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How To Hire Bar And Restaurant Staff

How To Hire Bar And Restaurant Staff
Post Series: How to Hire

The bar and restaurant industry is experiencing strong demand for staff members, making competition stiff if you need to recruit bar and restaurant managers or back and front of house employees. With a wide variety of roles, a bar or restaurant owner will need to hire well to ensure daily tasks are completed, safety guidelines are adhered to, and revenue and profits are achieved.

Download Job Advert Template

As candidates are in a strong position to pick their employer, you will need to use effective recruitment solutions to attract and hire people with the skills, traits, and qualifications you seek. Failure to use a proper hiring strategy can be costly, financially and in time. So, where do you begin?

Our Bar And Restaurant Staff Hiring Guide will take you through the recruitment steps, including:

  • Preparing To Recruit Bar And Restaurant Staff: Your Employer Brand & Company Careers Page
  • Writing A Bar And Restaurant Job Description & Job Advert
  • How To Hire All Bar And Restaurant Staff
  • Advertising Restaurant And Bar Staff Positions: Referral Schemes, Social Media, & Job Boards
  • Reducing Hiring Staff Costs And Time: Recruitment Companies & ATS
  • Screening Job Seekers And The Interview Process
  • Presenting A Job Offer & Onboarding Staff Members Or A Bar Manager

Preparing To Recruit Bar And Restaurant Staff: Your Employer Brand & Company Careers Page

How To Recruit Bar And Restaurant Staff

Before you start advertising externally for potential candidates, you should review all your existing candidate touchpoints to ensure you are promoting a positive employer brand. You will ultimately only secure the best back of house and front of house staff if you show that you are a highly desirable employer where a new hire will want to work.

It would help if you considered how you portray your bar and restaurant culture as a positive work environment, your company values, and your business success, along with other elements such as support for training staff and nurturing career development. In our Guide On How To Hire, we explore deeper the topics of Why Should SMEs Build An Employer Brand and What Should Be On A Company Careers Page.

Writing A Bar And Restaurant Job Description & Job Advert

Writing Job Descriptions For Back And Front Of House Staff

You can only write an accurate employee job description and job advert for your restaurant and bar operations if you speak to senior executives and key decision makers in the hiring process:

Bar And Restaurant Job Descriptions

Writing a job description for employee positions will help you as a business owner or your hiring manager speed up the recruitment process. The best practice is to have one on file for all company positions, which can be quickly updated and used to create a job posting whenever recruitment needs arise.

For SEO, it is good practice to integrate relevant keywords and key phrases that back and front of house candidates might search for in a search engine. The job profile should have a clear message to attract the right staff. It also helps to refrain from using excessive punctuation and too much industry jargon, which might put off potential workers transitioning to the service industry with transferable skills.

Download Job Advert Template

When writing a restaurant or bar job description, consider:

  1. Identifying and outlining typical company-wide requirements
  2. Collating today’s minimum skills, food safety knowledge, qualifications, accreditations, and experience
  3. Reviewing what your competitors are saying when they have a staffing needs
  4. What the best employees should look like
  5. How you want your brand to be perceived

Our Job Description Templates can help you get started; we appreciate writing this content can be a challenge, particularly if you have many other positions. You can discover the most popular Bar And Restaurant Job Descriptions here.

Further useful resources include How To Define What People Do In Their Jobs, Preparing Job Descriptions, and Key Roles And Responsibilities In Bar And Restaurant.

Bar And Restaurant Job Adverts

Your employee job descriptions form the basis of your new job ad. There are extra things to add to attract the right talent with appropriate skills and experience, so ensure your job ad includes:

  1. An accurate job title – bar manager, head chef, bar staff, kitchen staff, restaurant manager, beverage director, line cooks, bouncer/bouncers, server, waiter, waitress, etc
  2. An opening statement – saying why bar managers or kitchen and bar staff will want to work for your establishment
  3. The job’s description
  4. A list of job responsibilities – handling customer complaints, managing bar inventory, running high volume beverage programs, serving customers food and drinks, explaining or promoting drinks and food menu items, collecting empty glasses, creating staff schedules (bar manager / restaurant manager / head chef position), seating customers, answering customers’ questions, etc
  5. Qualifications, personality traits, experience, and required hard and soft skills – positive attitude, excellent communication skills, ability to handle customer complaints, a passion for maintaining customer satisfaction and the customer experience, ability to work in a fast paced environment
  6. Job location – restaurant or bar location or work from home for some remote management positions
  7. Salary range and employee benefits – check the average salary here for roles such as bar manager, restaurant manager, head chef, beverage director, bar staff, etc
  8. Next steps – Potential employees should email xxx or apply via your careers page

We recommend that a medium or small business use a job advert template to get down the basics and then fill in more detail on the unique aspects, such as your bar or restaurant type (fast food / fine dining), team, jobs, and ideal candidate profile.

