Finally, there is a referral service within the cosmetology industry whose function is to match the “right employee” with the “right salon.” Cosmetology Referral Service, which claims to be the first of its kind in this field, has reported an overwhelming response from cosmetologists, salon owners, beauty colleges, manufacturers and distributors of products.

Referrals are provided by Cosmetology Referral Service for all professionals in the industry: hairstylists, nail technicians/artists, estheticians/skincare specialists, makeup artists/cosmeticians, salon managers, receptionists, assistants, beauty college instructors, sales representatives, electrologists and platform artists.

For the licensed professional, Cosmetology Referral Service eliminates the frustration of the job-hunting process with a simple job-finding technique that is only a phone call away. For a $25 registration fee, cosmetologists complete just one application and receive a counseling session along with an optional video-taped interview.

The video-taped interview presents a visual image to a prospective employer, reflects the personality of the interviewee, and demonstrates the cosmetologist’s attitude toward work and the industry in general. Cosmetologists are then referred only to those businesses that fit their needs — saving them time, gasoline, extra effort and frustration.

For the salon or business owner, it is equally simple to utilize Cosmetology Referral Service. To register with CRS, a business owner completes an information form indicating the position(s) available. There is a registration fee for the service, effective for six months (please call for current rates), and a finder’s fee upon hiring an employee through Cosmetology Referral Service.

“It is so important for businesses to hire the right employee the first time,” according to Wendy Wong, director of CRS. “Hiring the wrong employee costs the business wasted efforts, time and money, and can even result in the loss of clients to your business, not to mention the inevitable withering of salon morale. Cosmetology Referral Service refers only screened cosmetologists that fit a business owner’s requirements. Employers have the option of coming into our offices to view video interviews, or CRS can refer by telephone. It is the business owner’s responsibility to conduct subsequent interviews in person to judge technical skills.”

Cosmetology Referral Service’s methods of matching the needs of the employee with the needs of the business results in greater compatibility among personnel, and less employment turnover in the long run.

In addition to the employment referral services, Cosmetology Referral Service publishes a bimonthly newsletter, The Mirror, and offers Career Development Courses and Salon Management Seminars.

The Career Development Courses for professional cosmetologists cover such topics as:

• How to Build and Retain Clientele;

• Effective Communication Skills;

• Goal-setting and Achieving Them;

• Retailing Techniques for Additional Income;

• Basic Business Skills;

• Personal Awareness and Motivation;

• Recognizing and Dealing with Different Personality Types; and much more.

With the ever-quickening pace of progress within the cosmetology fields, professional, savvy cosmetologists need to keep current with changes and developments in order to succeed. There is also the seldom addressed area of self-awareness and personal motivation that cosmetologists need.

The Salon Management Seminars offered by CRS are as wide-ranging and instructional as the Career Development Courses, Wong stated. Topics include:

• Employee Relations and Communication;

• Marketing and Salon Promotion;

• Record-keeping and Controls;

• Client Retention;

• Salon Receptionist Training Program;

• Financial Planning and Controlling.

CRS believes the salon owner and manager’s job is a complex, varied and often difficult responsibility, and being armed with relevant salon/business management skills is essential for survival.

“Cosmetology Referral Service’s primary goal is to upgrade professionalism in the cosmetology industry in keeping with the demands of the public,” Wong said. “Through the development of your career or business to a level of professionalism, you will be ready for the phenomenal challenges and growth potential that the 1980’s and 1990’s will offer our industry.”