A restaurants success and reputation lies within it’s staff. Because of this, it is crucial that your recruitment process involves picking out the very best of staff. If you are a restaurant owner, how passionate and accommodating you are is of no relevance if the staff representing the establishment are inefficient and negative.

For many customers, it only takes one poor performing member of staff for them to leave a negative review on the likes of Yelp and TripAdvisor, regardless of how helpful and friendly the owners or other staff are.

How and where can I find the best restaurant staff?

You may be one of the best CEOs, but if you don’t hire the best staff, don’t expect to see sales being driven. Quality staff that know exactly what they are doing are key to driving sales and acquiring and retaining customers. However, it is unfortunate that no matter great your recruitment process may be, a few bad apples may be let in.

The elements you should watch out for are;

1. Passion v Experience
2. Certification v Hands-On Training
3. Entry Level v Professional Staff

1. Passion v. Experience

Most managers have at one point taken the risk of hiring someone inexperienced by virtue of the passion they exhibit for their job. This can work out wonderfully if the passion is properly directed. For a restaurant business, positions that can benefit most from passionate individuals include the chef and mixologist; however, you should rely more on experience than passion when hiring a banquet manager.

To find the best passionate restaurant staff, word of mouth recommendations and head-hunting works best. For experienced staff, advertising job vacancies and referrals may provide the perfect match.

2. Certification v. Hands-On Training

When looking for quality staff, the choice sometimes boils down to what level of training your prospects possess. What would be your top pick for chef between a fresh graduate and a sous-chef who has learnt her trade working as an understudy for low to medium-level chefs? It all depends on your particular restaurant needs.

To find the best-certified staff, hospitality job boards work best while referrals are suitable for quickly finding a top-quality informally trained employee.

3. Entry Level v. Professional Staff

Restaurant entry-level positions such as busboys, waiting staff, and valets can be hired in large numbers without too much focus on experience and quality. The desired quality can be achieved through in-house training and periodic job evaluations.

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