“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz
[gap height=”15″]New year, new start!
[gap height=”15″]At this time of year, we’re gearing up for busy season. For most of us, this means hiring more staff for the busier shifts. A question I’ve been asked a lot lately is, “What are some good interview questions?”
[gap height=”15″]I don’t claim to be an expert in this field; I think we all have hired people who we think will be great, but end up not working out so well. These are some questions I recommend (and have used) when interviewing potential salon staff, along with good answers, and a few that might qualify your candidate as a “lemon.”
[gap height=”30″]1. Why do you want to work in a tanning salon?
[gap height=”15″]The Good: Any answer about helping people, reaching goals, working as team, making people feel better about themselves or a positive experience they had at a salon, etc.
[gap height=”15″]The Bad: “Because I love tanning!” (Well, duh – we all do!) When a candidate says this, I typically cringe. The job you offer does not include putting on lotion and lying down for 12 minutes. It involves cleaning, sales, varied hours, product and equipment knowledge, etc. But, a candidate should definitely not have an aversion to being tan.
[gap height=”30″]2. This job requires three key elements: Cleaning, sales, and a varied work schedule. Which of these three things do you foresee as most challenging?
[gap height=”15″]The Good: Obviously, we would like them to say, “None of them are an issue!” But in reality, that probably won’t happen. This question bluntly explains the most common complaints about the job. A good answer would involve the varied schedule, ideally followed by a mention of open availability; but in most cases, they need their work and school schedules to fit, and at least know it in advance.
[gap height=”15″]The Bad: “I’m not good at sales,” or “I don’t like to clean.” Both are deal-breakers. The job is to sell, and people who are sacred to talk to customers or too lazy to follow cleaning lists are probably not a good fit for your salon.
[gap height=”30″]3. Take something out of your purse and sell it to me.
[gap height=”15″]This is, by far, my favorite interview question and always the very last one I ask. I feel that the answer tells you whether a person can go off-the-cuff and just sell with confidence, or if they will freeze in sales situations. Whatever the item is in their purse or pocket, they bought it, so let them explain to you why.
[gap height=”15″]The Good: “This lip gloss is amazing! The color is so rich, it lasts all day, and it comes in a convenient tube with a sponge brush for easy application.” If your candidate can list features and benefits of whatever the item is, they’ll be far easier to train on selling products and services than those who don’t understand the basic sales process. This also shows you their confidence level and outgoingness – traits necessary for a salon salesperson.
[gap height=”15″]The Bad: “Umm … I don’t really know what to do,” or “You should buy this lip gloss because it’s nice.” If they are vague, timid or soft spoken, they will most likely approach product and service sales the same way. If you’re in business to make money, you don’t want someone behind your counter who is afraid to talk to customers.
[gap height=”15″]Remember: You can teach facts and product benefits, but you can’t teach attitude and willingness to learn. When hiring, do not just look for a body that can work the shift times you need, but also one who is outgoing, willing to learn and goal oriented. In my experience, these types of people will become your long-term employees.
