How to screen waiting staff
Front-of-house roles are about warmth and pace, which a CV rarely shows. A short conversation in the candidate's own language shows you both.
Must-haves to check first
Decide these before you advertise. Keep the list short - every extra requirement narrows your pool.
- Availability for your busiest services Possible knock-out
- Front-of-house experience - nice-to-have for most roles Nice to have
Using knock-outs fairly
Only make something a knock-out if the job genuinely cannot be done without it - a licence the law requires, or shifts the role cannot flex. Tell applicants about it up front, and give anyone knocked out a way to ask a person to review their answer.
7 questions to ask every waiting staff applicant
Ask everyone the same core questions, in the same order, and follow up where their CV leaves a gap. That's what makes a screen fair and comparable.
- Which days and services can you work?Listen for: Availability for your busiest shifts.
- How many tables have you looked after at once?Listen for: Realistic numbers for your restaurant.
- A guest tells you they have a nut allergy. What do you do?Listen for: Tells the kitchen, checks the dish, never guesses. Allergen awareness is essential.
- A guest complains their food is cold. What do you do?Listen for: Apologises, takes it back, tells the kitchen and a manager, follows up.
- How would you suggest a dessert or drink without being pushy?Listen for: Natural, friendly upselling.
- What does great service mean to you?Listen for: Attentive, warm, anticipating needs.
- Are you happy to do a trial shift?Listen for: A clear yes.
What not to ask
For this role: Judge communication for the role, not accent. If the role does not need fluent English, do not screen for it.
And for every role, avoid asking about:
- Age or date of birth - unless the law sets a minimum age for the task
- Health, sickness record or disability before a job offer (Equality Act 2010, section 60). The narrow exceptions include asking about adjustments for the recruitment process, and whether someone can carry out a task that is intrinsic to the job - ask about the task, not the condition
- Pregnancy, children, childcare or plans to start a family
- Nationality or "where are you from?" - instead, ask every applicant whether they have the right to work in the UK, and check documents before they start
- Religion, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, or gender reassignment
More on this in AI screening and UK law.
Screening waiting staff at volume
If you get more waiting staff applicants than your team can phone, the questions above are only fair if everyone gets asked them. BeCareers asks every applicant about your must-haves and these questions in a short conversation - in their own language, at any time of day - and gives you the transcript and a summary. You decide who to interview.
See also: AI screening for hospitality.
Get the waiting staff screening pack
Everything on this page as a ready-to-use pack for your team:
- The screening questions, with what good answers sound like
- Suggested must-haves and knock-outs, and what never to ask
- A one-page scoring sheet to keep every screen consistent
Frequently Asked Questions
Screen every waiting staff applicant, not just the first 15
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