Stop the 5 Costly Hiring Mistakes | The 30-Minute Test
- Rita Santos
- Oct 28
- 3 min read
Introduction
If you’ve ever hired someone hoping life would finally get easier—
only to end up working more—you’re not alone.
Every clinic owner I know has hired in a hurry, trusted the wrong person, or kept someone too long out of guilt.
I’ve made every mistake in this list, and I paid for them in refunds, late nights, and peace of mind.
The good news?
Once you understand why these mistakes happen, you can stop repeating them.
And there’s one simple tool that makes it easier than you think: The 30-Minute Test—the quick, calm way to see who really fits your clinic before hiring.
1️⃣ Hiring out of Exhaustion
One of the first hiring mistakes is hire when you’re drowning in work, anyone who offers help feels like a saviour.
So you say yes—without a plan, a checklist, or even a clear role.
At first, it feels like relief.
Then the chaos doubles.
Suddenly you’re fixing mistakes, refunding clients, and explaining things twice.
You didn’t hire support—you hired a mirror of your chaos.
How to fix it:
Pause before you hire.
Take one week to create space—literally schedule thinking time.
Ask: “What exactly needs to be done, and what will success look like?”
Clarity saves more hours than any extra pair of hands..
2️⃣ Hiring a Person Instead of a Role
Most owners hire people they like.
Friendly, bubbly, “good with clients.”
But good people fail in bad systems.
When you don’t define the role, you end up managing personalities instead of results.
How to fix it:
Write a job scorecard before you post the job.
List 3 main outcomes and 5 key tasks.
Then interview for those outcomes, not for “vibe.”
That’s what a structured hiring process looks like—and it’s the difference between hope and clarity.
3️⃣ Confusing Loyalty with Performance
She’s been with you from the start.
She’s kind, funny, and knows your clients by name.
But lately, things slip: missed confirmations, late arrivals, small errors.
You keep forgiving her because she’s loyal.
But loyalty doesn’t pay invoices or keep standards high.
How to fix it:
Ask yourself three questions:
If she applied today, would I hire her again?
If she left tomorrow, would I feel relieved?
If a new hire acted this way, would I tolerate it?
If those answers hurt, you already know what to do.
4️⃣ Using Generic Contracts
Early in my journey, I thought contracts were just “paperwork.”
So I copied a free one online.
Big mistake.
When something went wrong—a nurse overfilled lips, a receptionist shared client data—I realised the contract protected them, not me.
How to fix it:
Use agreements that reflect the reality of aesthetics:
Define clear standards of practice.
Include clauses for performance and conduct.
Reward precision, not attendance.
You can’t run a premium clinic with generic paperwork.
5️⃣ Paying for Hours Instead of Outcomes
Paying by the hour feels fair—until you notice two employees doing the same treatment in half the time.
You start resenting slow days, but the payroll never stops.
Because you’re paying for presence, not performance.
How to fix it:
Pay per treatment or per result.
Add performance bonuses for re-bookings and satisfaction.
In a clinic, time isn’t value—results are.
🛠 The Fix: The 30-Minute Test
After years of trial and error, I built a simple way to see the truth about a candidate—before hiring.
The 30-Minute Test is a short, structured simulation that reveals in half an hour what months of guessing never will:
how she handles stress,
how she communicates with clients, and
whether she fits your clinic’s energy.
It’s not a typical interview—it’s a calm, real-world test.
You’ll know in 30 minutes if she’ll make your life easier or harder.
Learn the exact steps, scripts, and score sheet I use to hire with confidence.
Hiring doesn’t have to be a gamble.
It can be a system—clear, structured, and peaceful.
Final Takeaway
Most clinic owners don’t burn out because they hire.
They burn out because they hire wrong.
Freedom doesn’t start when you hire help—it starts when you hire right.
Take 30 minutes to test before you guess.
Your future team—and your sanity—will thank you.
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