Open Your Eyes Spotting Star Salon Employees

There might not be any need to sail the seven seas in search of a salon manager. The perfect person to help operate your business might already be on your team … you just need to know how to spot her.

After 12 years of operating four salons, Sandy Stipes wanted to further expand her Speed of Light Tan chain. To do so, she knew she would need a dependable district manager. “I needed someone who could relate to our many young staff members because, admittedly, that’s not something I’m good at,” said Sandy. “I thought the answer to my problems would be to look outside my company and hire someone older with management experience, so I started looking for someone with those credentials; but the people I found didn’t work out because they also struggled to understand, motivate and lead our younger staff.”

While searching for the “perfect employee,” Sandy didn’t realize that the ideal district manager was someone she saw almost every day: 20-year-old Rachel Nelson. “She started at 16 as a bed cleaner, and she always did a great job,” Sandy explained. “I never considered her for a management position because she didn’t fit my preconceived idea of what a manager should be. I was blind to the fact that Rachel was the one for the job because she’s a natural-born leader and there’s just something about her that brings out the best in our staff. Everyone else seemed to see it, though – when I took her to trade events, I always got compliments on how mature and responsible she is.”

Sandy decided to give Rachel a chance to prove she was management material, and the young employee seized the opportunity to excel. “She developed a game called TANGO, which is like BINGO, and it made sales fun for the whole team,” Sandy said. “The TANGO cards featured a picture of a different product or service in each of the squares, and each time someone sold that particular product or service, they got to stamp the corresponding square. The winners were those who made enough sales to spell ‘TANGO’ on their cards, and they received $25 cash, free pedicures and other prizes.” Sandy says by making their job fun and competitive, the staff got excited and sales dramatically increased.

After the successful TANGO promotions, Sandy knew that Rachel was the district manager she’d searched high and low to find. Today, she urges other salon owners to recognize the gems they might already have in their midst. “Don’t make the same mistake I did and judge your staff unfairly because of their age,” she said. “Take the time to observe them very closely and give them a chance to implement their ideas and make a difference. You might be pleasantly surprised by the wonderful things they can contribute to your salon’s success. I know I was!”

Sandy Stipes opened her first Speed of Light Tan in Knoxville, TN, and the business soon expanded into a four-store chain. Today, the salons offer six levels of tanning, sunless tanning, teeth-whitening and body wrap services.