INTERVIEWING AN ESTHETICIAN CANDIDATE is an opportunity to identify potential team members who will personify your brand and complement your spa ’ s business culture . Some of your interview discussion will be similar to any other position — everyone in your spa should have extraordinary people skills , for example . But technical expertise , treatment knowledge , and some other considerations are specific to esthetics .

Several spa directors share knowledge gained from their experiences hiring new estheticians .

BEFORE MEETING THE CANDIDATE

What should you look for before asking an esthetician candidate to interview ? Every spa director has a unique list of “ must-haves ” on resumes : some combination of work history , recommendations , specialties and certifications or other factors that determine whether an interview invitation is merited .

KATHY RIVARD , spa and wellness director for Blackberry Farm in Walland ,

Tennessee , notes , “ I look at work history along with experience in the medical spa field . With the direction skin care is going with high tech , not just high touch , having a base understanding of newer technologies is key .”

For SHARON HOLTZ , director of resort wellness operations at Pagosa Springs , Colorado ’ s The Springs Resort , “ Education , both core and continuing education , is an important element in evaluating candidates , along with relevant work history . There is nothing to replace hands-on experience with esthetics , knowing how to address and give the greatest benefit to the variety of skin that is presented to the esthetician .”

Wayland-Smith Consulting ’ s JENNIFER WAYLAND-SMITH believes “ the number one question is to confirm that the esthetician is licensed in the state that they are applying for .” She notes , “ If I can confirm this ahead of time via the state license lookup , I do so immediately . I also ask if they are dual licensed ( with massage or nails ) as that would provide more flexibility for scheduling .”

DURING THE INTERVIEW

In addition to some of the standard interview questions , our experts suggested several service-related discussion topics . l What is your process for organizing and sanitizing your treatment areas ? l How do you incorporate product recommendations into treatment sessions ? l What procedures and techniques do you prefer for hair removal ? l How do you communicate with clients between sessions to encourage them to return ? l What continuing education and ongoing training have you completed in the past year ? l Do you have experience in makeup artistry ? l How do you respond when a client experiences adverse reactions to your treatments ? l What originally motivated you to study esthetics ?

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2023 ⁿ PULSE 41