MENU
SEARCHWhat do you do to attract topnotch employees? With competition rising, particularly for hairdressers with a following, “talent poaching” may be reaching new heights.
What do you do to attract topnotch employees? With competition rising,
particularly for hairdressers with a following, "talent poaching" may
be reaching new heights.
Traditionally
discouraged by professional organizations like Intercoiffure, which
won't accept members who do it, "staff-stealing" is sometimes loosely
defined. One owner's "poaching" is another's fair recruitment practice;
employee contracts address the right-to-work portion of the equation.
Still, the offer of 100-percent commission for six months is bound to
change the state of the salon recruitment if it becomes the recruitment
norm.
The Facts:
• Stephen Alexander,
president of New York Hair Co. in Florida, bought the chain more than a
year ago. He says he sold one location and closed another because the
lease was up, leaving him with three locations.
• In a letter
dated October 2, 2008, of which Modern Salon has obtained a copy,
Alexander offers "100% commission paid for six months." His letter goes
on to detail the catch: "If you are an established stylist, billing
over $1,000 a week off season, and $2,000 a week in season, needing to
earn a lot more in the next year and think you could move to one of our
locations?" (sic)
• The letter was sent to licensed
hairdressers in the state of Florida, targeting no one specifically,
says Alexander, who adds that he has had a "huge response."
•
Sarasota salon owner Richard Weintraub says he and his partners met
with Alexander months ago about buying one of the New York Hair Co
locations, were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement, and did not,
walking away. Alexander vehemently denies any of his locations are for
sale and says Weintraub's partners approached him.
Taking at
face value that the salons are not for sale now, how can Alexander
afford to pay 100% commission? He's happy to make no money for while,
he says, and it makes no sense not to utilize empty chairs. Existing
stylists in the salon will get the walk-ins. Which means, new,
100-percent commission recruits will use the chairs and keep the cash,
until they renegotiate commissions after six months.
"My
intention is not to steal staff but to make the salons attractive, get
the best stylists in town and earn the maximum," says Alexander. "We do
this for money, at the end of the day."
In regards to ruffling
feathers, he says it does bother him if someone thinks he's poaching.
"I'm doing my job, not being malicious. This is a marketing technique.
You give away a free cut to get a new client; 100-percent commission
for six months is a way to get a new stylist."
Weintraub says
he read Alexander's letter to his employees, and told them they should
be wary. For one thing, if the salons were to be sold for unforeseen
reasons, any new owner would not be held to the 100-percent commission
agreement, he says.
"Today, the average product cost is
8-percent; so why would you pay 100-percent commission?" asks
Weintraub. "When stylists are recruited with a promise like this, they
should realize if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Most
stylists don't know that every time they move with a book, they lose 20
to 25-percent of their clients-especially if the salon they left is
proactive in maintaining clients."
Not to mention, he adds,
taking one or two top producers from a salon that invested in building
those employees could push it out of business, which he personally
considers unethical.
Alexander, who previously did acquisition
work in the UK, says that as of this writing, no one has started at
100-percent commission, but he is "in discussion" with a few stylists.
Of his recruitment techniques, he says maybe they will make other salon
owners think of their staffs more.
What are you thinking? E-mail us and let us know.
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.
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.
The former CFO of Perdue Farms and owner of Hardy Seafood, Terry Owens delivers a wealth of wisdom and strategies for entrepreneurs in his new book, "Business is Simple."
After scaling her single-location salon business, SALON TODAY 200 Honoree Amy Pal recently sold her six-location Whip Salon for seven figures. Using the six Ps for maximizing a business's value, she's ready to help her peers do the same.
Buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are federal solar tax credit changes that deserve your attention now. Two of the credits that matter most to commercial property owners, the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit, are still available, but only if you move fast. A third, the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction, has a hard termination date that is closer than most people realize.
Up to 40% of hair stylists ghost the salon interview stage, leaving owners trapped playing endless phone tag with uncommitted applicants. This data-driven report breaks down why traditional job boards create recruitment friction and reveals the modern messaging strategies high-growth salons use to get pre-qualified talent to actually show up. Learn how to transition from cold calling to high-conversion conversations that protect your time and fill your chairs.
Sponsored by Beautista
Spit fests, hostile threats, and even an overachieving matchmaker--SALON TODAY readers share their craziest client tales and how their team handled these tough situations with professionalism and grace.
Keeping your appointment book full when clients are in vacation mode takes more than a good Instagram post. It takes a plan. The 2026 Summer Marketing Calendar from Meevo gives salon, spa & med spa owners a month-by-month roadmap with sharp themes, key opportunity dates, and campaign ideas specifically designed for the beauty & wellness industry. Here’s to your summer season working as hard as you do!
Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI is transforming the beauty and wellness industry, and the future is about empowering people, not replacing them. Discover how Phorest AI helps salons, spas, and med spas across North America respond faster, personalize every visit, and keep human connection at the heart of the client experience.
Sponsored by Phorest
Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams credits her General Manager Gloria Hortua with [salon] 718's year-over-year, double-digit growth and says she's been able to scale the company to eight locations because she can rely on Hortua to manage daily operations.
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
Elyse Rogers is an uplifting presence at The Headroom who makes the team feel heard even in stressful situations. Owner Danielle Cherewyk sings her praises in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Despite a slight and predictable decline in client traffic for Q1, resilient pricing power is driving year-over-year revenue growth in salons. The KIM Report's Alain Audet reviews the data and what it's telling us about the state of professional beauty.
Same-store revenue grew just 2% for the second straight year—and new guest visits declined across every segment of the industry. The 2026 Benchmark Report reveals where growth is actually happening, which verticals are pulling ahead, and what the data says about where your business stands right now.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Hair restoration is entering a new era driven by regenerative science. This paper explores how Exosome technology is transforming treatment outcomes by targeting hair loss at a cellular level. Discover why EXOGROW is leading this shift.
Sponsored by Dermapenworld
A salon brand is much more than a logo. In this thought-provoking blog, Leon Alexander, Ph.D., walks you through the difference. SALON TODAY suggests sharing this article with your team and leading a discussion at your next huddle, asking the team to define your business's brand.