How To Hire All Bar And Restaurant Staff

HOW TO HIRE A BARISTA

To hire a Barista, start your job advert by letting candidates know if the position is within a bar, cafe, or restaurant. It is crucial also to define expected work hours and shifts, benefits, and your brand’s values. Candidate requirements might include a food beverage diploma or the Level 2 Award in Barista Skills.

Enticing job aspects include creating or making specialist coffee blends, taking customer orders, preparing food, taking payments, ensuring quality, and providing excellent customer service.

Barista Job Description Example

Post A Barista Job

HOW TO HIRE A BARTENDER

To hire a Bartender, let applicants know whether you are a pub, restaurant, or club, as well as the days and times of shifts and if the role is part or full-time. It will also be helpful if your job advert clarifies if you need an experienced bartender or provide on-the-job training.

Enjoyable duties include greeting and conversing with customers, mixing drinks and cocktails, promoting offers, taking bar menu orders, handling complaints, and cleaning and restocking the bar.

Bartender Job Description Example

Post A Bartender Job

HOW TO HIRE A WAITER

To hire a Waiter, advertise your vacancy on social media and general job boards, covering all the basics such as pay and your brand’s vision. Most candidates will have an idea of the role, but it won’t hurt to state the individual will need to be physically fit for standing during shifts, friendly, and be able to work as part of a busy team.

Waiter duties include greeting customers as they arrive and guiding them to a table, providing menus and recommending specials, taking orders, delivering food and drink to tables, taking payments, handling complaints, and clearing tables.

Waiter Job Description Example

Post A Waiter Job

HOW TO HIRE A CHEF

To hire a Chef, briefly describe your culinary business and the focus of its cuisine. Candidate must-haves include physical endurance for working long hours, team-working, and leadership when the role is head chef.

Duties that compel applicants to apply include developing seasonal menus, chopping and cooking ingredients, overseeing food safety and hygiene, instructing junior staff, setting up and closing down the kitchen, and maintaining communication with front-of-house employees.

Chef Job Description Example

Post A Chef Job

HOW TO HIRE A KITCHEN PORTER

To hire a Kitchen Porter, give an overview of your business, team, and standards. Job boards and social media are effective tools for getting your position in front of a relevant audience. Top personal traits include fitness and an ability to work under pressure.

Download Job Advert Template

Kitchen porter responsibilities include preparing food prep areas and cleaning them during and at the end of service, washing utensils, pans, and pots, emptying rubbish bins, and mopping floors.

Kitchen Porter Job Description Example

Post A Kitchen Porter Job

HOW TO HIRE A SOUS CHEF

To hire a Sous Chef, write a job description promoting your business’s and kitchen staff’s unique aspects. Qualified candidates might have a diploma in professional cookery, hospitality management, or culinary arts.

Enticing parts of the sous chef role include developing dishes, overseeing kitchen staff, managing the food inventory, training staff, setting staff schedules, and resolving diner complaints or issues.

Sous Chef Job Description Example

Post A Sous Chef Job

HOW TO HIRE A RESTAURANT MANAGER

To hire a Restaurant Manager, write a company overview and include links to your website and social media pages so that interested candidates can discover more. Creating a candidate profile will help you receive applications from the right people and could include previous supervisory experience and a degree in business management.

Responsibilities that attract restaurant managers include hiring employees, arranging training and appraising their performance, approving culinary dishes, ordering marketing materials, opening and closing the restaurant, ensuring customer satisfaction, and achieving the goals set by the restaurant owner.

Restaurant Manager Job Description Example

Post A Restaurant Manager Job

HOW TO HIRE A BAR MANAGER

To hire a Bar Manager, stimulate interest by discussing your brand and the bar’s clientele. A person profile might include organisation, communication, and people management skills.

The appealing aspects of the bar manager role include hiring part or full-time staff, setting standards and implementing controls, conducting staff training, creating promotions and arranging marketing materials, and working on the bar during peak hours or in the absence of bar staff.

Bar Manager Job Description Example

Post A Bar Manager Job

HOW TO HIRE BAR STAFF

To hire Bar Staff, relay the role’s typical remuneration, when and the length of shifts, and the format of the bar. Bar staff qualities to request include numeracy and trustworthiness for handling cash, physical endurance, and a polite and engaging manner.

Use a job description that prioritises appealing tasks such as greeting drinkers, mixing cocktails and other beverages, taking food orders, delivering food, handling cash and card payments, maintaining a clean bar area, managing complaints, and restocking the bar. 

Bar Staff Job Description Example

Post A Bar Staff Job

HOW TO HIRE A KITCHEN ASSISTANT

To hire a Kitchen Assistant, create a concise overview of your kitchen or restaurant and explain the benefits of joining your team. Previous experience can be an advantage but isn’t usually a requirement set in stone.

