Training tips from Joshua Galvin
City & Guilds’ Fellow Joshua Galvin has travelled the world cutting hair. Here he advises on how to make training work for your business.
Some employers don’t invest in training in the stubborn belief that once staff have acquired new skills, they will move onto pastures new. Well, you win some and you lose some, but in hairdressing staff are your biggest asset so you need to look after them. And it’s not just about basic training. Nowadays, hairdressers should be more than just cutters and colourists. You should help your team build generic and transferable skills such as communication, management, health and safety and customer service.
Never let standards slip. Even in a big city like London, businesses live and die on word of mouth. You can’t afford to have shoddy workmanship or unprofessional behaviour in your salon. Good training and highly skilled staff will give your salon the edge. As far as I am concerned, City & Guilds still sets the standard. It has kept pace over the years and its range of qualifications is astounding. Half a century ago I passed City & Guilds hairdressing qualifications and I still believe it’s the best foundation for a hairdresser.
It’s champagne service these days and that is what your clients expect. These days, staff should offer new clients a consultation even before they make an appointment. If staff need to brush up on their service skills put them through a short diploma with City & Guilds in Salon Reception.
There is always more to learn. Training should be ongoing, done individually and as a team. Seniors and juniors should hold seminars, workshops and sessions for staff. It builds confidence, friendship, healthy competition as well as the skills base of the business. As a boss you should keep your own skills current – line management, marketing, team-working, health and safety. You can never know enough.
