Mastering Competency-Based Interviewing in the Spa and Beauty Industry

Hiring the right team is essential to creating exceptional spa and beauty experiences. Whether you're recruiting for a luxury spa, a boutique salon, or a fast-paced beauty brand, how you assess candidates makes all the difference.

Competency-based interviewing is a powerful tool that helps employers go beyond a polished CV or charming personality to uncover the real qualities that lead to long-term success. In the spa and beauty industry, where professionalism, precision, and customer care are essential, it’s a method that can transform your hiring process.

In this blog, we’ll explore what competency-based interviewing is, why it works so well in the spa and beauty sector, and how to implement it effectively in your hiring process.

What is Competency-Based Interviewing?

Competency-based interviews are structured around specific skills, behaviours, and attributes required for a role. Rather than asking hypothetical or general questions, the interviewer asks the candidate to describe past experiences that demonstrate their competence in a particular area.

For example, instead of asking, “How would you deal with a difficult client?”, you might ask, “Tell me about a time when you turned a negative client experience into a positive one.”

This approach provides real insight into how someone has behaved in the past—which is often the best indicator of how they’ll behave in the future.

Why Competency-Based Interviews Work in the Spa and Beauty Industry

1. They Reveal More Than Just Technical Skill

While technical ability is important, particularly in hands-on treatments, the most successful therapists and beauty professionals also demonstrate strong communication, emotional intelligence, time management, and resilience.

Competency-based questions help assess these qualities in a practical, real-world context.

2. They Uncover Consistency and Professional Standards

In our industry, consistency is key. You need professionals who can maintain high standards across a long shift, follow protocol even under pressure, and uphold the brand experience for every client. Competency-based interviews help identify candidates who take pride in doing things the right way—every time.

3. They Help Standardise the Interview Process

Using structured questions based on core competencies ensures fairness and consistency when interviewing multiple candidates. It removes the risk of bias and ensures you’re comparing like-for-like.

Key Competencies to Assess in Spa and Beauty Interviews

Here are some of the most important competencies for roles in the spa and beauty industry, along with example questions:

• Customer Service Excellence: “Describe a time when you went above and beyond to make a client feel special.”
• Technical Skill and Attention to Detail: “Tell me about a time you received feedback on a treatment—what was it and how did you respond?”
• Time Management: “How have you managed a fully booked schedule while maintaining quality?”
• Teamwork: “Share an example of when you supported a colleague during a busy day.”
• Handling Pressure: “Can you give an example of when you stayed calm and professional during a difficult situation?”
• Adaptability: “Tell me about a time you had to quickly learn a new treatment or product. How did you approach it?”

Tips for Interviewers in Spa and Beauty Settings

• Start with the job in mind: Identify the 4–6 competencies most relevant to the role before the interview begins.
• Use the STAR technique: Encourage candidates to answer using Situation, Task, Action, and Result for clear, structured responses.
• Dig deeper: Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions like, “What did you learn from that experience?” or “Would you do anything differently?”
• Score consistently: Use a scoring system or notes template to fairly assess how well each candidate demonstrated each competency.

A More Confident Hiring Process

Competency-based interviewing helps you hire with greater confidence. You’ll be able to go beyond the surface, ask the right questions, and identify candidates who don’t just talk the talk—but consistently walk the walk.

At Redcurrant Jobs, we support spa and beauty businesses with every aspect of the hiring process—from sourcing and shortlisting to structured interviews. Whether you’re hiring temporary cover or permanent staff, we’re here to help you find talent that reflects your brand, upholds your standards, and delivers exceptional results.

Looking to improve your next hire?

Contact our team to learn how we can support your recruitment process with structure, insight, and results-driven talent matching.