Hiring in Aesthetics: What Nobody Talks About

Hiring the right candidates can be a daunting task. From hundreds of resumes to long interview days, the selection process by itself can feel overwhelming. There are many things people do not consider when they are looking for the right candidate.

The Industry Is Changing and So Are Hiring Expectations

One shift that has been happening is private investors buying out chain medical spas and solo practices. This kind of consolidation is becoming more common, and it changes the culture inside a business. Nobody really likes change, but change is inevitable for growth. Everybody has different ideas not just about what looks good, but about what makes the most sense for a business. Not everyone is on board with the types of changes that can come with new ownership, especially when decisions are now being driven by people who are further removed from the treatment room.

I have seen many people get upset and say they are going to open their own medical spa and just hire an esthetician, without much thought, and expect that esthetician to be able to run their own ship. For some, this might work. For most, it is unrealistic.

The Training and Development Gap

From the esthetician perspective, there is often not nearly enough professional development. They are expected to just step in and sell with very little guidance on how to actually do that. Some can figure it out, but many cannot, and that does not mean they are bad providers. It usually means they have not been given the tools, training, or support they need to feel confident selling while still honoring their integrity and clinical judgment.

From the esthetician perspective, I have seen many who are left confused about how they are being paid. They do not really understand the commission structure. They think they do at first, but in reality they do not, and they also do not understand performance metrics. There have been plenty of instances where business owners unintentionally shoot themselves in the foot because they believe that paying higher commissions will keep employees, which is not always the case.

Something that is not talked about enough in this industry is that many students do not leave school knowing how to sell. If they do, they were lucky enough to have an instructor who told them they were in a sales driven industry and that student then took the initiative to learn. Sales can absolutely be taught, and you are never going to find the perfect candidate because everyone has opportunities for improvement. What really matters is your ability to coach.

You cannot set standards for someone you have never coached or given meaningful feedback to. Being a business owner means owning every part of your business and trusting the people you put in place to execute the mission. This is not specifically a conversation about leadership styles, although there are many. This is about the reality that hiring someone and expecting them to simply run with it does not always end well.

Over the years, I have heard many instructors tell students how much they can make, instead of being honest about what they will likely make. These same instructors who spread this false hope are often the ones who go to a medical spa, cannot sell, and end up back at the very school they graduated from, repeating the same inaccurate messaging. There is no single best school. Not everyone is coach-able. Before you hire, you have to figure out what you really want and how you are going to develop this person so they want to stay in your business.

Compensation Is More Than Just a Paycheck

Many business owners think that hiring and paying a higher commission structure means the provider performing the services is going to sell a lot. I have actually seen the opposite. In fact, there was one clinic where the commission was so high that, having been in sales for so long, I would have absolutely taken that role. I am sure there are many others like me who believe in paying people in a way that truly matches their role. I believe there are a lot of missed opportunities when this is not thought through.

It also comes down to what you can actually afford to pay, and there are many different factors that go into that. You also need to ask if your pay structure is set up in a way that allows you to grow people within your clinic. Can they earn their way to bigger paychecks and, at the same time, see by your words and your actions that you value your people.

Building a Team That Reflects Your Values

Even when you are opening your doors, you need to ask if you are building your business based on your values. What you value may differ from what others value. When you hire, you need to make sure you are aligned with whoever you decide to bring on as the face of your business. They represent you.

I have seen many people branch out on their own without really considering that one day they may be in a position where they need to hire. Most do not take a step back and really look at what that actually involves.

As a business owner myself, I can tell you that pieces of your personal life show up in your business. Your patterns and behaviors show up, both the good ones and the ones that have room for improvement. Sometimes business owners forget that we are not just interviewing candidates. They are interviewing us. They are asking if we are a good fit for them. So we have to ask ourselves what value we are going to provide them beyond compensation, even though compensation matters a lot.

On-boarding and Retention Matter More Than Most Owners Realize

You also need to think through what your on-boarding process looks like for the first ninety days. How are you going to introduce them to your culture, your numbers, your expectations, and your clients. How will you help them build confidence and competence instead of just throwing them on the schedule and hoping they figure it out.

What I can tell you is that it costs a lot more to go through the hiring process, train someone, have them leave, and then repeat that entire cycle all over again. Wasting time and money on that alone is about as useful as keeping someone who is not performing and who has never been given clear expectations or coaching on how to become a top performer.

Soft Skills, Emotional Intelligence, and Client Experience

There are a couple of other questions to consider and a couple of topics that are not talked about enough. One of them is hiring a team that truly understands what it means to work with clients across different spectrum of life. This is not just about where they are in their life journey. It is also about being sensitive to body image concerns, to anxiety, and to finding ways to make them feel comfortable.

Soft skills and the development of those skills are extremely underrated. We focus so much on training to enhance technical skill sets for services, but soft skills are equally important. Being in aesthetics is often seen as a cool job, and it absolutely can be. It is also a job of production and performance. You need to ask yourself how you are evaluating that when you are hiring.

Roles within any clinic are no longer limited to a single narrow scope. I have mentioned before that the front desk is the face of the business and also the last point of contact before your clients leave your office. When we think about different roles, they are not just selling services. Each role may start with a very specific focus, but in reality they blend together. It takes everyone working together to create a business that runs like a well tuned machine.

Reputation, Growth, and Keeping Top Talent

Another trend I have seen is the over use of inflated titles. If the talent actually matches what you are asking for, then that is not inflation. That is a title that truly fits the expectations of the role. There is also the topic of poaching top talent, which sometimes takes a lot of effort. Top talent will not stay if they are not taken care of. They will go where they are happy.

Think about vendors who have come into your clinic. Many of them have great reputations, and they have earned those reputations by building trust. At the same time, even people with great reputations may not be a good fit personality wise. The same goes for your practice. Some practices are known for taking care of their people, paying them well, setting clear expectations, and offering room for growth.

Hire for Coach-ability, Not Just Experience

These are just some examples to think about when you are hiring. There are also things that are not talked about enough during the hiring process. Do not assume that because someone has experience they are automatically the best fit. There are candidates who are considered new who can be just as valuable to your clinic. In some cases, they may actually have more drive.

Sometimes it really comes down to hiring for coach-ability instead of falling for the perception of experience. Just because someone has a certain number of years in the industry does not automatically mean they are more qualified. Before you make any hiring decision, ask yourself what specific support or coaching this person will receive in their first year and how you are going to measure success in this role. Those questions should be answered before you bring anyone on.

How Jamie Nicole Consulting Can Help

If you are reading this as a business owner or manager and you realize your hiring and development process is not where you want it to be, that is where I come in. Through Jamie Nicole Consulting, I provide sales training for aesthetics and medical spa teams, one to one business consulting, structured consulting packages, and focused strategy days where we can work together in depth on your hiring, compensation, on-boarding, and growth plans. If you want support in building a team that sells with integrity, understands your numbers, and actually stays, reach out and let us start mapping out what that looks like for your business.