Hire a Great Server With These 6 Interview Questions

You’ve posted a job on Instawork and found a few candidates that look promising — now it’s time for the interview. Asking the right interview questions will help ensure that you hire an employee that’s qualified, service-oriented and a good fit for your team. With those goals in mind, here are a few questions to help you find the perfect addition to your front of house staff:

1. Tell me about the best service you’ve ever had

Working front of house is all about delivering great service. Asking this question allows you to identify the candidate’s idea of excellent service and see if it matches your own. Consider following up by asking the candidate about a time they provided great service. This will help you determine whether or not they follow through on delivering the same quality of service laid out in their previous example.

2. Tell me about a time you had an unhappy customer and how you handled it

This question tests for both customer service and problem solving skills. A good answer shows that the candidate is able to deal politely with the customer, while also offering a solution to the source of the of the customer’s unhappiness. For example, “at my last job, a customer was very upset that his steak was overcooked. I brought out a new steak and also offered him a free appetizer so he had something to eat while he waited.”

3. How do you react when you receive a bad tip?

Even great servers inevitably receive a bad tip every once in awhile. What’s important here is that the candidate shows they can take it in stride and use it as motivation to give better service to the next customer. Responses that demonstrate frustration or anger are clear cut signs that this isn’t the right person for the job.

4. What is your favorite dish on our menu?

The dish they choose isn’t important, but make sure the candidate can confidently name a menu item. A confident answer shows that the candidate has done their research and is invested in working at your restaurant. A good follow up question is to ask them to describe that menu item to you as if you were a customer.

5. Why will you fit in well with the rest of the front of house staff?

“I value great service and my personality really shines through when dealing both with customers and my coworkers. I also don’t mind covering shifts when needed.” This answer demonstrates that the candidate is a team player and enjoys their work. No matter what answer they give, make sure to evaluate whether they demonstrate a commitment to the same values that are important to your team.

6. What wine would you recommend to pair with our salmon dish?

Choose an example that applies to your restaurant — if you are hiring for an upscale seafood restaurant, this question might already fit. If you’re hiring at a brewery, it’s probably more important to test for a deep knowledge of the beers on your menu. Questions like these will give you a sense of candidate’s knowledge of food and drink.

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