Last month we discussed the value of investing in building harmonious teams and a positive work culture in the current industry-wide worker shortage.

However, it is inevitable that you will need to recruit a new team member at some point due either due to staff leaving or with businesses re-opening from Covid-19 restrictions, your salon is  experiencing a growth phase.

On the day of writing this blog, a quick search of the two main online job boards, revealed over 150 ads posted for hair stylists in my home city.

Some were sponsored ads (where you pay more to have your ad displayed at the top of the page), others highlighted the salary on offer, and there were those that relied on the recognition of the name of their salon to attract potential employees.

So if you are working to a budget - and, let’s face it even using some of the other tactics above, there’s still no guarantee your ad will be high enough on the search returns of over 150 job ads to attract the right person - what can you do to make your job ad stand out.

To start, let’s break down the process.  You are posting an ad, so the tactics you’ll use would be similar to those you’d use in an ad to attract new clients.

The current employment climate favours the job seeker.  Job ads describing your ideal employee will not make your ad stand out.  Your time is valuable and you do not want to spend it sifting through resumes from candidates that are far from what you are looking for.

Create the ad with the employee in mind.  Knowing what type of person is going to best fit within your team, write the ad so it clearly resonates with the person you are looking for and highlight what a role in your team will offer them.

It might not always be about the money.

With the change in careers and lifestyles brought on by Covid-19, there are some job seekers out there looking for a change that might be motivated by things other than the highest salary on offer.  

Not to say, people don’t want to be employed for less than they feel they are worth, but flexibility in work hours, training for skill building and management roles, rotating schedules that include a Saturday off once a month, a well-structured and easy to understand commission and incentive plan, even paid parking, are all things that can make working at your salon more attractive over another.

Be clear and honest in your ad and specify the skills you are looking for in the job candidate along with the hours and work environment they can expect from you.  The result will be a lot less resumes submitted, but they will be highly qualified.  You will save time in your interview process and avoid the wasted time of interview no-shows.

Happy Hiring!