Employer Interview Prep: A Restaurant Hiring Guide

Employer Interview Prep: Hiring Is Hospitality

I approach employer interview prep with the same principle that guides good service: make people feel welcome, comfortable, and prepared for what's to come.

Think about the attention we give guests. We confirm reservations, provide directions, and welcome them when they arrive. A good server explains the experience and anticipates questions.

Why should interviewing a potential employee be any different?

Before candidates work a shift or meet the team, they're already learning how your restaurant operates.

Hiring is hospitality. Make the candidate experience an extension of your guest experience.

Make a Great First Impression

Confirm the interview in advance and provide the details candidates need: where to park, whom to ask for, and what to bring.

When they arrive, greet them warmly, offer something to drink, and explain how the interview will proceed.

Restaurants get busy. If something delays your meeting, communicate what's happening rather than leaving the candidate waiting. A team member could offer a tour or introduce them to employees while you're occupied.

Respect their time as carefully as you would a guest's.

Employer Interview Prep: Know Your Candidate

Read the resume beforehand. Understand the candidate's experience and what you'd like to learn.

A server with ten years in fine dining deserves a different conversation than someone entering their first upscale restaurant. The same applies to a Sous Chef pursuing their first Chef position.

A consistent interview structure doesn't mean asking everyone identical questions.

Candidates can also prepare using our front-of-house interview prep and back-of-house interview prep guides.

Ask Questions That Start Conversations

After interviewing thousands of hospitality professionals, I've learned that uncomplicated questions often reveal the most.

Some favorites:

• Tell me about a service when you were completely in the weeds.

• What do you do when you're caught up and your teammates aren't?

• Tell me about a mistake you made during service.

• What made a former manager someone you enjoyed working for?

• What would make you stay in your next position?

Ask follow-up questions.

Real stories contain details: the dishwasher who called out, the guest who returned a nearly finished filet, or the coworker who stepped in when everything went sideways.

I'm listening for how someone thinks, communicates, handles pressure, and treats others.

For more guidance, see 7shifts' guide to hiring restaurant staff.

Don't Confuse Nervousness With Ability

Interviews are strange situations. They're a little like first dates, with both people hoping to make a good impression.

Someone who confidently manages a packed dining room on Saturday night may become nervous talking about themselves.

Another candidate may interview beautifully and struggle once they're responsible for a section.

Give people room to settle into the conversation. Start with something familiar from their resume.

Evaluate their experience and abilities, not simply how polished they are during an interview.

Tell the Truth About the Job

Be clear about compensation, scheduling, responsibilities, and expectations.

If every Saturday night is required, say so. If your restaurant serves 300 covers regularly, explain what that means.

And if the last three employees struggled with the same responsibility, consider why.

Getting someone to accept an offer isn't the objective. Hiring someone who understands the job and wants it is.

Toast's restaurant employee insights provide additional perspective on what employees value.

Let Them Experience Your Restaurant

Encourage candidates to ask questions throughout the interview.

Show them the dining room, kitchen, or bar. Introduce them to people they might work with.

Does the candidate acknowledge the dishwasher? Ask the bartender a question? Show curiosity about the operation?

Just as importantly, how does your team respond?

These interactions can reveal things a formal interview doesn't.

The After Dinner Mint

Before the candidate leaves, explain what happens next.

Another interview? A stage? A decision?

When should they expect to hear from you?

Then follow through.

If you promise an update Friday, contact them Friday, even if you need more time.

As I discussed in Technology Changed Hiring, candidates may be exploring several opportunities at once.

Nobody enjoys waiting for a server who never comes back. Candidates don't enjoy waiting for an employer who disappears either.

The interview may be over, but their experience with your restaurant isn't.

Hiring Is Hospitality

Candidates notice whether you're prepared, how they're welcomed, whether you listen, and how honestly you describe the opportunity.

Hospitality doesn't mean lowering your standards. Hospitality and high standards have always belonged in the same restaurant.

Both sides should leave understanding what working together might look like.

As you prepare for your next interview, put one nonnegotiable at the top of your list: show the candidate hospitality.