Where to find good, reliable staff?

[KudosBeauty]

Hi I'm opening my own salon this year, and want good staff!
I have only ever had bad experience with the other employees I have worked with at my jobs. My first job for 6 years, 5 girls came and went having babies, which maternity pay was obviously paid, I know it doesn't cost me but it's just the inconvenience specially seen as now there is no minimum working time before your eligible for Mat pay, and then when they have young children they have an unbelievable amount of time off!
This is my experience anyway, and this is the last thing I want with my new business, but it's not like I can write "no babies" in there work contract! haha.
I have also worked with girls who lie all the time, steal products, steal money, try and steal clients and go mobile.
This is all over a space of around 8.5 years. I have worked with some great people as well however the bad ones overtook the good.
I think this is due to ALOT of younger girls now days having the attitude, " I'll do Beauty Therapy it'll be easy!" and also all these quick, short beauty courses! You can't learn it in 6 months! It took me 2 years of basic and im sure all professionals agree that in beauty you never stop learning, it a forever changing industry, which I love! You can't beat it in my eyes.
I don't want someone to ruin my new business's reputation ! So my question so you guys is HOW DO YOU FIND GOOD STAFF?
Where did you find your good staff members??

Is it worth paying a recruitment agency?? Gumtree??

Do you think it is a good idea me approaching my local college, and asking the tutors for a good NVQ3 student so then I can mould her to what I want?? I like this idea however my lack of trust gets me. I find it hard to let go a little bit, I feel that if a client came through my door for example I would want to do there eyebrows, as I would be worried my employee might mess them up and that I would do a better job!! I know this is bad to think.

How long do you do trial periods??
When would you let them loose on your clients??

Some advice would be great!

 

[TMH]

How about taking on "older" beauty therapists ? They have plenty of experience, won't have any more babies and are reliable

 

[laurakate]

Hi I'm opening my own salon this year, and want good staff!
I have only ever had bad experience with the other employees I have worked with at my jobs. My first job for 6 years, 5 girls came and went having babies, which maternity pay was obviously paid, I know it doesn't cost me but it's just the inconvenience specially seen as now there is no minimum working time before your eligible for Mat pay, and then when they have young children they have an unbelievable amount of time off!
This is my experience anyway, and this is the last thing I want with my new business, but it's not like I can write "no babies" in there work contract! haha.
I have also worked with girls who lie all the time, steal products, steal money, try and steal clients and go mobile.
This is all over a space of around 8.5 years. I have worked with some great people as well however the bad ones overtook the good.
I think this is due to ALOT of younger girls now days having the attitude, " I'll do Beauty Therapy it'll be easy!" and also all these quick, short beauty courses! You can't learn it in 6 months! It took me 2 years of basic and im sure all professionals agree that in beauty you never stop learning, it a forever changing industry, which I love! You can't beat it in my eyes.
I don't want someone to ruin my new business's reputation ! So my question so you guys is HOW DO YOU FIND GOOD STAFF?
Where did you find your good staff members??

Is it worth paying a recruitment agency?? Gumtree??

Do you think it is a good idea me approaching my local college, and asking the tutors for a good NVQ3 student so then I can mould her to what I want?? I like this idea however my lack of trust gets me. I find it hard to let go a little bit, I feel that if a client came through my door for example I would want to do there eyebrows, as I would be worried my employee might mess them up and that I would do a better job!! I know this is bad to think.

How long do you do trial periods??
When would you let them loose on your clients??

Some advice would be great!

A persons age, level of experience and level of training and where they look for job vacancies won't really tell you anything about how much you can trust them. The trustworthy and the untrustworthy come from all walks of life at all ages.

If it was me in your shoes, I would advertise in lots of places in order to attract a wider pool of potentials and then go with your instinct when it comes to the interview and trade test.

 

[beautician12345]

Out of interest, how come the maternity pay doesn't cost you? Don't you as the employer have to pay something before the statutory kicks in?

 

[eternalscot]

I wish I knew the answer to this! Im afraid this is the hardest part of the job, getting good staff.

 

[MrsHBeauty]

It's your choice to pay SMP I think you have to pay a bit of it but most of it is claimed back.

There are restrictions on SMP you have to have worked in a job for so long befor you fell pregnant to be entitled to it. Maternity allowance is different but if the employee isn't entitled to SMP then they can usually claim MA them selves via the job centre.

The thing with maternity leave is when they come back you have to do so much more, allow extra unpaid time off for parents of children under 5. I know how often my children have been I'll, you can't run a small business with people off that much, it's all well and good for larger business'' but not small.

Older staff aren't more reliable from my experience, I have 2 very reliable members of staff. My 1st therapists it was chance, I had no idea what I was interviewing, what I wanted out of an interview etc. She is a star. The second I knew what is as looking for my interview questions were based around what I wanted, and I have gained a very reliable 2nd therapist.

I advertised in the salons window, Facebook, and the job centre. As it happens the girl that got the job was the only one who brought her CV and application form into me in person. She made an impression, although her CV wasn't the best of the bunch I offed her an interview anyway, and she was by far the best out of the candidates I interviewed.

