it's illegal.

i've seen it happen in multiple places. these are often the sort of "employers" who also offer cash in hand below minimum wage to add insult to injury.

 

[andrea27]

She didn't say how much she will pay me. She said she is not going to be there on saturday but the other therapists will give her feedback about me!
It's not a salon within a hotel.
It's shocking she hasn't tested my skills yet she wants me to work there on saturday.

 

[JoJo1980]

hmmm have to be honest, it doesnt sound like a very reputable salon....my gut feeling, run away! xxx

 

[laurakate]

She didn't say how much she will pay me. She said she is not going to be there on saturday but the other therapists will give her feedback about me!
It's not a salon within a hotel.
It's shocking she hasn't tested my skills yet she wants me to work there on saturday.

That's appalling! I hope you don't go there on Saturday because I can't imagine that working for her would be a nice experience to be honest.

 

[laurakate]

hmmm have to be honest, it doesnt sound like a very reputable salon....my gut feeling, run away! xxx

Yeah, everywhere I have gone for a dodgy interview at has only got 1 or 2 stars out of 5 on google reviews.

 

[daisyl]

Wow - avoid! You are basically saying the 'salon owner' is quite prepared to allow a therapist with no references or without checking any qualifications to work in her business on her paying clients! Not the way to run a business IMO. Steer clear. Good luck in finding a suitable position.

 

[andrea27]

Wow - avoid! You are basically saying the 'salon owner' is quite prepared to allow a therapist with no references or without checking any qualifications to work in her business on her paying clients! Not the way to run a business IMO. Steer clear. Good luck in finding a suitable position.

References? are you kidding me :biggrin:? She didn't even want to see my certificates!

 

[jacquelineanna]

Perhaps she wanted the day off on Saturday and this is the quickest and easiest way to get someone in to treat her clients???

Whatever is behind this 'process' its outrageous.

 

[YuMeSkin]

WOW!!!
I'm shocked that salons like that exist.
No trade test and she is not even going to be there to see what and how you do the treatments!!! Ridiculous and salons like that give US a bad name!!!

 

[frizzfreehair]

You wonder how she actually has any clients at all, the salon i work in there is only 3 stylists, its an intimate boutique salon, and the clients generally dont mind getting one of the other stylists if the cant get an app with their usual stylist but to be given a random therapist who actually doesnt even work there is a bit off, what would happen if you made a real mess of the clients eg nails or tan etc? (not saying you would!) just for talking sake! Surely her insurance (If she has any!) would be nul and void?

 

[andrea27]

I had another job interview on thursday. Interview went ok, she says come in on thursday and I'll show you around. So I stayed 4hours (for free) on friday, she showed me around, asked me to do a bit of massage on her (to check my pressure) and a facial massage.
Then she says ,come in on saturday -all day 10-5pm and she said she will pay me for that 7pounds/hour. I thought I'll be doing some clients or she will give me some training , however all she asked me to do was cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning! I was so p....d off! I had to hover the whole salon, clean the floors, set up a new coffee machine and things like that! Did she pay me? Not a penny! I wasted all my saturday cleaning someone's salon for free!
I am cross with myself that I let someone do this to me.However, never again.
If a so called "salon" calls me for a trade test ,I am happy to be trade tested for 1 and a half the most. No more come in for a day and will see how it goes...!
I wish I could name and shame the salon.

 

[persianista]

All sounds very bizarre. My recruitment process is:
Initial interview, then show them around the salon.
Trade test, then if successful second interview to discuss contract and details of rota etc
First day, induction, contracts, paperwork, and orientating with our salon and booking system.

 

[persianista]

We do expect therapists to be already trained. I only expect to train on our booking system, not treatments

 

[andrea27]

We do expect therapists to be already trained. I only expect to train on our booking system, not treatments

Thank you for your reply. With training, I obviously didn't mean for her to train me in treatments, but booking clients in, taking payments and generally showing me how the salon works.

 

[snyggiss]

sounds like uve had some really crappy luck there.. do u apply for these jobs urself or do they find you? maybe try going through an agency instead? x

 

[andrea27]

sounds like uve had some really crappy luck there.. do u apply for these jobs urself or do they find you? maybe try going through an agency instead? x

Do you think agencies are better? Yes, I applied for these jobs myself.