The duties of a kitchen assistant include washing pots and pans, following health and food hygiene best practices, emptying bins, organising and stocking cold rooms and fridges, and completing tasks requested by chefs or kitchen managers.

Kitchen Assistant Job Description Example

Post A Kitchen Assistant Job

HOW TO HIRE A CHEF DE PARTIE

To hire a Chef De Partie job, advertise your position on multiple job boards and highlight pay and career development opportunities. Coupled with outstanding culinary skills, a good candidate will have excellent communication and ideally have some supervisory experience.

Appealing job aspects include managing the kitchen line, auditing and ordering stock and ingredients, introducing new menu items, ensuring good food hygiene, and collaborating with head chefs and kitchen managers.

Chef De Partie Job Description Example

Post A Chef de Partie Job

HOW TO HIRE A WAITRESS

To hire a Waitress, describe the work environment, the restaurant or cafe’s team, and the typical customer. The job can be demanding, so ask for someone who has a cool head and can remain on their feet for the entirety of a shift. 

Waitressing can be highly satisfying, so promote duties such as welcoming guests into the establishment, preparing tables, checking that food and drinks are well-received, taking reservations over the phone, serving food, and taking payments by card or cash.

Waitress Job Description Example

Post A Waitress Job

HOW TO HIRE A BAR SUPERVISOR

To hire a Bar Supervisor, highlight employee benefits, training, and opportunities for career advancement. Writing an applicant profile will help secure a good fit, and it might include POS system familiarity and experience working as a bartender.

Bar supervisors enjoy many of the role’s duties, such as training and supervising junior bar staff, providing motivation, auditing and ordering supplies, promoting events and offers, recording expenditure, and monitoring budgets.

Bar Supervisor Job Description Example

Post A Bar Supervisor Job

Advertising Restaurant And Bar Staff Positions: Referral Schemes, Social Media, & Job Boards

Advertising For Bar Managers And Hiring Restaurant Staff

With the job ad in hand, bar and restaurant owners are ready to find and hire the best talent to fill vacant restaurant and bar jobs. Your recruitment strategy might include posting your position:

Download Job Advert Template

Internally (Employee Referral Schemes)

A non-incentivised or incentivised employee referral scheme is extremely valuable when you want to hire the right bar staff or kitchen staff. You will turn your current employees into motivated recruiters, sharing that you are seeking a new hire across their social and professional networks (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter).

Employee referral schemes often bring in the best candidates, with your team’s connections including like-minded individuals and industry contacts. To engage this hiring strategy, share your job ads with your team and reward referrals from employees.

You can discover tips on referral schemes for employees by reading Introducing An Employee Referral Scheme.

On Social Media

Hiring employees through social media sites is effective, with paid and free advertising options. The best tips for success include ensuring your social media messaging is consistent with your bar or restaurants’ brand and conveys a positive image. An active social channel is helpful if you want to build a community of talent just waiting for an opportunity to join your team and thrive in an exciting and fast paced environment. Recommended activity includes posting news, expert opinions, updates, and restaurant and bar running insights.

Our tips and advice for implementing a successful social network hiring strategy include:

  • Marketing yourself first
  • Joining industry networks and groups
  • Engaging with respondents and nurturing discussions
  • Using advanced search tools and Recruiter Lite on LinkedIn
  • Using Twitter’s advanced search tool and direct messaging
  • Building activity on your company’s Facebook page and encouraging engagement from existing employees and customers, turning them into company advocates

We explore finding good candidates through social networking further in our articles Social Media Hiring Strategies For SMEs and Job Advertising On Social Media.

On Job Boards

Whether you are recruiting your first hire or your hundredth, you need a flexible approach that includes advertising on job boards, which is essential if you want to be hire in an acceptable timeframe. You can post your bar or restaurants’ jobs on one job board, or many using an Applicant Tracking System. Job board resellers help you advertise your bar and restaurant job across multiple general, niche, and geographical job boards using their integrated ATS software, minimising the hassle and time of developing leads and hiring employees.

Leading General Job Boards:

Niche Bar And Restaurant Job Boards:

Aggregator Job Boards:

Geographical Job Sites:

You can advertise your job on these job boards today.

Reducing Hiring Staff Costs And Time: Recruitment Companies & ATS

Reducing Hiring Costs Of A Beverage Director Or Kitchen And Bar Staff

Budgets, deadlines, and administration require careful consideration whenever you instigate the recruitment process to find and secure a new hire. To get the best results, you may decide to work with a recruiting firm with a UK wide focus, a global recruitment partner, or a niche recruitment company.

We discuss agency fees and recruiters in these two articles; How To Avoid High Recruitment Agency Fees and The Pros And Cons Of Having A Recruiter On Retainer.