Good luck x

 

[jay_g]

Hi I'm opening my own salon this year, and want good staff!
I have only ever had bad experience with the other employees I have worked with at my jobs. My first job for 6 years, 5 girls came and went having babies, which maternity pay was obviously paid, I know it doesn't cost me but it's just the inconvenience specially seen as now there is no minimum working time before your eligible for Mat pay, and then when they have young children they have an unbelievable amount of time off!
This is my experience anyway, and this is the last thing I want with my new business, but it's not like I can write "no babies" in there work contract! haha.
I have also worked with girls who lie all the time, steal products, steal money, try and steal clients and go mobile.
This is all over a space of around 8.5 years. I have worked with some great people as well however the bad ones overtook the good.
I think this is due to ALOT of younger girls now days having the attitude, " I'll do Beauty Therapy it'll be easy!" and also all these quick, short beauty courses! You can't learn it in 6 months! It took me 2 years of basic and im sure all professionals agree that in beauty you never stop learning, it a forever changing industry, which I love! You can't beat it in my eyes.
I don't want someone to ruin my new business's reputation ! So my question so you guys is HOW DO YOU FIND GOOD STAFF?
Where did you find your good staff members??

Is it worth paying a recruitment agency?? Gumtree??

Do you think it is a good idea me approaching my local college, and asking the tutors for a good NVQ3 student so then I can mould her to what I want?? I like this idea however my lack of trust gets me. I find it hard to let go a little bit, I feel that if a client came through my door for example I would want to do there eyebrows, as I would be worried my employee might mess them up and that I would do a better job!! I know this is bad to think.

How long do you do trial periods??
When would you let them loose on your clients??

Some advice would be great!

Hi,

If you have a good read of what you have written I would say you should not have a business that employs people !!

Sounds harsh but you have problems with employing women due to babies, trust worries regarding products/money maybe, not sure if they will be able to do their job properly or as well as you would and even if they did please the customers then maybe take your customers at a later date.

It feels like that the whole idea is scaring you but most of all that you will be on edge, paranoid and highly stressed from the whole experience.

They are all valid points you make and we all have those concerns to a degree so I fully see where you are coming from but from what you have wrote I sense it will for yourself hard to work with those feelings.

There is NO way of knowing 100% who would make a good employee, we can all have a gut instinct when hiring but businesses have problems all the time when working with friends and family so a total stranger is just the same.

The idea above of older staff is ok but they still could be the type that is just unlucky with illness or just getting tired of the industry and just doing it to survive. They wont tell you this in the interview so everyone can potentially let you down.

Whoever you employ that has some kind of experience will probably be coming from another business and perhaps their customers will follow, well they will probably do that the day they leave you too.

Think positive to put systems in place to minimize what you think will bother you and damage your business ( cctv, contracts, sickness records for comparison, review their performance regarding takings and customer numbers, etc ) OR rent out some of your space and facilities if possible and just employ 1 person to work along side you the way you want them to.

Just be sure that this is not going to be done in a way that makes you stressed and unhappy before you even are let down by someone as you should enjoy having the business.

 

[xxx]

I think that's a bit unfair claiming that the alot of younger therapists are unreliable And untrustworthy. I work my butt off bring in majority of returning clients, stay behind in my own time to completely clean the salon, sell products an other services and hit daily targets for no commission and get no thanks in return apart from my wages which are minimum wage at £4.98 which have been since i started a year ago and I am 20.

If you ask the right questions for interviews, find someone who really has the passion for this industry and treat your staff well, you shouldn't have a problem. I had a 3 month trial before I started and think that would be long enough to get an overall on if you like the way they work.

 

[NailAddiction]

I think that's a bit unfair claiming that the alot of younger therapists are unreliable And untrustworthy. I work my butt off bring in majority of returning clients, stay behind in my own time to completely clean the salon, sell products an other services and hit daily targets for no commission and get no thanks in return apart from my wages which are minimum wage at £4.98 which have been since i started a year ago and I am 20.

If you ask the right questions for interviews, find someone who really has the passion for this industry and treat your staff well, you shouldn't have a problem. I had a 3 month trial before I started and think that would be long enough to get an overall on if you like the way they work.

Very well said! I am 19 work self employed in a salon, extremely dedicated, love my job and if I say so myself I have done pretty well for myself!

 

[greenreader29]

There are personality tests you could have them take, also you can have them bring models and do color cut wax as part of interview. You want team player attitude and it starts with the owner. If you stay involved and take care of your business it will take care of you. Always stay the boss and never te friend and never let one person slide on your set rules! You do this you will be fine. My opinion

 

[KudosBeauty]

Hey, thanks for your replies. I'm not saying anyone younger is useless, as I really really want a younger therapist, I' ve been in the industry since I was 17, and I loved in, all I find now it's very hard to find a good younger therapist. If any younger therapists from Nottingham are reading this, send me your CV!
I have some friends, who I trust 100% to help me out to begin, however I do not want to employ a friend full time.
xxx. £4.98 for 20 years old is not good, specially if you are a good therapist!
As far as im aware MAT pay doesn't cost me anything, as I claim it back.
I will start to look for a therapist in October, so I have lots of time and use all your recommendations, facebook, window advertisement, gumtree, job centre etc.
Thank you.

 

[KudosBeauty]

Out of interest, how come the maternity pay doesn't cost you? Don't you as the employer have to pay something before the statutory kicks in?

Hi far as i'm aware you have to pay it out of your pocket then claim in back. I will look it up again, it changes so often.

 

[AcidPerm]

Good reliable staff are made not found!

In my experience, most new staff have the potential to become excellent staff.

However, I believe that the difference between amazing staff and mediocre staff is mostly down to good management skills.

Creating a harmonious working environment requires far more than just paying a wage at the end of the week/month and an employer that doesn't understand this, will ultimately lose business.

Nurturing a team takes a lot of effort, but the rewards are immense.