When it comes to hiring new staff, are you asking the right questions during your interview to ensure you find the perfect fit for your team? Securing the right candidate for your spa, salon or clinic is about so much more than simply having the right skills and experience. Finding someone who is a good cultural fit should be just as high on your priorities list, someone who aligns with your philosophies and your ethos in business, and will integrate well into your existing team.
We understand one of the largest concerns shared by the majority of the beauty industry right now is a lack of quality candidates, so you may be feeling as though; when you come across someone who is qualified and presentable enough, that you can’t afford to be picky, and should hold onto the for dear life! But A great deal of problems can arise if you opt for candidates who are not the right cultural fit for your business, or don’t ask the right questions during the interview process, from attracting the wrong type of clients to discord and drama amongst your team. We promise you it’s worth the wait. Here’s how you can avoid all of that by asking these tried and true questions during the hiring process.
Start with understanding the applicants personality to break down the nerves of the interview, before venturing into experience and skills, then further into professional development, career aspirations and value alignment. Ie, “tell me about yourself”.
Next, ascertain the usual – education, experience, areas of speciality, the types of businesses they have worked in previously and how these compare to yours. This is the foundational information you always need to know, but you can also start to get a good sense of their mannerisms, confidence, and their style of speaking.
- Where did you study?
- Tell me about your professional experience
- Which brands have you worked with?
Next, move onto the more informative but still work-related questions that will let you know how they work, what their goals are, how they deal with conflict, and working alongside others. The following questions are of course in no particular order, and you don’t need to ask them all – just pick and choose the ones that speak to you and your business the most.
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- What is your greatest strength?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- What has been your greatest achievement in your career?
- Why did you choose to move on from your last role?
- Are there any types of people you find it difficult to work with?
- Have you ever had a conflict with another team member or a manager? How did you resolve it?
- What are your salary expectations?
- Which days and hours can you do?
- Would you be available at short notice?
- How much training do you like to have in your roles?
- Are there any areas in your skillset you’d like to improve on?
- What was the best job you’ve ever had and why?
- If you had to pick one treatment to do all day, what would it be?
- How would you rate your retailing skills?
- How do you feel about building new clientele?
- What type of work environment do you prefer?
- How do you deal when you’re appointments are running overtime?
- How would you handle a customer complaint?
- How do you encourage clients to come back after their first treatment?
- What kind of relationships do you like to have with your clients?
- Are you currently interviewing for other roles?
Finally, delve deeper into those more philosophical questions, to really see if your core values match up.
- What motivates you? Or what gives you the greatest satisfaction at work?
- In an ideal world, what do you expect from your team members?
- What do you love most about this industry?
- What is your favourite type of client?
- How important are team relationships to you? Or, How often do you like to spend time with your team outside of work?
- How do you stay current with what’s happening in the industry?
- What drew you to this role? Why do you want to work with us?
- What do you feel you can bring to the team?
- What do you think we could do better at as an industry?
- What do you like to do outside of work?
Once you’ve completed your interviews, upon weighing up your candidates, there are also a few important questions to ask yourself:
- Do they align with my values?
- How will they fit in amongst my team?
- Do I truly believe they passionate about this industry, and for the wellbeing of their clients?
- Do they take pride in their work?
- Do they show a willingness to learn? Or are they the type to say ‘this is how I’ve always done it’?
Recruitment is never an easy task, it’s an often long, exhausting process and there can be an enormous amount of pressure involved. We know that many highly successful business owners always advise to simply ‘go with your gut’. Think about the heart of your business, whether your candidate truly fits in with that, and frankly whether or not you want this person around every day. And remember – you can teach someone news skills, your special techniques and your salon’s unique way of doing things. What you can’t teach is passion, care, a drive to always keep learning, or a nurturing touch. These are perhaps the most valuable qualities you can find.