As of June 2023, it’s a stylists’ job market. There’s more openings than stylists on the job hunt, so they get to be picky about what salons they select to join.
Meaning, salon owners are at the mercy of the marketplace. Competition is stiff to attract the best of the best into your business.
Let’s dive into what today’s top stylists look for in a new salon, how they look, and what they check for when they search.
What today’s top stylists look for in a salon
Britt polled her Instagram followers on what they look for when they’re searching for a salon. The results were eye opening. (If you want to hear the full breakdown, listen to the podcast here.) There were a few things that showed up over and over again:
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Flexibility
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Culture
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Energy
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True leadership
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Unlimited growth
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Excellent communication
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Education
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Professionalism
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Standards
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Firing bad people
Then Britt went a step further and asked which of the following four options was the most important:
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Location
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Benefits (think health insurance, retirements, savings, education, amenities)
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Freedom and flexibility
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Compensation
The results?
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7% said benefits.
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11% said location.
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Another 11% said compensation.
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A whopping 71% said freedom and flexibility.
In other words, today’s top stylists want freedom and flexibility in their time, services, and pricing. You may feel that everybody in your space must be full time, but that doesn’t guarantee success.
Think about it. Do you want a salon full of part-time stylists who work with focus and produce results or full-time stylists who wait for closing time?
How stylists are looking for you?
Their search process is simple, but they go do it in different ways. While veterans tend to hit up their Instagram network, new stylists check Google.
But even though seasoned stylists start out on Instagram, they end up Googling you as well.
Why? Because both want to see if the services you offer align with what they’re interested in doing. They’ll also check your website for next steps, so make sure your website and employment page are excellent.
If this page isn’t ready, don’t run paid ads, don’t post on Indeed, or advertise on Craigslist until it is. Otherwise, you’ll damage your brand and chances of attracting a top stylist.
What do stylists look at when they decide whether to apply?
Whether they’re a new or seasoned stylist, both reported they’re looking for these things.
Salons that provide models and clientele
Post pandemic, many stylists felt that if they have to build a clientele, find models, and do all the legwork, they’ll just rent a booth or find a studio suite. Stylists want salons that provide education, but they no longer want to jump through as many hoops for it. As the salon owner, create so much demand for a client to be in your space that your stylists gain the benefit of it.
Branding
Driven stylists want to be in control of their branding. Because they build their own brand and reputation, their clientele fills their chair faster than salon clients, so they want a place that drives business. In other words, a space that is branded, happy, and welcoming.
What is branding? It’s the way your website and social media looks. It’s your service names, your colors, the decor of your salon. And P.S., just because everything matches doesn’t mean it’s branded well. (Not sure how to build a brand? Check out Thriving Stylist Method!)
Online reputation
What does your online reputation say about you?
Google yourself, your salon, and the best salon in your city to see what story your online reputation tells. If it doesn’t match the story you want to tell, choose to hop into the driver’s seat of what Google indexes for you. Don’t be afraid to put in the work.
Flexibility, and structure
Based on Britt’s Instagram poll, we know that 71% of stylists crave flexibility and freedom, but flexibility doesn’t mean no rules. It means an equal balance between flexibility and structure.
What does that look like? A clear growth path, the ability to set their own schedule and to dictate the trajectory of their career.
This might feel like a tall order, but think of it this way: what you put out there, you attract. Create a salon space and messaging that tells driven stylists, “Come on in, you won’t find anything better.” Make it more worthwhile for them to work for you than on their own.
How? Create a place that has the flexibility, structure, reputation, client flow, compensation, culture, and everything else that makes your salon the place to be. Focus on your social media, website, online reviews because if your online reputation is garbage, top stylists will pass you by.
If you want to dig deeper into how to create this demand, check out Thriving Leadership Method!