Hi all I’m new to this site but I have a very busy hair and beauty salon and I’m desperately looking for another beauty therapist. Where are all the good, experienced beauty therapists theses days? I’ve posted and paid to boost posts on Facebook and posted on indeed. There’s just no one out there. Has anyone got any ideas on how else to find a good therapist?? It’s a great, up market, popular salon with good pay and contacted hours xx
Where are all the beauty therapists?
- Thread starter LucyM
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squidgernetball
Ubergeek
They’ve all decided that they’re better off working for themselves I think. We took on a student and she’s been amazing.
Good luck
Vic x
Good luck
Vic x
Tattooed beautician
Active Member
I'm one and looking but then I get rejected from salons because I have visible tattoos. Dosnt seem to matter that I have 12 years experience and lots of qualifications.
squidgernetball
Ubergeek
A shame you’re not near me x
Ruby S
Well-Known Member
I've had the same problems looking for hairdressers!! After 5 years of trying, I've decided to stop bothering and have handed my notice in on my current place and will rent somewhere smaller from the end of the year... enough for just me so that I'm not wasting all of my hard earned money on empty space and chairs. Good luck in your search, they are out there SOMEWHERE!!
I'm having the opposite problem, I have 6 years salon experience and I am a good therapist (im not very self confident and its taken me 6 years to realise I am actually good at what I do) but finding a salon who is happy to pay for my experience is very difficult, I feel I am worth more than minimum wage.
jamiereid92
Well-Known Member
How much do you think you should be paid?
Do you have a figure in mind or just think it should be more than minimum?
Not judging at all. I think there needs to be a massive shift in our industry. People are so quick to say are prices are too high, but wouldn't question the mechanics. We need to make a good wage too!
You need to look for a salon that is going to pay you more for good work. Good work means clients come back, means more money in the till, which should mean more money in your pocket x
We really struggle finding good experienced therapists, I can’t tell you how many simply don’t turn up for interview or get struck down by a mystery illness/rushed to A&E, just found out they are pregnant - seems to be a lot of health problems in our industry [emoji849].
We pay considerably above minimum wage and lots of perks/flexibility but still can’t find good therapists with a few years under their belt. It’s definitely my biggest and most time consuming headache.
We pay considerably above minimum wage and lots of perks/flexibility but still can’t find good therapists with a few years under their belt. It’s definitely my biggest and most time consuming headache.
If I had known how bad the education system was for therapists I would never have started my salon I would have started a college. If they arrive for interview at all I'm astounded at the demands, college leavers and junior therapists arrive expecting £10 ph then take an hour to do a half leg wax, can only perform a light, stroking massage that would be more fitting for a brothel and can't name any muscles of the body or face. If you cannot work to time and don't have the industry skills or knowledge to match the rest of the team you start on minimum wage, I give two pay reviews in the first year to further encourage growth. My team take home at least £10 - £14 per hour, receive regular in house training and skills updates, regular off site training courses where their wages and all expenses are paid and a myriad of other work place benefits.
I have no idea how to attract people who actually even turn up. Interviews cost me time and money (booking out a treatment room and models for trade tests etc) and about 70% don't even turn up. In London it seems the colleges are setting students up for failure, telling them that when they qualify they can earn far more than they are actually capable of. They are woefully under-informed, such as, they are given no indication that housekeeping duties are part of their job, cleaning and taking care of the laundry, it appears, is way beneath them! - they get the swift response "If I can clean toilets for 30 years, so can you!"
It takes me at least 12 months to train college leavers, current college standards are appalling and until something changes there, we are always going to struggle recruiting, you cannot learn everything we need to know from 2 days a week in college or even worse 13 days training (which I have encountered!).
Sorry to LucyM the OP, at least we are all in the same boat. My apologies as this is all I ever seem to rant about on here!.
I have no idea how to attract people who actually even turn up. Interviews cost me time and money (booking out a treatment room and models for trade tests etc) and about 70% don't even turn up. In London it seems the colleges are setting students up for failure, telling them that when they qualify they can earn far more than they are actually capable of. They are woefully under-informed, such as, they are given no indication that housekeeping duties are part of their job, cleaning and taking care of the laundry, it appears, is way beneath them! - they get the swift response "If I can clean toilets for 30 years, so can you!"
