While creating beautiful nails and staying on top of the latest trends is a must, you need to make sure you have the right people in place to deliver the best customer service and keep those all-important clients coming back again and again!

Having a settled, long-term team is ideal, but at some stage, unless they are remarkably lucky, every salon will need to recruit new staff. Get it right and you can increase your base of loyal clients and get an infusion of innovative ideas. Getting it wrong can spell bad news for your reputation, not to mention lost clients! Given the stakes, it’s no surprise that recruiting can be a daunting task. Here’s what you should be looking for in your perfect nail technician hire.

Think About What You Need

Before you start the process of hiring a new nail technician, you need to take time to outline the skills and qualities you’re looking for. If you’re replacing a departed technician, think about what you liked about their work and what you thought was missing. Then think about your client base and what matters to them. What are your most popular styles and techniques? Are there styles and techniques that you think could be popular, but you don’t currently have the skills in house to deliver them? And consider carefully what your salon is like. You can hire an amazingly skilled technician, but if they don’t fit in with your team and your clients don’t like them, you’re in for a tough time. Don’t underestimate the importance of personal compatibility!

Experience And Training

Unless you’re purposefully hiring a rookie, experience is essential in a technically skilled field like nail care. Always ask applicants about their work history, and never be afraid to take a deep dive into specifics. An experienced nail technician will be able to tell you about their history in-depth. Also be sure to find out what types or training and certifications they have completed. Then, evaluate their skills and experience in a practical trial. Note the quality and speed of their techniques in areas like nail shaping and polish application. A practical test will tell you a lot more than the most detailed CV!

Customer Service

Having strong technical chops is only part of the job. Working closely with clients, often for a sizable block of time, requires good interaction and communication skills. The experience can be as important as the end result and can make the difference between a one-time booking and many repeat visits. A great nail technician should be personable and a good listener. It’ll allow them to create a comfortable, friendly environment with a client. Empathy is important – there will be times where a nail technician could be someone to share great news with, and even a shoulder to cry on! Dealing with dissatisfied clients is part and parcel of even the most successful salon, so asking applicants open-ended questions about how they would deal with an unhappy client is a good idea.

Industry Trends

The nail industry is forever evolving, with new trends and techniques emerging constantly. Strong candidates should be passionate about their work and be able to demonstrate their commitment to learning. Asking applicants about how they stay up to date with latest trends should be part of your interview process. Whether they attend workshops, follow social media influencers, or just experiment in their own time, a technician always looking to expand their skill set will add huge value to your salon. And with salons increasingly adopting technology to streamline bookings, manage client information and handle payments, great nail technicians should be comfortable using these systems. Knowing how to use essential software like Booksy Biz for nail salons will help your hire hit the ground running and be an asset to your team.

Trust Your Instincts

No-one is better placed to understand your business than you. While taking the time to make sure you’re asking all the right questions is vital, your gut feel should always be part of your thinking. If the candidate has answered your questions, has a great resume and portfolio, excellent technical skills and understand the importance of great customer service, then it’s down to your instincts. If such an applicant feels like a perfect fit, they probably are!