Salons all over the country are building relationships with cosmetology students and schools to get the best new talent in their salons. Here are five salons that are reaching out and being proactive in the recruitment process.

1. Jeffrey LaMorte Salon and Day Spas in Frankfort, Illinois recently developed their own advanced educational center next to their Orland Park location. The center is dedicated to training all current staff with a focus on new stylists. Because the center is not part of the salon, classes are held during the day and throughout the week, working with students’ schedules to keep education flowing.

2. Harmony Salon in Matthews, North Carolina created an entry-level position called “emerging artist.” Clients can opt to have their hair services done at a lower price point. Once the student has been through the training program, their skills are tested and they can then advance to an associate position.

3. Mitchell Wade Salon in Oviedo, Florida developed a program that has various benchmarks of completion that take 6-12 months for a cosmetology student to complete.  To instill a strong sense of business, the salon also encourages young talent to enroll in the Coaching Club Program by Your Beauty Network, and then reimburses the students half of the fee.

4. Headlines for Hair in Encinitas, California works with an advisory board for local beauty schools in an externship program that provides opportunities for upcoming talent to achieve real salon experiences. The program allows young talent to actually work in the salon for credited state board hours and hands-on opportunities. In addition, the salon is closed every Monday to provide structured education. Invitations are extended to the local beauty schools (which are also closed on Mondays).

5. Christina and Co. in Lafayette, Indiana works with its local beauty school to implement a course that has evolved from job shadowing into a comprehensive training program, which acts as an extension to classroom learning.

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