Fixed Cost Recruitment

Fixed-cost recruitment allows you to hire at a flat fee governed by the level of service and functionality you desire.

The success of fixed-cost recruitment depends on the company offering the service, the methodologies they deploy, and their expertise and knowledge of the food and beverages industry. You will need to determine which actions you need assistance with to use flat-fee recruitment successfully.

Four steps to leveraging fixed cost recruitment to hire:

  1. Place ads across leading job boards
  2. Search CV databases and social networking channels
  3. Headhunt and shortlist new employee candidates with initial screening
  4. Receive interviewed and qualified applicants

Useful resources:

Applicant Tracking Systems

Automatic Tracking Systems can significantly reduce the costs to recruit bar and restaurant staff by creating efficiency. Candidate, vacancy, and advert management fall within the software’s parameters.

Team access creates a unified place to work, helping you build a seamless hiring process and applicant experience.

Five steps to centralising recruitment with ATS:

  1. Find service industry staff online
  2. Review applicant scores
  3. Distribute personalised messages to a large applicant pool
  4. Automate responses using the software
  5. Direct candidates to application forms

To explore all the features and benefits of Automatic Tracking Systems, read Centralising Recruitment With ATS.

Download Job Advert Template

Screening Job Seekers And The Interview Process

Screening And Interviewing Restaurant And Bar Staff

Before interviewing commences, you need to shortlist applicants by reviewing their CVs or resumes. Indications that you have qualified candidates worth interviewing include:

  • Quantifiable evidence of past achievements and skills
  • The individual has steady career progression
  • The candidate is not job-hopping
  • The CV is free from spelling and grammatical errors
  • The applicant has the relevant business acumen, experience, and the skills to meet the job’s requirements

Business owners and hiring managers need to be prepared to deliver a consistent interview experience. It helps to ask the same interview questions to each candidate, to aid applicant scoring. Ensure anyone who has candidate contact is on the same page and understands the brand’s vision, values, work environment, and opportunities. Interviews should be challenging, supportive, positive, and engaging.

Video interviews are an increasingly popular recruitment solution, saving on resources and speeding up the recruitment process. Video sharing, shortlisting, and feedback from hiring and line managers ultimately generate more successful outcomes. If your firm has not conducted a video interview before, read How To Conduct A Remote Interview.

Our article Defining Your Interview Process, discusses interview questions, avoiding unconscious bias, and interviewing tips.

Presenting A Job Offer & Onboarding Staff Members Or A Bar Manager

Presenting A Job Offer To Food And Drinks Industry Staff

When you have finished interviewing candidates and believe you have the right person for your role, you will need to present a job offer and onboard the part or full time employee:

Making A Job Offer

The process of presenting the offer to professionals will vary depending on what has occurred before. If you don’t already understand the individual’s current earnings, expectations are better managed over the phone. Phone offers should be confident but be prepared to make changes if the individual’s circumstances have changed. Reaffirm that the candidate is happy with the offer, clarify their acceptance, and proceed to a formal written offer, in the same way you would for any business employee.

A formal offer letter from your firm can be conditional (dependent on a background check, etc) or unconditional and should include:

  • Job title
  • Candidate name
  • Your conditions – i.e., this offer is made subject to…
  • Official start date, time, and location
  • Probationary period
  • Offer terms
  • Candidate actions and acceptance instructions – i.e., signed copy of job offer
  • Terms and conditions of employment (issued within two months of the start date)

You can read further on Presenting A Job Offer here.

Onboarding Drinks And Food Sector Staff

The onboarding process should support the employee as they begin working with your food, drinks, and dining experience team.

Actions for onboarding might include:

  • Creating an employer identification number
  • Presenting the individual with an employee handbook
  • A bar and restaurant tour, introducing the person to their team and managers
  • Informing the person of the communication methods and the software to use in the new role
  • Presenting clear responsibilities and duties
  • Defining new role expectations, standards, and performance indicators
  • Gathering feedback from new hires

Hiring Process FAQs

Here we answer your hiring questions.

What are bar staff called?

Bar staff may fall under job titles such as barista, bartender, bar manager, or bar supervisor.

What duties should be included in a job profile and what does a bar staff do?

The duties vary depending on the role but may include serving drinks to customers or giving guests notice that the bar is closing. Front of house staff may deliver food to customers, mix drinks, seat guests, inform customers of daily specials, and take customers’ orders.Restaurant managers and bar managers may also train staff and manage performance.

Our job description templates provide many examples of the roles and responsibilities of restaurant and bar staff.

How To Hire Staff In Different Sectors

Find our recruitment guides for different sectors below:

All Bar And Restaurant Job Descriptions

Post All Bar And Restaurant Jobs

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