Skilled vs unskilled: which should you hire for your salon?

When it is time to grow your team, one of the first decisions you face is whether to hire someone already skilled and experienced, or a trainee you mould from scratch. Both come with real upsides and real trade-offs. Here is how to weigh them up for your business.

The case for hiring skilled and experienced

An experienced artist is up and running from day one. There is little training to do, they are earning money for you almost immediately, and they may even bring some of their own clients across. The time and money you would otherwise sink into training is minimal, just a general induction and a run-through of any products or steps you do differently. If you need someone to slot straight into a busy column, this is the obvious route.

The catch with experienced hires

The trade-off is cost and attitude. You will pay more, sometimes matching a previous salary or putting them on bonuses from day one. More importantly, skill and an existing clientele can arrive with an ego. Over the years I have seen experienced hires turn up convinced they know best, slow to take direction, carrying bad habits, or not used to working as part of a team and sharing clients. Some also turn out to be less skilled than they claimed, which leaves you paying a higher wage and still having to retrain them.

The case for hiring a trainee

This is my personal favourite. Trainees are usually eager to learn and eager to please, which makes them far easier to mould into exactly what your business needs. They arrive with no bad habits to undo. Because they are not yet booked solid, they have time to help with everything else: reception, cleaning, content, client follow-ups, supporting the rest of the team. Best of all, in my experience people you train from scratch tend to be more loyal and stay with you for years, grateful for the skills you gave them.

The catch with trainees

A trainee will not earn money for you straight away, and they are a real investment of your time and money to train. In Australia, this is exactly why I recommend hiring under a traineeship, because the wage is much lower while they learn. It also takes longer to build client trust and grow their column. And while I love hiring young, younger can sometimes mean a little immaturity, trouble slotting into an older team, or the occasional interfering parent.

Always run a skills test

Whichever way you lean with an experienced hire, never skip a skills test before you offer the role. I once tested a diploma therapist with four years in a salon who could not do a basic lash tint. Lovely work on Instagram and a glowing reputation are not proof. Get them in, watch them work, and see exactly where their skills sit before you commit to a wage.

So which should you choose?

A mix of both makes for a great team. The one firm rule is about your first hire: do not bring on someone completely unskilled when you are still solo, because you simply will not have the time to train them from scratch. Your first team member needs enough skill to get going with minimal hand-holding. By your third or fourth hire, with a team around you to help train, a trainee becomes a brilliant option.

The right answer here depends entirely on where your business is right now. Weigh the trade-offs, run that skills test, and choose with your eyes open.

If you want help making confident hiring decisions as you grow, that is exactly what we work on inside the Salon Goals Academy. Jump on the waitlist and come and join us.