Master Team Motivation to Build a Thriving Salon Culture!

By Jess Marie Del-Borrello, Circles of Hair

As a Co-Salon Owner and Creative Director at Circles of Hair, one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career has been building and supporting a team that is passionate, driven, and consistently evolving. At Circles we know that motivation isn’t just about the occasional bonus or free coffee, it’s about creating real incentives that reward hard work while simultaneously boosting our salon success.

In this article, I’ll share some of the strategies we’ve implemented to not only motivate our team but also foster a strong salon culture and ensure the sustainability of our industry through dedicated apprentice training.

Real Incentives That Drive Success

While passion fuels our creativity, at the end of the day, we all show up to work to earn a living and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. That’s why we’ve structured financial incentives that directly impact both individual stylists and profitability.

Use the power of social media

Our industry is more digital than ever and social media plays an increasingly critical role in client acquisition, so we’ve developed a cash incentive program to encourage the creation of engaging content.

To ensure high-quality content that will convert, we provide training for those not familiar with filming, posting and creating content ideas and have a tiered incentive system which ensures everyone has the opportunity to participate, even those not as comfortable in front of the camera.

Tier 1 includes face-to-face consultations and major transformations, while Tier 2 allows stylists to share before-and-after shots. Senior Stylists can earn up to $150 per week by posting three times per week, while Junior Stylists receive up to $75 per week.

Get competitive

We believe in uncapped earning potential so our four-tier sales commission structure allows stylists to maximise their earnings through selling retail, upselling treatments and generating repeat business. This structure has been instrumental in helping our team members stay motivated and reach some pretty ambitious takehome goals.

Additionally, we also run big seasonal incentives to drive engagement. Last year, while Sharlene and I were away in Europe, we launched a three-month growth challenge. We wanted an incentive which would encourage personal growth, but importantly also increase the salon’s overall revenue.

Every team member was encouraged to grow their Total Sales % and the top three performers won incredible prizes - including our 3rd Year Apprentice Dakota who, as the winner, won business class flights around the world!

Promote your superstars

One of our proudest initiatives is supporting our team in award submissions to raise their profiles. Recognition in industry awards not only boosts a stylist’s profile but also enhances the salon’s credibility. Actively mentoring your team through the submission process can also be a powerful complement to the KPI process though goal setting as well as reflection. Our team member Ben

How to maximise your salon incentives

If you don’t currently offer incentives, start small- simple rewards such as gift cards under $250 or flight vouchers can go a long way. However, the priority should always be increasing revenue before scaling incentives and analysing which incentives can drive you towards that. When I first started at Circles we had much smaller incentives and they have continued to grow.

Your revenue isn’t high enough? Focus on client acquisition first through social media exposure, stylist branding, and strategic marketing. Once your revenue stabilises, implement targeted incentives that drive continued growth in areas which are lacking.

The Unique Circles Culture

Culture is everything at Circles of Hair, and with 52 staff spanning ages from 15 to 57 across our two locations at Subiaco and Fitzgerald, we don’t take that statement lightly.

Although each salon has their own dynamic, at the heart of it all is a deep-rooted commitment to growth, mentorship, and teamwork.

Build from the top, down

Sharlene and I strongly believe that owners must be present in the salon to cultivate a strong culture. We don’t just work on the business, we work in the business. Practically every day. You just can’t direct from afar and get the feel for the salon atmosphere and vibe, as much as we may feel the endless pull of admin and other work. This hands-on approach, although challenging, fosters a deep sense of community and trust among our team as they watch us walking the walk alongside them.

Cultivate your environment and talent

At Circles we nurture our talent from the very beginning with many of our team members starting with us as ‘baby apprentices’ and growing into confident, highly skilled senior stylists. We’re big believers in honest, open communication, and if Circles isn’t the right fit for someone, we create space for respectful conversations and clear direction.

We also place strong emphasis on helping our team build a solid sense of professional identity. This means consistently investing in extensive trend forecasting, brand evolution, and insalon education to keep our people inspired, empowered, and ahead of the curve.

Keep it fresh

We’ve rebranded and evolved our salon identity multiple times to reflect our culture and to keep the team engaged and connected to who we are. Every brand evolves and we should always look at this as an exciting opportunity, not a scary change! This consistent revision ensures that Circles remains a trend-driven, forwardthinking salon while always maintaining our strong foundation in our core values.

How to create your own unique culture If you take one piece of advice- you have to be in it. Culture doesn’t happen from the sidelines. Not every stylist will be the right fit, and that’s okay. What matters is that your team feels seen, supported, and clear on who you are as a salon. Don’t shy away from the changes involved. We’ve refreshed our brand and culture more than once, and every time, it’s re-energised the team and brought us closer. Culture isn’t a one-and-done thing, it’s something you keep building, together.

INVEST IN YOUR APPRENTICES, NO MATTER HOW CHALLENGING

The future of the hair industry depends on strong apprentice programs. There is no other way around it. As we watch people around the country struggling with finding apprentices and staff in general, we are receiving an increasing number of unsolicited applications per week.

Apprenticeship programs are critical to the sustainability of our industry. Many salons are shifting to freelance models, but without structured training programs, the industry won’t have a future generation of skilled stylists.

At Circles, we take this responsibility ridiculously seriously and I’m so proud to have developed one of the most comprehensive training programs in Australia.

Work with them, not against them

Let’s be real, Gen Z and Alpha don’t learn the same way we did, and frankly it isn’t their fault. They’re navigating constant noise from social media, struggling with focus, are hesitant to fully commit and are facing an uncertain future. We need to stop seeing that as a flaw and accept it as the reality of the environment they’ve grown up in. They’ve had to adapt to a fastpaced, overstimulated world, and that means we, as salon leaders, need to adapt too.

Not all learning is created equal

At Circles, we take a flexible, human approach to training. Every apprentice learns differently, so while some get the most out of the structured environment at TAFE, others thrive when they’re handson and immersed in the salon floor. So, we offer both.

Each week, our apprentices have the opportunity to take part in in-salon training sessions with modules focused on specific subjects that are crucial to their development & career standards. They also are able to shadow senior stylists every day to learn in real-time. Across our two salons, we currently have 19 apprentices, all of whom receive dedicated, paid training time each week. It’s not about forcing them into a rigid system, it’s about meeting them where they’re at, supporting their growth, and giving them every opportunity to find their feet and thrive.

Your clients can feel invested too

Our clients love seeing our apprentices grow and often become their biggest advocates. Because of the continued daily shadowing with our senior and master stylists, they watch our apprentices improve and take on the characteristic of their favourite hairdressers.

We’ve introduced an “Emerging Artist” price tier, where clients can book discounted services with apprentices under the guidance of one of these senior stylists. This not only builds client trust but also helps apprentices transition into fully booked stylists more quickly.

How to manage your apprentices effectively

When I speak to other owners, so often they tell me how difficult it is to manage apprentices and how much they are struggling, as though I have the magic answer or ended up with a dream set of trainees! But that’s not the case. It’s hard. It is the most time-consuming and stressful element of my role but it is so worth it if you are willing to be patient.

In fact, some of the recent apprentices I’ve signed off have been the quickest we’ve ever had. Their worldliness and access to education via social media has fast-tracked their skillset and understanding in a way that’s exciting.

Our industry has evolved significantly over the years. Where hairdressing was once seen as a low-paying, undervalued profession, we are all now actively working to redefine its perception. At Circles of Hair, we strive to build a strong, well-compensated, and highly skilled team that will set the standard for the future, no matter which salon they end up in.

Let’s build and motivate the next generation of industry leaders- together.

@circlesofhair

@circlesofhair