#23 They’re Not Floor-Ready—But That’s Not Their Fault
Let’s be real—nothing will light your hair on fire faster than hiring a new stylist and realizing... they’re not even close to being floor-ready.
And suddenly, you’re doing double duty again—serving guests, fixing mistakes, answering a million questions, and wondering why you even hired help in the first place.
Sound familiar?
You’re not alone. Most salon owners were never taught how to build a training program. You’re busy. You’re burnt out. And now you’re trying to grow a team with zero bandwidth and a whole lot of “figure it out as we go.”
But here’s the hard truth:
If you want a team you can trust, you’ve got to train one.
1️⃣ Stop waiting for the “perfect hire”—train the one you’ve got.
Salon owners often hold out for a unicorn stylist. Someone who’s confident, fast, booked solid, and somehow magically aligned with your brand.
Spoiler: She doesn’t exist.
What does exist? Teachability. Grit. Someone willing to grow.
If you’re constantly losing time and money waiting for a fully developed stylist to walk through your door, you’re stalling your own success.
Instead: build the training system that turns good potential into great results.
2️⃣ Start with the end in mind.
What does a “floor-ready” stylist actually look like in your salon?
Not just “can they do a balayage” but:
Can they communicate clearly with guests?
Can they rebook and recommend products?
Do they move with confidence, or do they look like a deer in headlights?
Create a checklist. Literally. Write out the expectations you have before someone hits the floor solo. That becomes your training target—not a vibe, not a gut feeling.
Clarity creates consistency.
3️⃣ Keep your training structured but not overwhelming.
Here’s where a lot of salons go wrong: They try to cram everything into two weeks. Or worse, they hand a new stylist a manual and say, “Let me know if you have questions.”
Training isn’t a one-time event—it’s a process.
Break it into clear stages. Focus on one thing at a time. Maybe it’s shampooing and blowouts week one. Maybe week two is shadowing consultations. Don’t just “throw them into the fire.” Teach. Demonstrate. Then watch and give feedback.
Make it feel doable—for you and for them.
4️⃣ Use guest models instead of just mannequins.
Mannequins are great for technical skill-building, but real people are unpredictable.
You want your stylist-in-training to learn how to talk through changes, handle feedback, and stay calm under pressure. That only comes from working on actual guests (even if they’re discounted or handpicked friends of the salon).
Let them practice while you’re there to support, not fix. That’s where the growth happens.
5️⃣ Don’t just train the “how”—teach the “why.”
You can teach someone to do a foil. But if they don’t understand why timing matters, or how to speak about it confidently to a guest, they’ll never fully own it.
Build in conversations about guest experience, culture, communication, sales, and mindset. Let them hear you explain your process. Talk through mistakes openly. Celebrate wins loudly.
The more context they have, the faster they grow.
You don’t need a massive training manual. You need a clear, repeatable process that helps stylists grow into the role you hired them for.
This isn’t just about scaling your team—it’s about getting your time back.
Ready to start building your stylist training system?
Let’s walk through it— Tap here to grab my #1 tool for training new hires, The Golden Goose Checklist.
Salt & Light,
Heather