Questions on interviewing

Akuwa

Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2010
Messages
57
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Hello :) I am giving my first interview on Monday. I will be asking for a demonstration massage on specific areas. To me the massage, appearance and puncuality says so much alone that I am lost as to what questions to ask. If anyone has an outline of what they do/ask during the interview it'd help so much! Thank you!

Edit: Also, any ideas on how to determine a pay rate? Non-experienced MT vs. experienced MT. I would pay per hour massage. I'd have them use their own sheets and lotions etc. I don't want to underpay, but of course I want to make a profit myself. My current rate is $70 per hour if that helps. I know i need to figure in my rent, advertising costs etc. but just an average maybe of what other people pay would help. Thanks again!
 
Questions on interviewing

Yikes, I'm trying to remember what I was asked when I was interviewed! I interviewed 3x and was offered all 3 jobs. One fell through (they hadn't gotten permission from the property owner to offer massage), one I worked at for a month just as an interim position, and the 3rd is the one I'm still at.

They asked about school, where I'd gone, who the instructor was, what we'd covered, what modalities I'd been trained in. Asked about current license, insurance, etc. Some of the emphasis was on customer service. There wasn't a lot of questions, much of it was information *from* the interviewer on their practice, their procedures, how they generally run things, their expectations of MTs that work there, how scheduling is handled, who does what (laundry, answering phones, scheduling, cleaning etc). I was given a copy of the contract, our brochure and a list of 'who does what' (since not everyone there did, say, hot stone massage) to familiarize myself with.

Where I work, just for general info, we do a 60/40 split, whether just out of school or seasoned. She runs ads, pays for the brochures, all the overhead, cleaning & laundry supplies and products for any packages such as mud or scrubs. We provide our own linens and products such as oils, creams and my stuff for facials, our own tables and any equipment (hot towel cabby, stones, warmer, cabinets or shelves) . We can decorate our rooms any way we please. We don't get paid per se, to do cleaning but it's part of the contract and everyone pitches in all day long, to keep up on laundry, empty trash baskets etc. First one or two people in the am do the opening (sign out front, clean and mop bathrooms, get coffee and tea hot water ready, check messages/return calls, make reminder calls for next day. Last one or two there vacuum and sweep, all lights off, candles out, sign in, close up shop with all that stuff that entails. Whoever is not busy and near the phone answers it and schedules whatever is needed, there is a seniority ranking. It's a pretty good group, everyone does their fair share.
 
Questions on interviewing

rascoleah said:
Hello :) I am giving my first interview on Monday. I will be asking for a demonstration massage on specific areas. To me the massage, appearance and puncuality says so much alone that I am lost as to what questions to ask. If anyone has an outline of what they do/ask during the interview it'd help so much! Thank you!

Edit: Also, any ideas on how to determine a pay rate? Non-experienced MT vs. experienced MT. I would pay per hour massage. I'd have them use their own sheets and lotions etc. I don't want to underpay, but of course I want to make a profit myself. My current rate is $70 per hour if that helps. I know i need to figure in my rent, advertising costs etc. but just an average maybe of what other people pay would help. Thanks again!

We do a verbal interview first and foremost. If they don't pass that, we don't bother with the massage practical interview. Make sure they understand your expectations and how the relationship will be structured. Have it in writing, either as an IC contract or an employee handbook so nothing is left to chance. Find out what you want to know about them, their insurance, their training, what they do/don't like to do, level of experience, any continuing ed completed or aspirations, availability, flexibility, etc. Do they know how to build a clientele? How do they plan to do so? Have they had to deal with problem clients? If so, what happened and how did they handle it? What are their concerns? You need to feel like they have a good head on their shoulders, smart, professional, reliable, and personable. They also need to be someone that will mesh well with your team. You don't want to hire someone that's going to stir up a hornet's nest in the workplace. They need to be able to take critical feedback and follow directions without constant oversight. Can you trust them with handling transactions and scheduling? (if you don't have a receptionist) All important stuff, and will have as much (or more) impact on your business as their massage skills.

Practical interview: They've gotta impress you. Not necessarily blow you away, but you have to know that this person can really bring the goods. If you hire a lemon, they'll cause more harm than good. Some will be better at relaxation, others at therapeutic work. Few people are truly excellent at more than few things, so consider in advance what skills you are most concerned with. If you aren't convinced by their massage, you can find someone else or offer them a second chance. Don't let yourself zone out during the work; take mental notes and don't be shy about asking them questions, or requesting them to demonstrate something you want to experience. If you decide to hire them, don't be shy about letting them know if there is something you want to train them in, so they can develop and be more successful as a part of your team. It might be draping, or foot massage, whatever... nearly everyone has flaws, and you can help them improve.

At the end of the day, remember that you are hiring a stranger to touch naked clients in a small dark room with the door closed. Positive or negative, everything they do reflects on your business.

Make a good choice.

Oh, pay scale: calculate what you can afford based upon your business expenses and profitability. At $70 for an hour massage, you might be able to afford anywhere from $15-35... depending on your other expenses and whether you charge extra for sales taxes or include them in the price. Figure out a variable pay scale in advance so you don't "wing it" and accidentally put yourself in the position of paying more than you can afford.
 
Questions on interviewing

Hope you get this on time. Create scenerios and ask the person how they would handle them, This will go a long way in finding out the charactor of the person.
 
Back
Top