7 Questions to Ask When Hiring New Restaurant Staff

Asking the right questions can help you determine whether an applicant is just good on paper or will actually be a good addition to your team.

Your restaurant staff can make or break your restaurant. Hiring skilled, experienced and reliable employees will help keep your restaurant running smoothly and delivering high levels of quality and service. The restaurant industry has a notoriously high turnover rate for employees. However, a more thorough and thoughtful interview process can help you pick the right people for the right positions.

It is easy to look at a good resume and assume that person will make a good employee. However, this is not always the case. Asking the right questions can help you determine whether an applicant is just good on paper or will actually be a good addition to your team. Check out our list below of seven questions to ask when hiring new restaurant staff.

What do you like and dislike about working in the restaurant industry?

This is a great question to help you get an overall feel for an applicant’s devotion to the industry. It’s good to know what drives a person to stay in the restaurant industry and the things that they aren’t the biggest fans of.

What is your ideal schedule?

Scheduling is one of the most important pieces of smoothly running a restaurant. Discussing scheduling right off the bat helps ensure that you and your potential employees are on the same page as far as schedules go.

What qualities do you think are important for this position?

This question can help you deduce what type of an employee an applicant may be. This question will allow you to determine whether the applicant has a good understanding of what is expected of someone who obtains the position.

What does hospitality mean to you?

Hospitality is the name of the game in the restaurant industry. A great employee will have a thorough understanding of this concept.

How long do you plan to work here?

With such high turnover in the restaurant industry, it is important to ensure that new employees are in it to win it. Answers to this question can also help you learn about any of your employees’ future goals in the industry.

What traits would you like to see in your co-workers and managers?

This question will help you determine whether an applicant knows what it takes to be a good employee.

Give me an example of a time you went above and beyond, and an example of how you resolved a conflict.

You want an employee who will go the extra mile, and one who knows how to deal with conflict. Questions like these help show you what type of employee an applicant may be.

Asking the right questions will help you find the right people. For help with hiring and recruiting, check out our Hiring and Onboarding tools.

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