Restaurant Job Hiring: 7 Positions You Need To Fill

What makes a successful restaurant?

Great food and drinks are vital – if your deliverable isn’t up to par, then nothing else really matters. Location is important too. If you’re off the beaten path or hard to find, then you’re going to have a tough time keeping regulars.

How about service?

We can’t forget about the people who make the restaurant’s experience come to life. Everyone – from the people bussing tables to those cooking the food – has a vital role in providing a stellar dining experience.

If people make the restaurant a success, then you’re going to need to know which roles are essential to keeping customers happy. Here are 7 restaurant positions you need to fill:

1. Hosts

Unless you’re a fast-food restaurant with open seating, you’re going to want someone there to greet all your guests. The first impression may very well be your last impression, so it’s imperative that you hire the right people for this role.

They should look presentable and be organized. Ideally, they should also be extroverted and enthusiastic, so they set the tone for an upbeat and exciting dining experience.

Enthusiasm takes you far in a host or hostess role, but it isn’t everything. Since they’re checking in guests and manning the phone, they need to be organized as well. One missed reservation or unanswered phone call costs the business money. And every minute diners are waiting for a table, they grow impatient. The ability to multitask helps tremendously here.

2. Waitstaff

If the host sets the first impression, then the waitstaff is the face of the restaurant. Few people remember a good experience from their host or hostess, but they’ll definitely remember a good experience with the waitstaff.

Once again, enthusiasm matters here. You want smiling faces and an inviting tone at all times. Often, this comes with experience and confidence, but it’s also something to look for in the interview, because it’s hard to teach enthusiasm and confidence. You either have it, or you don’t.

Knowledge of the menu is important, as is the ability to multitask and retain information. One missed detail or overlooked opportunity to check-in, and you’ll leave diners with a sour taste in their mouth.

3. Bartenders

Alcohol often has the highest profit margin of any product and is crucial to the success of the restaurant. If your bar is backed up or, worse, non-existent, then you need to prioritize it. When looking for an ideal candidate, you want someone with extensive knowledge of mixology, and who can train other bartenders and waitstaff to help when the bar is backed up.

The ability to juggle multiple drink orders efficiently and graceful is essential. Without juggling skills, you might as well buy a vending machine. You’ll also want someone outgoing, since people tell their bartenders everything and will continue to come back if they like the service. One final note on bartenders is to hire someone trustworthy. Bartenders handle a lot of cash and expensive alcohol, so a few extra steps in the interview can make all the difference.

4. Cooks

People want a consistent experience from their favorite restaurants. When they return or bring friends, they want to walk away full, satisfied, and ready to return soon. The cooks make that magic happen. If the cook isn’t invested or cuts corners, then the entire restaurant suffers.

When hiring a cook, it’s important to find someone who not only loves what they do but works well under pressure. If they can’t handle the Saturday night dinner rush, then they’re a liability in the kitchen that’ll just slow you down or detract from your guest’s experience.

Some other good qualities to look for in a cook are cleanliness and attention to detail. If they keep their workplace clean and prioritize mise en place, or “everything in its place,” then your kitchen efficiency and food quality will rise as well.

5. Delivery Crew

You need a delivery crew to maximize your bottom line. Catering to the guests you can fit in the restaurant is one thing, but opening up to the masses sitting at home or in hotels takes your revenue to another level.

Takeout is a staple of any budding restaurant, but consider hiring delivery drivers or opening up to delivery companies who can extend your reach. If your takeout or delivery service is slow, you can always use them as food runners to deliver food to tables.

6. Management Team

Ensuring that the restaurant is fully staffed and fully stocked is a full-time responsibility and one that ownership shouldn’t take lightly. Somebody has to keep the machine well-oiled and operating at maximum capacity. That’s the manager’s job.

The restaurant management team needs to have a working knowledge of each role’s duties and responsibilities and be able to step in momentarily to clear a bottleneck. A good manager will not only retain good employees but enhance the diners’ experience.

7. Chef

If you operate a corporate restaurant, then someone far, far away is making the menu for you. If that’s not the case, then appointing a lead cook or a chef is imperative to your restaurant’s success.

Someone who knows how to set a menu and pair drinks can vastly improve the dining experience. Ideally, you want someone who understands your dining crowd and what they keep coming back for, but who is also willing to take risks and try to dazzle people. The chef will also inspire the rest of the kitchen staff to do their best and learn new skills, which has a compound effect on your restaurant’s success.

Now that you’re aware of the essential positions required to boost a restaurant’s credibility and profitability, it’s time to streamline the scheduling process. ZoomShift helps you spend less time working in your business and more time working on it. Start your free trial today!

JD Spinoza

JD enjoys teaching people how to use ZoomShift to save time spent on scheduling. He’s curious, likes learning new things everyday and playing the guitar (although it’s a work in progress).