Hello all. I am new to this board. But, I believe I am posting in the right place as I am searching for some advice from salon professionals:

I am opening an upscale men's salon/grooming club and we are hosting a big job competition in early August. The competition will take a full 24-hours and more than a hundred hair stylists and nail technicians will compete to be one of nine hires, by servicing 288 men (each stylist works on 4 men).

Now, the advice I need... Where can I go to find barbers, cosmetologist, and nail techs who would be interested in competing?

Here we go again...Another 'BIG' deal, another 'upscale' idea for more than a hundred hairstylists...only problem is that he doesn't have any clue where to get them from...Jeez, when will people learn that it's not a matter of 'if you build it, they will come'...

Mark old fellow, don't you suppose that if we knew the answer to your question that we would all have a big-deal salon with hundreds of applicants? If it were that easy any fool could do it. Problem is, it isn't.

 Plus, if we had any idea where to get staff, we would hardly share that information with the competition...

Would you?

I don't really get the math either, isn't 100 stylists doing 4 men each, 400? Where does the 288 figure come from?

What exactly are these competitors competing for? If it's simply the chance to work in a new, untested salon with no history behind it then why would anyone bother?

Any feedback or guidance you provide will be helpful

OK, here's some...Are you offering a guaranteed hourly/weekly/annual salary?

Just commission won't do it I'm afraid, nobody wants to take a chance on going home with empty pockets. Are you offering benefits? You know, health insurance, dental and vision insurance...how about 401K matching contribution retirement plans, paid vacations, child-care, paid continuing education, bonus plans, and a clear career-path with defined financial raises assured?

I looked at the web site but saw no mention of anything to do with what every salon worker has the minimum right to expect from an employer. 

I am located in Los Angeles and you can learn about the competition by googling "Mark Matthew" - the salon's name.

 Good luck with it, seems that you haven't much idea about the current state of the labor market in California today. Please let us know how it's going?

This whole 'competition' post is a violation of the board rules, it is a recruitment ploy, disguised as a plea for ideas. This should not be on this area of the board but rather in the employment section as a paid advertisment.

***Britboy...........it is not up to you to decide what is a violation of the board rules.  If for some reason you are concerned with what is going on in regards to the rules being violated - please contact a moderator as per the rules, do not post it here on a thread.  Thank you for your cooperation..

Cindy Farr Hester  Asst Moderator

The judges will be the volunteers who will rate competitors by their tip. At the end of the competition the top 20 earners become finalists.

This is ridiculous as a measure of anything. We all know that firstly, men are notoriously bad tippers, and secondly, that cuter girls get bigger tips, because men want to show-off and try to impress them, it seems that you might not only be a bad judge of recruitment, but also of human nature. If you don't base the winners on skills, you won't stay in business long after you have hired them.

Britboy you are still overly critical with not enough information with which to be so.

Then by all means be open about my inquiries and perhaps I'll be less so, but until I have some real hard facts it's hard not to be suspicious.

You can definitely bet that I will not be going in to detail with what company will offer what benefits to our employees... That will be discussed with potential employees only.

There's another red-flag... Any legitimate employer would have a recruitment package prepared for any and all interviewees to review, before asking them to perform licensed services, containing all the information regarding Benefits...  If you won't even give the name of the Health Insurance company with which you will supply, and the interviewee, and later the employee will enjoy the benefits of, then you must have something to hide. I'm not asking for complete details, but even that wouldn't be unreasonable if I did,  but simply asking which company will provide the coverage is a completely reasonable question for any reasonable person to ask. 

As an example if you went to JC Penney and applied for a salon position, they would happily supply you with the Benefits package supplier's name at the first interview, not suggest that you wait until you are hired or short-listed before giving it out.

So of course would Microsoft, GM, Verizon...You are no different, you are a business offering work with Benefits, what is your reluctance about this, It seems fundamental to me.

If you would like to learn ALL the details about the competition please go back to our website.

I really have little interest in this competition, my interest is more focused on the recruitment-scam aspect of it. It's curious that licensed tradespersons should be made to jump through hoops like circus animals, without getting paid to do so. I'm not even sure if this 'competition' is legal.

This 'offer' reminds me of similar scams where salon owners have a "raffle', or 'auction' to sell a salon, where they 'sell' chances to win it for $100.00 and see how many people bite. Of course they always set a 'reserve-price' so that their rears are covered and if it isn't met they lose nothing. We've seen this done over the years, it's just more of the same thing as this 'competition', all hype with no risk to the person making the offer.

Probably as long as your attacks on me?

Since most companies have different salary and benefit packages depending on the position you are being hired for, I know of no business that would give out a complete salary and benefit package to anyone simply walking in the door and to apply for a job or on a first interview,

I know many that would and do, why the secrecy? If a business really wants to attract top talent then why not lay out the deal, what's the secret?

Besides they are not 'just walking in the door', they have been recruited by the promise of possible employment.

I didn't ask for a complete benefits and salary package information, but it would be as well if I had, that's what I would want to know before I spent time 'competing', after all, what am I competing for?

 I simply asked WHICH Benefits company would be providing the coverage...It's a perfectly ligitimate question to ask a potential employer who is going to provide the Benefits. Is it Blue Cross? Is it Kaiser? Is it Blue Shield, or is it some unknown company which may or may not be able to pay up when the need arises.

Additionally gd, here's the response from the poster who you suggest I 'slandered'...................................

Britboy some of your thoughts have, in their own way, been thought provoking. So thank you too.

It seems that this poster finds no problem with my ideas, indeed he thanks me for them, the question is therefore...why should you?

I think that you have a personal axe to grind with me and you thought this would be a good time to try it?

Dear Britboy-

You are being issued an online warning for the LAST time.  The reason that follow per boards rules is as follows:

Hate posts and personal attacks will not be tolerated on the BTC Boards. Treat others on these message boards as you would expect them to treat you. Talking trash about another user or posting topics specifically to provoke a negative response from an individual, a group or an entire community is not acceptable on the BTC Boards. These posts will be deleted and may result in having the privilege of posting on the boards revoked

The part I want you to pay attention to is not the whole paragraph - it is the personal attacks, talking trash, posting topics specifically to provoke a negative rsponse from and individual, a group or an entire community is NOT acceptable on the BTC boards.

Your priveledge of posting is on the line.  Do not respond to this message here.  Email me directly at hues4you@midsouth.rr.com

I would like to encourage all to please remain on topic, I am always available for contact at the above email address if you have any concerns or comments.  The BTC Talk Back boards in not the place to do so.  Thank you so much.

Cindy Farr Hester  Asst Moderator

Michelle

Don't sweat the small stuff.