What to look for when hiring waitering staff
The staff are one of the most important elements at a big event. They are the first point of contact for your guests and can make or break the day. They need to be informed about what food is being served and must be able to answer guests’ basic questions.
About to hire waitering staff?
Here are tips to make sure you get the right people for the job
1. Know exactly what you’re looking for
Avoid hiring the wrong kind of event staff by having a list of the staff requirements and knowing your expectations for the day so that you can spot the right people straight away. For example, for a wine and food pairing event, you would expect staff to have a solid grasp of the wines on offer.
2. Be specific if you need to be
If the person hosting the event specifically wants all blonde staff or people with brown eyes, make sure you put that in the ad so you don’t get any people who waste their time (and yours) and don’t fit the description.
3. Don’t always take the most experienced individuals
Having experienced serving staff at an event is extremely important and helpful, but they aren’t always the people with the best attitude or happiest persona. Take a mix of both outgoing and inexperienced waitering staff as well as those who are more serious with more experience.
4. Get to know their skills
Ask them where their individual strengths and weaknesses lie so you can ensure you place them in the right places with the right tasks. Knowing your team ensures they are all working at their highest capacity in areas that they know and enjoy.
5. Make their experience positive
Although it is a working day for the staff, they still need to be treated with respect and kindness so they can assist in helping the event to run as smoothly as possible. Happy employees make for a more productive and positive environment.
6. Appoint a Team Supervisor or Leader for larger events
Staff will be asking a lot of questions to make sure they get the job done right. If you don’t have time for this, then appoint someone who has all the answers and can take of the staff for you.
7. Pay a good rate
When you offer a rate that is slightly higher than everyone else, you attract more experienced staff. You’re competing with other venues and events in the area, so if you want to be the most appealing, pay accordingly.
8. Know the legalities
Make sure you know the rules in terms of staff breaks, fair working hours, and fair wages so you don’t break any of them and find yourself on the wrong side of the law.
If you stick to these pointers, your staff will serve their purpose and act as a beneficial and invaluable part of your event. But, if you don’t have the time to go through the process of finding staff, let us do that for you! Food Matters not only provides incredible catering for your event, we also provide the perfect staff to make that event a success in every way!