The U.S. restaurant industry employs 14.7 million people. The range of duties extends beyond chefs and waiting staff. Each restaurant role is distinct and requires specific interview questions to identify the best person for the job.<\/p>\n
Whether you\u2019re looking to simply stay up to date on restaurant industry trends, looking for a job in the restaurant industry, or a great restaurant manager who wants to make sure that you\u2019re putting your best foot forward in every interview, here are 7 restaurant interview tips and tricks to keep in mind.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1. Show up on time<\/strong> Here are some tips you should do in the 15 minutes before a job interview: <\/p>\n 2. Be aware of employment laws<\/strong> <\/p>\n 3. Do your research<\/strong> Research tips: <\/p>\n 4. Appearance matters<\/strong> Here\u2019s what NOT to wear: <\/p>\n 5. Be prepared with questions and answers<\/strong> Some example questions to ask are: If you need some help thinking of restaurant interview questions, check out this article: Restaurant interview questions for every position<\/a> for some ideas.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 6. Don’t talk about money<\/strong> <\/p>\n 7. Expect to follow-up<\/strong> A 2017 survey from Accountemps<\/a> found that HR managers like to be contacted by: <\/p>\n This post was written by Kristin Eriksen, Kristin is a creative and results-driven content specialist at Deputy<\/a>. She is a recent grad from Florida State University with a degree in Information, Communication, and Technology. In her spare time, she enjoys reading a good book, the sounds of a great playlist, and seeking adventures in the outdoors.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The U.S. restaurant industry employs 14.7 million people. The range of duties extends beyond chefs and waiting staff. Each restaurant role is distinct and requires specific interview questions to identify the best person for the job. Whether you\u2019re looking to simply stay up to date on restaurant industry trends, looking for a job in the Continued \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[134],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nIt seems basic, but surprisingly, a lot of people are late to restaurant interviews. A good restaurant employee is prompt and reliable, and you should demonstrate those qualities at the interview. Give yourself ample time to reach the location. Rushing will affect your interview performance, so if you think you might be late, call ahead to advise them of the situation.<\/p>\n
\n\u25cf Stay calm and keep your mind clear
\n\u25cf Be friendly to everyone you encounter
\n\u25cf Decide on one or two things you want to be remembered for
\n\u25cf Focus on your posture
\n\u25cf Don\u2019t check your voicemail, email, or social media.<\/p>\n
\nWhile it seems obvious, it’s important to know what things you can and can’t ask during an interview by law. Whether you are becoming a restaurant manager or a server it is very important to be aware of restaurant employment laws and avoid compliance issues and even lawsuits. Under federal law, an employer cannot illegally discriminate in the hiring process based on a job applicant’s race, national origin, gender, pregnancy, age, disability, or religion. Employers must abide by anti-discrimination laws at each stage of the hiring process, from placing a job ad, to interviewing, to the final selection of the candidate to be hired.<\/p>\n
\nReinforce a good first impression by being prepared for the interview. Career experts always advise performing company research before heading into the big interview. Make it your goal to be the best-informed candidate to walk into that interview room and you will stand out from the other applicants.<\/p>\n
\n\u25cf Get to know the company\u2019s website and read the About Us section
\n\u25cf Find out the company\u2019s history
\n\u25cf Compare the company to other companies in its industry
\n\u25cf Read articles where the company is mentioned<\/p>\n
\nFirst impressions are important in job interviews. When you show up for an interview, you want your outfit to be appropriate \u2014 but remember, \u201cinterview-appropriate\u201d will have different meanings at different companies.<\/p>\n
\n\u25cf Loud and bright colors
\n\u25cf Revealing clothing
\n\u25cf Distressed jeans
\n\u25cf Clothes with stains
\n\u25cf Inappropriate footwear
\n\u25cf Animal prints<\/p>\n
\nEvery kitchen has its own culture and demands, so the particular questions will differ accordingly. Plan ahead for how you\u2019ll use your responses and questions to showcase your personality which can show the interview and candidate if this is the right culture fit. Your interviewer won\u2019t care about everything you\u2019ve done \u2013 only the things that are applicable to the specific job you\u2019re applying for.<\/p>\n
\n\u25cf What are some of the challenges you expect the person in this position to face?
\n\u25cf What new skills can I learn here?
\n\u25cf Who’s your ideal candidate and how can I make myself more like them?
\n\u25cf What\u2019s your timeline for next steps?<\/p>\n
\nAt least, don’t talk about money during the first interview. Asking about money before you even know if you\u2019re right for the position can make you look inexperienced, or worse, unprofessional. It can also suggest that you are motivated by the wrong things. Talking about salary and wages is still necessary in the interview process, but it comes last, not first.<\/p>\n
\nFollowing up is an important step to show a hiring manager that you\u2019re still interested, understand the company\u2019s needs, and hopefully, close the deal. Before you follow up, make sure you ask about the next steps of the hiring process: when is it okay to follow up? When are they likely to make a hiring decision? This information will help you better plan for the follow-up process and when to check in for updates.<\/p>\n
\n\u25cf Email – 94%
\n\u25cf Handwritten Note – 86%
\n\u25cf Phone Call – 56%
\n\u25cf Social Media – 7%
\n\u25cf Text Message – 5%<\/p>\n