hiring replacements

SalonDuo has been through a lot of changes lately, after only being open a little over a year the tides keep on turning. one thing remains constant and that is our quality and customer service, something we pride ourselves on. stylist have come and gone, assistance have not made the final cut, our salon coordinator has resigned, and we've added a new team memeber....all these changes but our daily grind hasn't felt a ripple of disturbance. thats' when you know you'r doing somethings right!!  

When we had to let one of our assistants go a few months ago, we anticipated the challenge of not having her helping hands that we had come to rely on. one of the reasons we held off on her termination was this feeling like when you are dating a dude that's just ok. you stay with him because he's better than nothing, even if he's not really what you want...you think with enough time and effort you can mold him, make him what you want in a dude. then the day comes when you realize you can't find the perfect fit...that perfect someone if the position is being filled with mister 'Just okay dude'.  and so you cut hin loose...and you go about your business until mister perfect crosses paths with you. 

well thats how it is in the salon world of assistants, and that applies to all employees really. don't be afraid to fire someone. don't feel like you wont find someone to fill that position its going to take time...rushing to fill it with the first interested candidate will become another ' just okay dude' if your not very selective. my advice is know what roles you want to fill, and all the responsibilities that come with that job. use some character assessment exercises to help you match up. 

another thing i have noticed while hiring josh's replacement is that it's better to hire someone with an over abundance of charisma, personality and confidence....and work with them to 'tone it down' to fit your atmosphere, vibe, salon personality.....than to hire someone who is flat lined personality wise. they may seem like a more comfortable pick, less threatening, harsh, abrasive....but they wont ever learn to be any other way. you can't take an introvert and make them 'chatty cathy' small talker to your clients who eat that shit up. you can take confidant, charisma personality candidate and she'll be friends with everyone of them naturally...she may sound rude or unprofessional at first...but understanding that to bring someone into your 'salon culture' who has no idea how things got to be how they are, why you want them to portray professionalism in a certain way, why it's important to word things a certain way...all that can be learned. in my opinion it's a lot more realistic to help an individual mature and embrace the role how you want them too by positive reinforcement and gently constructive criticism.