How to Hire the Right Candidate

The hiring process is an undoubtedly stressful time but by the end of your recruitment process, you should be able to rest assured that you’ve hired the best therapist or stylist for your business. If you would like help navigating this tricky process, take a look at our guide on how to hire the right candidate:

The Job Description – When you need to recruit a new employee, everything hinges on the job description – make it too wordy, demanding and complex and you will scare off even the most qualified candidate.

Instead of writing a comprehensive list of employee attributes, why not take a gentler approach by detailing what you can do for them? Use phrases like: ‘You will be working with a talented team’ and ‘There will be opportunity for growth within the business,’ alongside a mix of your preferred skills.

The Pre-Screening Process – You’ve received a lot of applications and need to whittle out the wheat from the chaff. Why not begin by checking their online presence. This step is particularly pivotal if you are hiring a hair stylist or manicurist who may have examples of their work on a social media profile or blog.

If their CV demonstrates a tendency to job hop, warning bells may ring about the candidate’s lack of commitment or indecision on career path. Equally, if they are hard to pin down for an interview when given a wide range of availability, it may be time to move on.

The First Impressions – When your candidate arrives for their interview, it takes just seven seconds to make a first opinion. Are they portraying positive body language? Are they engaging? Have they made an effort with their appearance? If you aren’t blown away, perhaps your clients will have a similar reaction.

The Talk – You’ve asked them about their job history, but they bragged about past achievements and complained about their existing workplace. You may want to consider how well this attitude would rub off on your team and whether the applicant would talk favourably about you in future.

Likewise, you want someone who demonstrates they’ve prepared for the interview by visiting your website in an effort to understand your business. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.

The Skills – While the candidate has all the right professional skills, do they have a quality soft skill set? From the way they think to their emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, it’s important to be sound in your mind about their personality and capability to communicate with you, your team and your clients.

The Final Word – As the interview comes to a close, don’t be frightened to let them ask you questions. For the right candidate, this shows willing. Whereas for you, it will provide a final insight into where their priorities lay – are they asking about their daily activities or enquiring about pay? It’s a no brainer!