It works for sports stars and corporate CEOs, it can work for nail technicians I too. The promise of a signing bonus will have prospective employees knocking down your door “There are more nails-only salons in our area than there are McDonalds,” says Michael Williams, owner of Nails, Skin, & Hair by Jan & Co. Inc. in Sarasota, Fla. “The competition for technicians is really tough.” So to attract applicants, Williams has been offering a $250 sign-on bonus to new hires. The lure of cash works well. Williams says he now has no shortage of resumes to select from. “We hire when we believe the technician will be 25%-50% booked after two weeks. If you look at it that way, you’re losing money by leaving a slot open. Why not offer that money to the new tech?” Williams asks. So that the employer doesn’t end up with the short end of the stick, he recommends you include $50 with the first check, and pay the balance of the bonus ($200) in six months.

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