The beauty industry is very competitive, and hiring anyone to fill openings is insufficient. Recruiting the right talent is important, as that can be the key to success for any beauty business. Unfortunately, few companies can boast of hiring the right people. In fact, a recent study shows that 82% of businesses generally don’t believe they recruit highly talented people. If you don’t want your beauty company to be part of this alarming statistic, consider the following tips when hiring or recruiting new talent.
- Know what you’re looking for
Before beginning the hiring process, you should know what you want in a perfect candidate. Of course, experience, skills, and certificates matter, but you need to look beyond them. For example, take the time to identify what your ideal candidate should possess in terms of personality, work ethic, and communication. These are crucial in the beauty business, where customers have high demands regarding their needs. So, imagine how your ideal employee should look and act before you write your job ad. For example, if you’re operating a beauty salon, you may want a worker who knows how to talk to your customers while being a great hairstylist.
- Hire within your means
You already have an operational budget and spending limits, so let that guide your hiring process. The last thing you want is to bring someone you can’t afford on board. It makes sense that you want to bring only the best talents into your business. But working with someone with salary expectations that will turn your budget on its head isn’t feasible, so feel free to consider this. The best talents come with hefty price tags; you don’t want to hire above your means. That does not mean you should scrap the bottom of the talent barrel for workers you can afford. But, with your budget constraints in mind, you need to find the right balance between talent and affordability.
- Consider a trial hiring period
Consider creating a trial hiring period for your top candidates to see who fits your business best. The most important thing is that you pick the candidate that impresses you the most. A typical trial hiring period can last up to 90 days, but feel free to adjust it to suit your needs without taking undue advantage or exploiting each candidate’s time, energy, and skills. During their trial hiring period, give each candidate similar or the same tasks to see who handles them better. Once you’ve settled on your preferred candidate, be honest with them and offer them a decent salary. Some companies even offer compensation to candidates during the trial period. Speaking of compensation, the next point is also important.
- Offer competitive compensation and work benefits
Decent salaries, compensation, and other benefits can create a positive work culture. To attract top talent, you need to convince them that they’ll be well taken care of in terms of work compensation. Take the time to research industry payment standards and local market rates to ensure your salary and benefits packages are in line with or exceed expectations. You can also research hourly employees to know what pay structure to use and how to compensate them for overtime. It also helps to know the clock rules for hourly employees so that you can adhere to the right pay periods. To learn more about this, you can check articles like ‘Time clock rules for hourly employees: What managers should know.’
Also, consider additional perks like flexible schedules, professional development opportunities, or performance-based incentives. Remember, investing in your team’s well-being and growth is an investment in your business’s success.
- Look in the right places
Putting a job vacancy post on your social media page or website is far from enough. Yes, you may get many people applying, but you may not find the right talent you need, and you’ll reject most applicants. That’ll only waste precious time while your business loses money. A better option is to conduct your search in the right places, depending on the type of beauty business you run. For example, consider contacting local cosmetic schools for new talent if you run a cosmetics company. Beauty schools, in general, are filled with prospects eager to learn and ready to work. You can hire and mold them to suit your beauty business. You can also post your hiring ads in industry newsletters and hiring sites or consider employee referrals.
- Assess an applicant’s cultural fit
You don’t want to underestimate the importance of finding someone who will fit into your business culture. Skills and qualifications are crucial, but cultural fit is equally important if you’re looking to build a cohesive and productive team. So, during the interview process, take the time to assess whether a candidate’s habits, worth ethic, personality, and values align with your company’s. Ask more behavior-related questions to reveal a candidate’s attitudes, teamwork abilities, and ability to adapt to your business’s unique environment. A good team vibe is important; having workers who share your vision and values will contribute to a positive and harmonious workplace, so keep this in mind.
- Check references and work portfolio
You must check every candidate’s references unless you’re hiring an inexperienced person. It’s important to make it part of your requirements that applicants provide the contacts of previous employers. But don’t end there; reach out to previous employers to find out what you can about your applicants, including their reliability, work ethic, and interpersonal skills. This process may be very time-consuming, so it’s best to limit it only to successful applicants you’re ready to hire. If you’re hiring for a position that requires creative skills, ask each candidate to present their work or make samples available. Doing this will help you determine an applicant’s talent range, style, and level of creativity, so feel free to consider this. That will give you a better understanding of their abilities and whether they fit your beauty business.
Hiring the right talent for your beauty business is essential for success. Hopefully, you’ll consider these strategies for the desired outcome.
