How to add staff and their schedules

Once your services are live, the next job is your team. A booking system only quotes accurate availability when every stylist has a profile, the right services and a working schedule behind them. Skip a step and clients see slots that don't exist — or none at all. This tutorial walks through the whole setup in order, so your diary reflects exactly who works when and on what.

Follow the steps below in the admin area of your booking system. Set aside twenty minutes per team member the first time; it goes faster after that.

1. Add each staff member

Start in the Team or Staff section and create one profile per person.

1. Click Add staff member and enter their name, role (for example "Senior Stylist") and a photo — a real face lifts booking confidence.
2. Add a short bio and, if you offer it, a language or specialty tag.
3. Set their display order so your most-requested people appear first on the online booking page.
4. Decide whether the profile is bookable online or internal only (useful for an apprentice who assists but isn't yet booked directly).

Save the profile before moving on. Repeat for every person, including part-timers and freelancers who rent a chair.

2. Assign the services each person performs

A stylist should only appear for services they actually do. This is what keeps a colour client from landing on the barber's chair.

1. Open the staff profile and go to Services.
2. Tick every service that person performs; untick the rest.
3. Where your system allows it, set a per-person duration or price — a senior stylist may need less time, or command a higher rate, than a junior.
4. Save, then spot-check by opening the public online booking flow and choosing that service — only the right people should show.

Getting this mapping right is the backbone of accurate availability and a first line of defence against a double booking.

3. Set working hours and breaks

Now give each profile a weekly working pattern so the system knows when to offer slots.

1. In the profile, open Working hours and set start and finish times for each day.
2. Mark non-working days as closed rather than leaving them blank.
3. Add recurring breaks — lunch, a standing admin block — so no one gets booked over them.
4. Set the right buffer after services if your team needs cleanup or turnaround time between clients.

If different weeks differ (say, alternating Saturdays), use rotating or split shifts. Thinking through these patterns is a topic in its own right — our guide on team scheduling covers the strategy behind the clicks.

4. Block time off and holidays

Working hours cover the normal week; one-off absences need their own entry so slots vanish automatically.

1. Use Time off, Absence or the calendar's block feature to reserve holidays, training days and appointments.
2. Enter a whole day or a few hours as needed, with a note so colleagues understand the gap.
3. Add public holidays once, at the salon level, so they apply to everyone.
4. Check that blocked time immediately disappears from the client-facing calendar.

Keeping time off current is the simplest way to stop no-win bookings before they happen — the same discipline that underpins good arrival management.

5. Let clients pick their preferred stylist

With profiles, services and schedules in place, turn on client choice so your regulars can rebook the person they trust.

1. In booking settings, enable choose your professional (or "any available" as a faster option).
2. Confirm each service still resolves to the correct, available people.
3. Add this to your wider setup checklist — our booking system features checklist and the online booking setup guide help you finish the rest.
4. If your pay is per-person, align it now with fair commission models so the team supports the system.

You're set — test and go live

Do one dry run: book a service as a client, pick a stylist, and confirm the time, duration and confirmation email all look right. Then let your team review their own hours. From here your diary manages itself, quietly protecting you against gaps and clashes.

Ready to build your team the right way? Create a free YourSalon account and add your first staff member in minutes.