Current Issue

Find the

Gems

by Nikki Brand

There’s the employee who calls in sick on every sunny day, the one who talks on the phone all day, the thief, the one who thinks their shift start-time has a one-hour grace period, and the list goes on and on. But, in the midst of all of these undesirables are the gems – the intelligent, dependable, friendly employees who could sell someone a half-empty lotion packette. How do you avoid hiring the bad ones? An effective hiring process requires a well thought-out strategy from start to finish.

There are several methods for finding good employee candidates. Some salon pros say they keep a “help wanted” sign posted regularly and conduct occasional interviews even when they’re not hiring because it takes a while to find the perfect person. “The best source of candidates is our member base,” said Nick Galanos, president of Planet Tan, which has seven Dallas, TX-area locations with 30-50 tanning units in each. “They are tanners, are familiar with our products, live in close proximity to the salon, and have a great image.” Susan Lowes, owner of Caribbean Sun in Springfield, PA places ads in local college newspapers that feature the words “energetic, fun, and sales.” “If I talk to a customer that I really enjoy as a person I’ll tell them I’m looking for a new employee, because I figure their friends will have similar personalities,” Susan explained.

First and foremost, your candidate should arrive for the interview on time, preferably early. They should carry themselves with a professional and mature attitude, and should seem outgoing and friendly – you can teach an employee how to clean a sunbed, but not how to be a “people-person.” “The most important thing we look for in a candidate is an immediate ability to be comfortable while still aggressive and attentive during the interview,” Nick explained. “Since we are a sales-based organization, we want to see a warm, outgoing personality with a genuine smile and outgoing nature.”

Although tanning salons don’t require staff to wear business suits to work, Susan said she likes to hire people who dress professionally for the interview. “I tend not to like people who call to see if we’re hiring because I think it indicates that they’re too lazy to stop by the salon,” Susan commented. “I’ll tell them to send me a resume and if they do, I might consider them because it shows they went the extra mile.”

It’s important to ask lots of questions during an interview, but don’t talk too much – be a good listener. Susan said she offers candidates a scenario of a situation they might have to deal with and doesn’t necessarily look for the “right” answer, but judges how well they would handle it. “I ask them such questions as, ‘What would you do if a customer became upset because their room wasn’t ready on time? What would you do if you suspected theft?’” Planet Tan management asks such questions as, “Who do you recall as having a profound influence on forming you into the person you are today?” and, “Describe a situation in your previous employment where you felt that you were unappreciated or overlooked. How did you respond to it?” Don’t hesitate to ask the simple but important question: “What attracted you to the salon for a job opportunity?”

Susan said that if she likes a candidate, she often brings in another person to help conduct a second interview – such as her mother, who has human resources experience. “Sometimes I will tell the candidate I am waiting for someone, and they might fill in the silence by chatting a little about themselves and give you some insight to them as a person,” she said. She also invites other employees to meet the candidate since, if hired, they will have to get along together.

It is illegal to ask certain questions on a job application or during an interview – such as a person’s age, marital status, and whether they have children. Check with your attorney for a complete list. But, this doesn’t mean you can’t pick up on clues they offer during the course of conversation. Note if they mention they are working their way through college or live on their own, this is usually a good indication they need money and might be more motivated to keep their job. “I notice if the applicant is involved in any after school activities, because if they are on a sports team, they usually will work well in the salon as a team,” Susan said. “I also look for a good grade point average because those people seem to be more motivated.”

If a new employee doesn’t have a true understanding of their job duties, they might be unpleasantly surprised and quickly quit. Make sure the candidate understands how much cleaning is involved in the job. “When someone shows you who they are, believe them,” Nick emphasized. “Too many times we make mental excuses for things applicants do or say during interviews, and we eventually pay the price.” Nick also looks closely at how long a candidate has stayed at past jobs. Susan prefers to hire someone who had to interact with customers at past jobs. “If they are good at interacting with people, and they are energetic, then they usually do well at sales even if they don’t have prior sales experience,” she said.

Even the friendliest people can be clueless! Although you have a cash register or point-of-purchase software, give job candidates a couple of math problems. If they can’t do simple math, they still might have trouble ringing up a sale. To test sales skills, ask the candidate to make up a sales pitch on the spot to sell you the ink pen you are writing with – hand the pen to them and encourage them to make up whatever they want to convince you the pen is worth buying.

Of course, when you find a good employee, keep them! Reward them for a job well done. And remember, if you have a negative gut feeling about a job candidate, don’t ignore it. It will be worth it in the long run to work some extra hours yourself until you can find someone better for the job.