Kaye Sotomi: F*%ked up… but fixed it!
As part of a new series here on the HUB, we’re asking salon and barber shop owners to get real with us about a mistake they’ve made in their business and the steps they took to secure a solution. Kicking things off we probed Kaye Sotomi, co-founder and director of Chop Chop London, about fixing a fail. Here’s what he told us…
THE F*%K-UP
I used to hire staff out of desperation to service demands when I was short staffed. I failed properly to onboard new team members, failed to ensure we were asking the right questions during the hiring process, failed to see the impact on other team members of this hiring practice. This ultimately caused staff turnover and, in some case, low team morale.
THE FIX
As much as I was frustrated, I didn’t blame myself because the truth is I don’t come from a HR background, and no one taught me how to hire. As an entrepreneur and small business owner, we learn from our mistakes, make adjustments and move forward. So, I sought advice from people within my network, who work in HR and recruitment. I read articles, listened to podcasts and audio books on businesses that have a great work culture. I developed an onboarding and hiring process map based on best practices and lessons learned. I also created a culture document that allows everyone that joins the business to understand what type of company we are, our aspirations, where each person fits into our mission, what we do, what we don’t do, and what rewards await us if we can get it right. This is a circular document, so it will always be improved on as our team and organisation grows.