For a Hair Stylist interview to go well, they need to show off their creativity, knowledge, and ability to communicate clearly with clients in order to give great customer service. Want to Know the Secrets of Job Interviews? Interviewing people for jobs is a very important job that needs planning, structure, and a clear idea of what you want in a candidate.
Landing an interview for an assistant hair stylist position is an exciting first step in launching your career in the beauty industry. However, the interview process can also induce anxiety, especially if you’re not sure what to expect. Will they ask tricky technical questions or focus more on your personality fit for the role? How do you convey your passion for the field while also highlighting your professional capabilities?
To help you tackle these concerns head-on, we’ve compiled a list of 21 common hair stylist assistant interview questions along with tips on how to craft winning responses.
Overview of the Hair Stylist Assistant Role
Before diving into the interview questions, let’s quickly recap what the day-to-day duties typically entail. As a hair stylist assistant, your responsibilities will likely include:
- Maintaining cleanliness and sanitation of the salon
- Assisting stylists with tasks like shampooing, rinsing, and blow drying hair
- Handling inventory and ordering supplies
- Answering phones and booking appointments
- Processing payments and handling transactions
- Greeting clients upon arrival and ensuring their comfort
The role involves a mix of administrative tasks, customer service interactions, and hands-on work supporting lead stylists Strong candidates demonstrate organization, attention to detail, stamina, and unwavering enthusiasm. With the right combination of technical skills and intangibles, you’ll be well on your way to success Now, let’s get into the questions!
Common Hair Stylist Assistant Interview Questions and Answers
1. Why are you interested in working as a hair stylist assistant?
This is often one of the first questions asked, so be ready with a thoughtful response that conveys your passion. Share when you first became interested in the industry and why. Highlight your desire to learn hands-on skills while supporting top stylists. And explain why you see this as an exciting first step to advancing your career in beauty.
2. What relevant experience or skills can you bring to this role?
Focus on areas that align closely with key assistant duties like customer service, attention to detail, multitasking, and following instructions. Feel free to mention any related experience like working at a retail makeup counter. Even seemingly unrelated past jobs that honed skills like organization or time management are great to highlight.
3. How would you handle an unhappy client in the salon?
Stress the importance of remaining calm, showing empathy, and avoiding defensiveness. Share that you’d start by apologizing and asking questions to understand their concerns. Then explain how you’d take action to resolve the issue, whether that involves fixing a styling mistake or rescheduling an appointment. Reassure them that client satisfaction is the top priority.
4. Describe your approach to ensuring excellent cleanliness and sanitation standards in the salon.
Demonstrate your understanding of proper sanitation protocols. Mention key tasks like disinfecting tools, replacing towels between clients, and wearing gloves during chemical services. Emphasize that you take a meticulous approach and understands the importance of maintaining high standards for health and safety.
5. How would you respond if a client asked you for your opinion about a specific hairstyle or color?
Explain that while you’d be happy to share your perspective, you understand the importance of operating within your scope as an assistant. Assure them you’d feel comfortable voicing any concerns privately to the lead stylist. However, you ultimately defer to the stylist’s judgment and respect their expertise.
6. How do you typically deal with stress or frustration at work?
Hiring managers want to know you can maintain composure in high pressure situations. Share healthy stress-management strategies like taking short breaks, breathing exercises, or politely excusing yourself to the break room. Convey that despite feeling frustrated at times, you always maintain professionalism and ensure the clients’ experience remains positive.
7. What do you think are the most important skills for a hair stylist assistant to have?
Highlight must-have abilities like listening carefully, working efficiently, showing initiative, being willing to learn, and maintaining positivity even during disagreements or challenges. Emphasize that assistants must be just as devoted to great customer service as stylists themselves. Having this big picture mindset is key.
8. What steps would you take if a client informed you they were allergic to a certain ingredient after a chemical treatment had already started?
Make it clear the client’s health and safety would be your first concern. Share that you would immediately (but gently) stop the service, rinse their hair, check them for any reactions, and notify the lead stylist. Mention you’d apologize for the oversight, document the incident, and ensure the allergy is noted in their file to prevent future issues.
9. Imagine you notice the lead stylist is running 20 minutes behind schedule. What do you do?
Acknowledge the importance of maintaining the salon’s reputation for punctuality. Share that first, you’d politely inform the stylist of the time and determine if they require any assistance to get back on track. Then, you’d notify the client by phone that their appointment may start late and offer sincere apologies while letting them know their patience is appreciated.
10. How would you respond if a client asked for your opinion about whether a bold new hairstyle might damage their hair?
Express that while you’d love to give input, you’d defer to the lead stylist, as they are the expert. However, you’d be very happy to schedule a free initial consultation where the client can discuss options and any concerns directly with the stylist. This upholds professionalism while also encouraging the client’s return.
