Missouri Grooming Workforce Survey: Why the “Groomer Shortage” Is a Systems Issue

In late 2025, I ran a short workforce survey inside Missouri grooming groups to better understand what’s really behind the “groomer shortage” conversation we keep having. We heard from 24 salon owners and 32 groomers representing a range of salon sizes across the state.

What emerged was not a lack of interest in grooming work. It was a lack of consistency in how skills are defined, taught, and evaluated.

Key Findings

This isn’t a headcount problem

Most salon owners reported they can usually find applicants. The issue is what shows up when they do.

Nearly all owners said applicants tend to fall into one of two buckets. Either they are moderately experienced groomers who are set in their ways, or they are barely qualified candidates without clear baseline standards. No one reported consistently finding applicants they would describe as highly qualified.

This matters for any salon trying to stabilize a team, grow responsibly, or prepare a business for sale.

Turnover resets training every time

Owners overwhelmingly said they are trying to train. Many reported doing a lot of training. Yet two out of three still feel like they are starting over every time someone new is hired.

That points to a consistency issue, not an effort issue.

When training is delivered primarily by one individual, it doesn't always come out the same way, in the same order, or with the same expectations. This places significant pressure on that person to remember and deliver everything consistently every time.

Lack of standard skills creates leadership strain

In independent salons, inconsistent training amplifies frustration and mental load for owners and managers.

In multi unit and franchise settings, the impact is broader. Without standardized skill definitions or assessment tools, non grooming leadership has limited ability to verify performance quality or maintain consistency across locations. This directly affects scalability and business value.

Groomers do not know where they stand

From the groomer side, a different frustration showed up.

Many groomers reported uncertainty about their actual skill level. Expectations change from salon to salon, and what's considered experienced in one shop can be a problem hire in another.

This creates friction on both sides. Owners feel like they are constantly correcting. Groomers feel like they are constantly proving themselves. Over time, confidence and coachability break down for everyone involved.

Why this shows up differently depending on where you sit

Independent owners experience hiring as exhausting and unpredictable.

Multi location operators or owners preparing to sell see training inconsistency quietly erode scalability and business value.

New owners, especially those entering grooming from another career, often underestimate how much operational risk is created by unclear training and career pathways.

What the data keeps pointing back to

The data consistently points to the need for clearer skill definitions, more consistent methods of teaching, and better ways to assess where people actually are.

Other skilled trades have spent decades building these structures. There is no reason grooming cannot do the same.

Closing

This is not a people problem. It is a systems gap.

And it is one we can solve on purpose, for owners, for groomers, and for the long term health of the industry.

This is the work I'm focused on right now.