Hiring a server: how to make the right hire?

Finding a qualified server for your bar or pub can be a complicated task without a structured selection process. This process is extremely important, because a good server will be your business's best friend: they are the ones who connect with customers and optimize sales.

If you are an owner or manager of a bar and are struggling to hire an excellent team, this text will help you identify the skills and traits a good server should have. Making the right choice can define the success of your business.

So, how do you identify and hire the right server? What qualities should you look for in a potential candidate for this job? There are some questions that will tell you a lot about your candidate.

Questions that will help when hiring a server

Generally, the education level of most workers entering this occupation is high school or less. This means you are dealing with very young people. Here are some question tips that will help you carefully evaluate candidates for this position.

Give equal time and attention to each candidate individually. So that you don't miss important things said during the conversation, don't try to memorize what they said during the interview; write it down instead! That way, you will get a better sense of the profiles and be able to pick the best ones.

List of important questions to use during the interview:

• What is your experience with customer service?
• What kinds of bars do you visit in your free time?
• What is the most stressful job you have had so far?
• What are your hobbies?
• If there is a large number of people at the bar, in what order will you serve the guests?
• What are the benefits of teamwork, in your opinion?
• Do you have a story where you experienced a positive example of teamwork in solving a problem?
• How would you act if you had a drunk customer who insulted you?
• A bottled beer falls and breaks on the floor. What would you do next?
• You received a complicated drink order and ended up forgetting it. What would your next step be?

These are some specific questions that will provide insights into the qualities of your potential servers and will help you get important information about your candidates' skills and personalities before hiring.
In addition to the specific questions, you can ask those classic questions, such as:

• Why would you like to work here?
• Why did you leave your last job?
• Name 3 flaws and 3 strengths of yours.
• Why should we hire you and not someone else for this job?
• What is your availability?
• What are your salary expectations?

Skills test to run during the interview

Has the candidate answered most of your questions satisfactorily so far? Then it's time to move on to the next part of the interview. Give the candidate these two easy tests .

Math and the ability to calculate quickly should be strengths of your future server, as well as the ability to memorize several orders at once. With that in mind, run this short test to find out the candidate's abilities.

Make a hypothetical order and ask the candidate to repeat the order you will say. The key is that your order contains at least seven items, including special requests such as "with ice" or "no lime."

After this first test, give the candidate a price list and ask how they would charge for that order.

Note the time each candidate needs to complete the tasks. You can take into account the accuracy of the answer and the time the candidate took to complete the tasks before making a final decision on hiring for this role.

Important traits and skills for a server

Servers and attendants are the face of your business and the bridge between your establishment and your most important asset: your customers. A server's main goal is to offer welcoming, friendly service to the customer and provide the most memorable nights of their lives. As in every profession, there are certain traits and skills that distinguish a server who will be successful from one who will not.

Essential traits and skills a server needs to have:

• Interacts well with customers;
• Good memory;
• Knowledge of drinks;
• Works well under pressure;
• Can move around the bar without constantly bumping into things;
• Shows initiative;
• Has good hygiene;
• Gets along well with the existing team;
• Communicates clearly and in a friendly way;
• Walks with a sense of urgency (this is very important);
• Is extremely attentive;
• Is punctual;
• Knows how to handle difficult situations with drunk customers;
• Has lots of energy;
• Has a positive personality! Customers like to see a positive, outgoing person;
• Has a strong work ethic;
• Is honest;
• Is charismatic. Smiles! Smiling is important too!

Is there a perfect server?

Many standout servers start out very young and inexperienced, but they are hard workers who, after some time, become communicative candidates perfect for this job. If you notice that a candidate has the most essential ingredients of a brilliant server, you can train them to gain the other skills. It is extremely smart to invest in the training and well-being of your servers.

Now you are well equipped to make a spot-on server hire. Want more tips on how to build the rest of your team? Download our free e-book: Bar management: everything about the first steps, which will help you turn your passion for the beer market into a success story.

Want to learn more about myTapp and how we can bring technology to your venue? Request a contact!

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