Restaurant Job Board Blog

Have you ever noticed the quality of service when you go to a fancy restaurant?  The restaurant staff all give an excellent level of service, and they are very polished in their manners and grooming.  Many staff members that we don’t even come into contact with a big contributors to a restaurant’s success.

Approximately one-third of adults have been employed in some type of restaurant at some time in their life.  The food and restaurant service sector grows approximately 12 percent each year providing about 1.9 million which 47,000 of those are management level positions.

Most people in the restaurant business get their skills through their own experience in the job but there is an advantage if you have formal training in the industry.  Restaurants do look for employees who do have the training and  experience and the financial benefits are better for those who do have the training in the restaurant business.

There are many areas to be employed in the food and restaurant industry such as human resources, marketing, food technology, customer relations or even in the business or accounting area.  Hospitality Management colleges or schools offer courses in any of these fields but someone with business education and management skills could also fit in. These courses run anywhere from 2 – 4 years which include the area you want to specialize in.  Some schools also offer interships and co-op courses.  Some people get their training from a particular restaurant’s own training courses. This is a great way to learn the skills and get the required experience at the same time.

There are many different areas to consider working in if you train in the restaurant and hotel industry such as administration, culinary services, hotel maintenance and marketing. A manager’s duties besides learning different functions of all the departments including the kitchen, bar and banquet services, also includes the hiring of employees and the overseeing of them. This industry also requires housekeeping staff who are usually required to work shifts which are suited to a person who can work under these conditions. There are also many important positions just in the kitchen in the restaurant such as the food and beverage manager, chef or overseeing the other kitchen staff.

When working in the hotel and restaurant industry, you need to be dedicated and give your best level of service whether you’re in management or working for management. Customer service requirements are always high when working with the public and this is why you should always be polite, clean and tidy.  Always give your best level of service and keep the customer happy so they want to return to the establishment and will tell others about its success.

Always show off your great personality if you’re working with the public. This will help to form a great relationship with your customers. If the hospitality industry appeals to you and are thinking about a career in it, there are many great schools to choose from and many great places to work which could be close to home or around the world. It could take you anywhere you would like to be!

Many things when showed on TV or in movies are not realistic to life and a good example of this are many hospitality jobs and careers. They tend to only show the rosey side of things to make the viewer think it is glamorous and rewarding and not grueling and stressful like their jobs may really be on certain days.

A good example of this false portrayal by the media is bartending.  Bartending is just a small part of a big picture in the restaurant business. A bartender is a person who makes drinks and obviously it does require skill to do this.  Different types of establishments require different levels of interactions with the public as well.

An elegant type restaurant employs a bartender who will probably not have much contact with the customers. A casual type setting employs a bartender that may interact fully with the customers.  Restaurants and clubs have different focuses, one being food and one being drinks.  If a bartender does deal with the public directly he/she can make great tips by giving his/her best customer service which is required when working in the service industry.

The way media portrays a bartender makes them a type of person who can give legal, religious and psychiatric advice to their customers.  If this were really true they wouldn’t be tending bar, they’d be in a different profession. There are courses to enroll in to learn how to be a bartender to help them find a job in that field. It can be fun but can also be a very busy job that requires excellent customer service skills.  Men and women both make great bartenders.

A bartender is a good job if that is what you want to do.  It won’t make you into a superhero or make you who everyone wants to depend on for sound advice.  The media lures us in by portraying characters and their every day lives as way too perfect and gratifying.

Have a plan in place before your restaurant opens to ensure the successful hiring of great restaurant employees.  You want the people working for you to be dedicated to the success and reputation of your new restaurant.  The number of employees you hire depends on the size of the restaurant, the hours of operation you intend to keep and also how many positions you require to fill.

An employee who is happy at a job will show through in their work performance and to the reputation of your business.  Try to hire someone who will give you their best effort and is eager to work hard.  Offer them compensation for their efforts and benefits as well.  If you appreciate your employees and acknowledge their hard work,  you will be repaid by your business success.

When you’re ready to hire employees for your restaurant before it opens, place an ad in a classified section of your newspaper or online agency. Mention in the ad  what skills and experience you require and what characteristics you desire in a person.  For example, they have to be pleasant, able to work hard and get along well with other employees and be customer friendly.  If they are successful in obtaining an interview you can further screen them for appropriate skills and personality traits.

Try advertising at the employment office. They will enter the restaurant position(s) in their job bank online.  Many people looking for employment are experienced in the restaurant industry and are eager to work in a new establishment.

If you’re interested in hiring a student, you could contact any of the high schools in the area.  Many students are looking for a job after school or on weekends. Many post secondary schools have job posting boards where potential employers can put up their job advertisements.  Another idea is to investigate potential chefs or cooks at a culinary college.

When you have finally opened your restaurant and realize you need to hire a bit more help, you can get recommendations from your best employees about friends or relatives that may need a job.

Place an ad in your restaurant window that you’re now taking applications for a specific position. Always put a date, time frame and telephone number where and when you can be reached to help the hiring process run smoothly.  This will avoid people dropping off applications past the deadline and at all hours when you’re not prepared to speak to them.