It takes me at least 12 months to train college leavers, current college standards are appalling and until something changes there, we are always going to struggle recruiting, you cannot learn everything we need to know from 2 days a week in college or even worse 13 days training (which I have encountered!).
Sorry to LucyM the OP, at least we are all in the same boat. My apologies as this is all I ever seem to rant about on here!.
Tattooed beautician
Active Member
It's the same where I am, I actually had to phone up the college of one the apprentices and ask them why they were teachers and that they were training students to preform treatments wrong.
I don't get paid £10 and Iv done beauty for 12-13 years. I don't know where they get the idea in there head that they deserve £10 an hour or more, as far as I'm aware almost every beauty job I have had has been minimum wage. Unfortunate as that is as it is still a skill trade.
When I was at college we had to clean the class room, store room, any equipment we used and we had a laundry and had to take it in turns to wash, dry, fold and put away all the towels and bedding in the uni. That must not be included anymore. And I can still list the bones and muscles and more I think it engraved into my brain now lol.
I think people seem to do it now as an easy route and a glamorous job, and they get a shock when they start.
I don't get paid £10 and Iv done beauty for 12-13 years. I don't know where they get the idea in there head that they deserve £10 an hour or more, as far as I'm aware almost every beauty job I have had has been minimum wage. Unfortunate as that is as it is still a skill trade.
When I was at college we had to clean the class room, store room, any equipment we used and we had a laundry and had to take it in turns to wash, dry, fold and put away all the towels and bedding in the uni. That must not be included anymore. And I can still list the bones and muscles and more I think it engraved into my brain now lol.
I think people seem to do it now as an easy route and a glamorous job, and they get a shock when they start.
I graduated my level 3 a short while back. All of is students had to wash/dry/put away all towels and equipment. We were told this is included in our job role. Everything had to be tidied and put away before we went home
Passionate about skin
Active Member
Ruby woo I think we must be the same person ! I have had exactly the same problems as you .Ive had therapists at interview state “ no I don’t clean toilets and floors , I’m a therapist ! “
They’ve turned up at interview with little or no experience , very little knowledge , no enthusiasm and looking like exotic dancers some of them . My clients would of been horrified to be treated by some of these therapists . Colleges are definitely to blame as everyone has said and the standards are way way too low . It’s expensive , time consuming and tiring to train these therapists to our standards , sending them on advanced courses , pay accommodation , training fees , travel and food into of their wages and then when they have further training under their belt they say “thank you but I’m off to go self employed “ and hopefully pinch some of the clients from the salon to take with me ! It’s just not worth it and it’s the same problem county wide and salon wide .
Nao, if you are working for someone for free it's slave labour. This salon is not caring for your education, they are exploiting you. You are a level 2 therapist, you should be on at least minimum wage. That is disgusting behaviour from an employer. I will be recruiting again in August if you are anywhere near south east London send me a message on here if you would like an interview.
I have been considering opening a college for my next business venture, but I don't understand how beauty courses are now only 2-3 days per week and called full time, does anyone know when this happened and why? I used to be three years full time when I trained (Mon-Fri) My guess is reduced government funding as I can't think of another reason for the watering down of this situation. I would really rather open another salon, but it's taken me 6 years to find and train my dream team, so the lack of well trained therapists and the impact that would have on a new business scares me to death. I think salon owners are stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment. And breathe...........!
I have been considering opening a college for my next business venture, but I don't understand how beauty courses are now only 2-3 days per week and called full time, does anyone know when this happened and why? I used to be three years full time when I trained (Mon-Fri) My guess is reduced government funding as I can't think of another reason for the watering down of this situation. I would really rather open another salon, but it's taken me 6 years to find and train my dream team, so the lack of well trained therapists and the impact that would have on a new business scares me to death. I think salon owners are stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment. And breathe...........!
BannerPenguin
Well-Known Member
Most university courses that are full time are much the same. For the amount, the wife paid it was a joke. Either 2 or 3 days a week = full time
Yea I do feel a bit like I am being taken for granted, ive not even been offered a free treatment which would be lovely...but the experience im gaining is like GOLD, I live in Essex so I'm a bit far out but thankyou. Just reading what you said has given me a confidence boost x