11. How do you typically like to be trained when learning new skills on the job?
Examples of effective approaches include hands-on demonstrations, dividing new tasks into small steps, asking for feedback often, utilizing checklists, taking written notes, watching videos, and repetition through practice. Share that you know everyone learns differently and you’re committed to communicating your needs while also remaining flexible to the stylist’s preferred training style.
12. Describe a time when you had to manage an unexpected or difficult situation at work. What did you learn?
Choose an example that highlights skills like adaptability, grace under pressure, and creative problem solving. Explain the situation succinctly, being sure to highlight how your actions and attitude helped lead to the best possible outcome. Focus on lessons that translate well to the hair stylist assistant role.
13. How do you stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends in hairstyles and products?
Mention reading trade publications, following influencers on social media, attending classes or industry events when possible, practicing new techniques on mannequins, and speaking with stylists directly to hear their first-hand experiences. Convey your genuine excitement about continuously expanding your knowledge.
14. How would you handle a stylist that tends to be unfriendly or harsh when giving you feedback or directions?
Emphasize that maintaining positive relationships is extremely important to you. Share that you’d continue responding to all feedback with gratitude and implement suggestions without becoming defensive. If you felt disrespected, you’d politely address it privately, not in front of others. Say you’re committed to open communication and finding mutual understanding.
15. Why do you want to work for our salon in particular?
Research the salon’s website and social media to gain insight into their mission, values, unique culture, and styling specialties. Then reference specific qualities that appeal to you and align with your aspirations as a rising professional. This shows you took the initiative to learn about them and strengthens your candidacy.
16. Where do you see your career in 5 years?
While ambition is great, employers often look for assistants who will stick around. Convey your excitement about the ample opportunities to learn and grow on the job. Share your desire to build your skills steadily under the mentorship of their talented team. Down the road, express interest in becoming an independent stylist, but highlight that you’re focused on being the best assistant possible right now.
17. How do you typically develop rapport and positive relationships with new clients?
Share that you always start by introducing yourself with a smile and learning the client’s name. Posture open, friendly body language and give your undivided attention. Ask them questions about their styling needs and preferences. Look for common ground through casual small talk and find sincere compliments. Avoid distractions like cell phones to stay fully present.
18. Tell me about a time you had to juggle multiple tasks at once. How did you stay organized?
Describe a busy shift at a previous job where you successfully prioritized time-sensitive assignments, communicated delays, asked for help when needed, and avoided feeling overwhelmed by breaking each task into more manageable steps. Emphasize efficiency, composure, and commitment to quality results despite the pressures of multitasking.
19. What qualities do you believe are important in a successful mentor/mentee relationship?
Highlight open communication, mutual respect, empathy, patience, accountability, honesty, vulnerability, curiosity, and shared commitment to growth. Convey your appreciation for constructive feedback and desire to learn from stylists with more expertise. Say you aim to prove yourself trustworthy
Soft skills interview questions
- Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a client who wasn’t happy. How did you handle it, and what happened?
- How do you set priorities and keep track of your time when you have a lot of things to do at once?
- How do you stay on top of the newest tricks and styles for styling hair, and how do you use them at work?
- Could you tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult coworker and how you dealt with it?
- How do you deal with helpful criticism from clients or coworkers? How do you use it to get better?
- In order to get a natural beachy wave, what are some common ways to style your hair?
- How have you kept up with the newest hairstyles and trends?
- Describe your process for a hair coloring consultation. How do you determine the best color for a client?.
- Could you show me how you put in hair extensions? What kinds of extensions do you know how to do?
- How do you deal with difficult clients? Can you give an example of a time when you had to deal with a difficult client and how you handled it?
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FAQ
What does a assistant do in a hair salon?
Why should we hire you as a Hair Stylist?
What should I say in a hairdressing interview?
How should I prepare for a stylist interview?
What questions do Salon assistants ask?
Most interviews will include questions about your personality, qualifications, experience and how well you would fit the job. In this article, we review examples of various salon assistant interview questions and sample answers to some of the most common questions. How did you get interested in hair and beauty?
How do I prepare for a hairstylist interview?
Before heading to your hairstylist interview, think of how you’d answer common questions. Consider asking a friend or family member to hold a mock interview with you so you can prepare strategic answers and feel more relaxed on the day of the interview. Use these questions with sample answers to craft your own responses:
Why do you need a hairstylist interview?
An interview gives you the opportunity to highlight your unique talents. As a hairstylist, you may receive questions that assess your personality, industry experience and reactions to situations that may occur in a salon. Preparing your responses to these questions can help you feel confident in your abilities.
How do you interview a salon assistant?
Salon assistants must be able to balance their own work duties with the needs of their clients. This question allows the interviewer to assess your customer service skills and gauge how you prioritize customer satisfaction. It also gives them a sense of how well you can multi-task and handle different tasks at once.
