MENU
SEARCHWhen the owners of a four-location salon company identify recruitment as their biggest challenge, they design a clever plan for getting to know the best students to come out of local schools.
As the owners of four Salon Disegno locations around Lawrenceville, Georgia, David and Stacy Hodges admit one of their biggest challenges is keeping their company fully staffed. “We were understaffed for almost 24 months and it was painful,” David Hodges says. “It really inspired us to rethink our recruitment strategies.”
The Hodges calculated they need to onboard 20 new associates in 2018 if they want to continue to grow, and at least 10 if they want to keep sales flat. They determined the best strategy to recruit upcoming or recent cosmetology graduates was to open the salon doors and invite them in. Every six weeks, Salon Disegno does just that, inviting prospects in either for an open house or a ‘Lunch and Learn’ session, alternating between the two.
The Lunch and Learn is a lunch and a 90-minute technical class taught by some of the salon’s top educators combined with one-on-one meetings with each candidate who attends. “We’re giving back to the industry with these classes, which allow students to observe, ask questions and participate with hands-on active learning,” David Hodges says. “And what broke student doesn’t want some free chicken and cookies?”
The Hodges quickly discovered they reaped the rewards of the educational sharing, by identifying a pool of ready and willing job prospects. “We’re finding that the students who are willing to attend and participate in extracurricular learning opportunities prove to be the most self-motivated and hard-working stylists that we employ,” Hodges says.
Lunch and Learn topics have included Holiday Hair, Stay Calm and Correct It, Men’s Grooming, Undercuts and Curls, and Pixie and Pompadours—many of them topics that don’t get covered much in cosmetology schools. They are held on Mondays, when most schools in the area are closed. At the last Lunch and Learn, the topic of which was Balayage Like a Boss, the salon hired 12 students. “Over half of them have quickly become rising stars within the company,” Hodges boasts.
To get the word out about each Lunch and Learn, the salon’s marketing team develops a digital flyer and posts it on the social feeds of local cosmetology schools. Students are asked to sign up for the event and when they do the salon reaches out to each one, asking to book some meeting time with one of the owners or the operations manager who handles HR for the salon. The meetings serve as informal job interviews and the salon will make a student an offer on the spot.
While the salon still sends staff members into schools with coffee for instructors or lessons for the students when invited, the Hodges say the Lunch and Learns have significantly changed the way Salon Disegno recruits. “It’s really hard to be cool when you’re in someone else’s home—it’s much easier when you’re on your own turf,” says Hodges. “In terms of recruiting, it’s been a game-changer.”
The strongest salons, spas, and med spas know which numbers tell the real story of their business. In this practical guide, Phorest breaks down the five essential KPIs every business should track to improve retention, boost revenue, and make smarter decisions with confidence.
Sponsored by Phorest
At Bella Style Salon in Slidell, Louisiana, Director of Operations Angela Meyer tackles inventory, team management, and guest relations. Read all about her in our latest Meet the Manager.
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
Planning is in full swing for the most anticipated events and promotions for the 2026 holidays. As owners share their favorite ways to celebrate, they prove that a carefully planned event can also build culture, increase client loyalty, boost sales, and set a business up for a successful 2027.
When things run amok at Mane Attraction Salon, Owners Chris and Jenny Knudsen say General Manager Sami Hernandez is their go-to resource and ultimate sounding board. Meet Sami in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Pagoda, a new AI-native operating system for scheduling, payments, patient records, marketing, and client communications, launches at Skinovatio Medical Spa in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
At a panel discussion hosted by L’Oréal Professionnel in Paris in early July, French Philosopher Sophie Galabru explored the cultural shift where women are increasingly choosing natural, personalized color results over traditional grey coverage. In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Galabru and L’Oréal Professionnel Colorist Pierrick Beringer discuss this shift and how salons and colorists respond.
At Salon Blonde, Director of Operations treats the staff as the salon's most important guests, while her wonderful 'nerdy' side, loves data, systems, and numbers. Find out how she makes Salon Blonde tick.
In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Salon Owner Salvatore Minardi reflects on his past 18 months as Intercoiffure America Canada's World Talent Exchange Ambassador and how his experiences will help encourage cultural and artistic exchange and support greater engagement between ICA and the global organization Intercoiffure Mondial.
Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.
Owner Shelby Bills says her general manager, Sydney Osborne, reminds her of the power of leading with heart. Find out how Osborne became a great leader in our lastest installment of Meet the Manager.
In her latest blog, Kati Whitledge identifies the five stages salon owners go through when a team member leaves the salon unethically, offering advice for each stage.
The beauty and wellness businesses pulling ahead aren’t just working harder—they’re using AI to capture demand, personalize pricing, and convert more of every guest interaction into revenue. Here’s what the benchmark data reveals about the growing gap between AI adopters and everyone else.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Stop chasing recruitment ghosts on generic job boards and start curating an elite team. Discover the framework that top-tier salons use to bypass phone tag, automate visual portfolio vetting, and attract high-earning, culture-first beauty professionals directly through real-time messaging. Turn your recruitment process into an exclusive brand invitation that keeps your highest-ticket chairs permanently filled.
Sponsored by Beautista
Your calendar looks full, but is all of that demand actually converting to revenue? From phantom rebookings to underpriced peak hours, the 2026 Benchmark Report exposes five revenue leaks that most beauty and wellness businesses don’t even know they have.
Sponsored by Zenoti
After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.
In a world dominated by e-commerce, salon owners push back with proven strategies to increase retail sales while motivating team members to educate their clientele and delighting clients with retail-themed events and clever merchandising displays.
