Tips for hiring front-of-house staff

Looking to hire front-of-house staff? It’s a tough market out there, so we’ve got a few tips for bringing in the right talent and making yourself sound as attractive as possible. 

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‍Personality over experience 

Your front-of-house staff will be the face of your business. Everyone who visits will interact with them, so it’s essential you have people who make a good first impression and increase the likelihood of guests returning. Nobody likes the snooty waiter. 

You want to go for people who capture the essence of your venue’s vibe, and that’s something that comes naturally. When conducting interviews look for personality traits that resonate with your offering and brand. 

If you’re using Mr Yum, keep in mind that a lot of the admin is removed. Instead, servers will spend their time talking to guests and ensuring they’re having a good time. So, it’s less integral that candidates have years of experience in processing orders and payments. 

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Tip of the hat 

Tips are a great way to attract and retain the right people in your business. Everyone loves that little extra on top of a job well done, especially front-of-house staff.

Let potential candidates know if your venue is renowned for bringing in tips. But don’t just throw it out there – provide figures. For instance, our venues typically see a 30% increase in tip value compared to sites that take traditional payment methods.  

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Look at why people leave

One of the best ways to address staff turnover and the need to hire is to look at why people leave front-of-house positions. Common reasons for staff leaving are burnout, lack of upwards momentum and inflexible scheduling. 

Do what you can to combat these in your venue and look from the talent pool’s perspective on what you can offer them aside from a wage. 

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Hit up your referral network  

An excellent way to secure talent is to encourage staff to recommend people. Given how small the hospitality industry is, they may have worked with some front-of-house superstars in the past.

Offer incentives for team members who recommend a successful candidate, such as cash bonuses, a round of drinks or a personalised trophy (probably don’t go with that last one). 

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Maintain a winning culture 

Word gets around quickly, so be sure that previous employees have only good things to say about you and your business. Culture is one of the main cards up your sleeve for ensuring staff are enjoying their time with you. 

Look at what you offer staff as incentives to stick around. Do you do regular team drinks or lunches? Do you provide opportunities for them to up-skill? Remember that many hospitality workers will be studying or require flexible schedules – so you should enable them to thrive inside and outside of work. 

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