Choosing a Place to Work/Interviewing

If you're a service provider, the things you should be looking for in a salon will depend on where you are in your career, but there are some things that are universal.  This article was written for students just out of cosmetology school, but it is applicable to any service provider.  It was written after sitting through interviews with people, (both experienced and inexperienced), who had no idea what questions to ask.  If it were me, I'd be looking for the following:

• A business that has a long term plan for your professional and financial growth.
• A business that has an education plan or training program that gets you ready to work at salon pace.
• A business that doesn' t focus on the money.  If the business is focusing on it 's employees and customers, the money will come.  Businesses that become too money focused lose sight of what's important and head downhill fast.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN A TEAM MEMBER

• A high aptitude for customer service; previous high quality customer service employment
• A passion for beauty
• A willingness to work hard and help out co-workers
• Absence of ego; "teachability"
• Technical skills

A bit of Advice - Focus on the long term and the big picture, not on the details of your pay. Focus on continual growth and improvement.  We see stylists that change salons every two years for a 5% commission difference. They lose clients every time they change and wind up 40%-50% booked their entire career, and at the same prices. They don't progress.

INTERVIEWING

Before the interview, get online and find out everything you can about the business. The following are some questions to ask in your Interview:

Is there a plan in place to help guide my professional advancement? Is there a chart or outline I can take with me?  Ask yourself if the salon' s plan for you fits your plans. See how organized the business is and how much they've thought about your career track. If it's not written down, it may not be well thought out.

What kinds of things are included in the Training Program? Would it be possible to get a table of contents from the training manual, or a list of topics covered? How many people have completed the program? What percentage of people don' t make it through?  Why don't people make it through?  Try to determine how mature and how complete the training program is.

How would you describe your typical client? What kind of hair do you mostly do? Do you do contests or shows? Do you try to get mentioned in magazines?  Try to get a feel for what the client base is like and where the salon is heading. Look for a fit with your interests.

What plans do you have for the future?  Try to find out if they are planning ahead and what future career possibilities there might be for you.

It' s usually not a good idea to ask about pay during your first interview, and honestly, if it were me, I'd let the other guy bring it up.  When the money issue does come up, look at long term potential and annual income. Don' t get stuck focusing on commission rate or beginning hourly rate.

Poor Question: What' s the commission rate?  This  doesn't tell you anything by itself. 100% of nothing is nothing. Many things affect your income potential besides commission rate. For instance;

• How busy will I be?
• What are the service prices?
• How are new clients distributed?
• How many new clients per week are there?
• How many stylists at the salon are less than 60% booked?
• What retail lines are carried?
• What is the value of the benefits?

A stylist making 40% commission that is 75% booked in a high priced salon will make much more than a stylist making 55% commission and 40% booked in a mid-priced salon.

Better Question: What kind of income can I expect at your salon after a year? After Two? Three?   If you go into an hourly situation, ask how you would get raises. What performance criteria are measured? Is it duration of employment? Number of clients seen? Retention Rate? Dollars produced?  A combination?

Is there an employment contract? Is there a Training Contract?   Many of the larger and more professional salons have employment contracts and training contracts to protect their investment in you.  Know what your commitment is and don't be afraid to ask questions about it.

Finally, look for a salon that is willing to make the same commitment to you that you are making to them.  A smart salon knows that it's newest employees are the future of the business.  No salon is going to drag you to the top.  It's up to you to get there, but the salon should give you the support to achieve a higher level than you ever thought you could.