Krystal Coit, manager and backbone of DKW, is Ani’s guest co-host in this week’s episode of the Big Money Stylist. In this episode, the ladies have a conversation around the hiring and firing process, tips regarding communication with your employees, and how to handle emotions inside the workplace. Also, Ani has another whopper of a story to share! Please keep them coming! Send them to [email protected] or dm Ani on IG ani.dkwstyling.

In Big Money Stylist, we go over the following formula each month: Week #1: Power Week #2: Production Week #3: Profit Week #4: Protection In This Week’s Episode…..Production Point #1: Systems & Processes

• Before Krystal moved into her current position as manager of DKW, she was at her former salon for fourteen years. She came into the world of DKW in the midst of a massive transitional period inside the salon approximately eight months ago (at the time of recording this episode).
• In conversations with Danielle, Krystal knew that the salon needed to implement some systems and processes, but what surprised her the most, and what has been the biggest challenge has been everybody’s personalities & emotions. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t people’s emotions.”

QUESTION

What processes and systems do you have in place to keep emotions from running wild inside your salon or business?

Point #2: Emotion & Logic

• Ani feels she and Krystal are very similar when it comes to emotions and logic. “I feel like we’re not emotionless and at the same time realize that we are very fact-driven and very logical.” Ani used to think that the older one gets, the more one is able to compartmentalize and separate personal and business life…but that is not the case.
• As it turns out, age nor gender matter when it comes to feelings and emotions. Ani goes on to explain that one of the hardest things is when you have two people inside the same company/building who are dating. A lover’s quarrel brought to the workplace can create chaos and shit storms that affect everybody and everything around them.

QUESTION

What has been your experience with emotions gone wild inside of the workplace?

Point #3: DKW's Hiring Process

• DKW is unique in how they approach the interview process, which involves at least3-4 parts. Rather than soliciting resumes, they request interested parties to submit a video about themselves which is followed up by a phone conversation with Krystal, and eventually, a conversation with Danielle.
• A video allows the team to get a taste of an applicant’s personality. They also get to see how they communicate and see if they are able to follow directions. If you’re in any kind of service industry, Ani feels it’s almost dangerous and risky to invite people in for an interview based solely on a resume.

QUESTION

What questions would you want an applicant to answer in a video they submit to you?

Point #4: Are You a Good Fit?

• Ani: The worst possible thing you could ever do is hire out of desperation. When you do that, you’re going to hate them from the get-go, or when they show up, they’re not going to be what you wanted. The result is frustration all around, which leads to a shit storm.
• Krystal explains how in a salon, appointments sometimes run longer, especially at DKW where standards are high. And if something needs to be corrected, it’s going to happen – even if it means having the appointment run longer. A multi-step interview process allows you to get a feel for someone’s personality to see if they’re a good fit (or not) when situations like this arise.

QUESTION

As a result of this conversation, what changes are you going to make in your hiring process?

Point #5:  Letting Someone Go

• As a business owner, there’s going to come a time when you’re going to have to let people go. For Krystal, “I have to work past my own emotion with it, especially if I have worked with someone for any period of time and have gotten close to them. At the end of the day, firing someone is a business decision, and I can’t let my emotions get involved with that.”
• Leading up to that process, there needs to be some follow-through on your part. It’s really important to be in communication with your staff with weekly check-ins. This helps you keep a pulse on where they are and if they have any concerns or issues, and it also creates a natural opening for two-way communication. Krystal also emphazises that documenting conversations is crucial – for all parties.

QUESTION

Are you being held hostage by someone inside of our business? If you are, what steps can you actually take to rectify that situation?

Quote of the Week:

“If it’s no longer working for you and it’s going to impede the growth of your company, letting go doesn’t have to be some big dramatic thing. Don’t think of it as a collision or an argument; it’s just a conversation. And sometimes it’s the conversation of hey, this doesn’t work anymore.”

-Anianne Rivera

“My advice? Go with your gut instinct when hiring. Make sure you have a process where you can see this person’s personality. If you don’t like them right off the bat, you’re probably not going to like them working for you. And finally, don’t hire out of desperation.”

–Krystal Coit