"Hire slow, and fire fast" - How to make tough staffing decisions in your beauty business

One of the hardest parts of running a beauty salon isn’t dealing with clients — it’s managing your team.

Over my 11 years as a salon owner and as a beauty business coach, I’ve learned that who you hire and how quickly you act when it’s not working out can make or break your business.

That’s where the principle “Hire Slow, Fire Fast” comes in. It’s advice I wish I’d taken sooner in my own career.

Why hiring slow matters

Rushed hiring decisions almost always come back to bite you. When you’re desperate to replace a team member — especially before a busy period — you’re far more likely to ignore red flags and settle for someone who isn’t the right fit.

Good hiring happens when you take your time, assess your real needs, and look at whether your existing team can cover the gap temporarily. Sometimes, it’s more cost-effective (and less stressful) to operate with a smaller team for a while than to hire someone who’s not aligned with your culture, skills expectations, or values.

Why firing fast is crucial

Letting someone go is never easy. Most salon owners delay the decision because they feel bad, worry about losing clients, or fear what others will think. But keeping the wrong person too long can damage your business far more than their absence ever would.

When a team member isn’t the right fit — whether because of poor skills, bad behaviour, or not being a team player — delaying the decision can lead to:

1. Your own mental health suffering – Dealing with constant issues erodes your confidence and makes you question your leadership.

2. Setting a bad example – If you tolerate poor performance or behaviour, you show your team that it’s acceptable.

3. Low team morale – One toxic or underperforming person can drag down the entire team, even driving your best people to leave.

4. Client loss – Negative vibes, sub-par service, or workplace tension will eventually be noticed by clients — and they’ll go elsewhere.

Before you make the call

If you’re considering letting someone go, ask yourself:

• Have I provided them enough training and support?

• Have I clearly set expectations for them?

• Have I given them a fair chance to improve?

If the answer is yes, and things still haven’t changed, it’s time to act.

For skill-based issues, make sure you’ve done everything possible to help them succeed. But if complaints keep coming in, service quality hasn’t improved, or the team culture is suffering, prolonging the situation isn’t fair to your business, your team, or your clients.

My own hard-learned lessons

I’ve had to let staff go twice in my career, and in both cases, I waited too long.

The first was a highly skilled team member who clients adored — but she was difficult to work with, unhelpful, and toxic to the team culture. I kept her for three years out of fear of client backlash. The day she left, the atmosphere in the salon completely changed for the better.

The second was a lovely person with the right attitude, but after six months of training, her skills still weren’t at the level needed. Client complaints were becoming frequent, and it was impacting our reputation. Letting her go was hard, but it was the right choice for the business — and even she admitted she wasn’t suited to the beauty industry.

How to do it the right way

1. Check the legal requirements in your country or state. In Australia, Fair Work can guide you.

2. Document performance issues and the steps you’ve taken to address them.

3. Have the conversation respectfully — be clear, kind, and direct.

4. Protect your business reputation — avoid gossip and keep details confidential.

And no matter how tempting it might be, this is not the time to take inspiration from Ari Gold in Entourage with a paintball gun (funny TV moment, but definitely not HR-approved!).

The bottom line

Trust your gut. If you feel something’s off, it probably is. Acting quickly when you know a hire isn’t working can save you stress, money, and possibly other great team members.

Hiring slow means making thoughtful decisions from a place of strength, not desperation. Firing fast means protecting your culture, your clients, and your business future.

If you need guidance on staffing, leadership, or managing tough conversations, that’s exactly what I do as a beauty business coach. Together, we can create a plan for building a high-performing team that helps your salon thrive.

Work with me or enquire about booking me as a beauty industry keynote speaker for your next event.