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Share that a cosmetology career offers
job security, a great income potential, flexible
hours and plenty of job openings. In fact, it’s a
job-seeker’s market, with 53 percent of salon
owners reporting job openings, according
to the National Accrediting Commission of
Cosmetology Arts and Sciences.
In addition, manufacturers need to help
us by publicizing cosmetology careers in their
consumer advertising and even in their consumer
brochures and on their retail product
packaging. You are already creating those
materials every single day. Why not have them
do double duty as industry recruitment tools,
just by adding one or two sentences. “Love
your salon experience? Consider a career in
cosmetology.” Salons can also include similar
language on their menus, postcards, receipts
and other marketing materials, as well as on
their websites.
Just as important as attracting new, talented,
motivated colleagues, we must all work
together to retain them in the industry once
they graduate from cosmetology school. Here
the tables are reversed. Usually, salons have
the responsibility for industry retention once
future professionals graduate from school.
However, just like recruiting, retention is the
responsibility of all of us.
Here’s what really bothers me: Everywhere
I go on a daily basis, from my local restaurant
to my doctor’s office, I meet people who used
to be licensed cosmetologists. In fact, many
still keep their licenses, but they no longer
work in our industry. What could we as an
industry have done differently to change that
outcome?
On the school side, we need to give our
students a realistic education on both how to
give a great cut or color, as well as how to talk
to the client, sell services, and take-home support
products. We need to make their education
fun and results oriented.
At the salon level, we need to embrace
new graduates as our new colleagues, treating
them with dignity and respect and ensuring
they have career mentors, who can help them
grow professionally and help their self-confidence
grow by cheering their small successes
on a daily basis. Financially, we need to make
sure they can earn a living wage at their first
job. Professionally, we must provide a career
path that will help them achieve their personal
goals.
Recruiting and retaining talented people in
this wonderful industry are the challenge to all
of us. When we stop pointing the finger at one
another, we can embrace this challenge and
solve it together as an industry. When that happens,
each one of us will benefit and grow.
Frank Schoeneman is chairman and CEO of Empire Education Group, a school
that provides beauty and cosmetology education in North America. For more
information, visit www.empire.edu.
CALIFORNIA STYLIST & SALON | SEPTEMBER 2008 | 7