RECRUITMENT GUIDE
How To Hire A Restaurant Manager
A restaurant manager is responsible for ensuring that the day to day operations of a restaurant run as efficiently and effectively as possible. They must oversee and direct employees, resolve any issues, and ensure that the organization is consistently profitable.
Depending on the specific organization, a restaurant manager may be based in an office, or alternatively, they may be active in the restaurant and be in contact daily with the employees and customers. They must make certain that employees are working in accordance with the company values, and are always working in a way that is a positive representation of the business.
As a role that directly impacts the ability of others to carry out their job, it’s important that restaurant managers are extremely organized, are able to multitask, and are able to adapt and respond to business needs and overcome any obstacles that arise.
Day-to-day tasks of this role:
- Create and arrange employee rosters.
- Oversee and generate restaurant budgets.
- Keep and eye on stock levels, and order more stock when necessary.
- Interview, hire, and train new employees.
- Handle customer complaints and issues.
- Oversee employee performance.
- Change and update menu items.
- Developing and implementing initiatives to improve profitability.
Recruitment Process
UNDERSTAND THE ROLE
Skills profile for Restaurant Manager
The qualifications required to be a restaurant manager vary depending on the specific organization. Some restaurants may require managers to have a management, or hospitality degree or certificate, while others may require relevant training and industry experience. There are some common skills required for this position.
An important skill for a restaurant manager is being able to manage staff. They must have demonstrated experience in managing hospitality teams including chefs and wait staff, and also promote a positive work environment at all times. They must prioritise staff training, be competent in rostering, and listen to staff feedback to overall improve the work environment. They must also be able to monitor staff performance, and provide feedback so that each employee can continue to improve their skills during their employment.
A restaurant manager must also have strong interpersonal skills. They must have the ability to work well with other people from all cultures, and walks of life. They need to be able to communicate with everybody they come into contact with, whether they be customers, staff or suppliers in a clear and effective manner, and listen carefully to every stakeholder before responding.
It is also essential that a restaurant manager is very business savvy. They need to have strong business acumen to decide on specials, marketing, and deals to create in order to improve profitability, and also understand target customers and how to attract them into the venue. They also need to have a strong commercial mindset in order to minimise costs and increase profits with resources and supplies.
Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position.
SOURCE APPLICANTS
Restaurant Manager Job Description
Summary:
- Why is this role being filled?
- How does this role fit into the organization and the team?
- What makes your company unique?
- What would it be like to work for you?
Requirements:
- What technical skills are needed for this role?
- Which soft skills are applicable?
- What are the nice-to-have experiences of your ideal candidate?
- Include availability preferences in this section
Responsibilities:
- What are the key deliverables for this role?
- What does the day-to-day of this role look like?
Benefits:
- Compensation & bonuses
- Employee benefits & perks
- Ongoing training benefits
PRO TIP #1
In building your candidate profile, you’ve already identified what skills are needed to be successful in the role. Here’s where to list your “must-have” skills and maybe a couple of “nice-to-have” skills. For example, a restaurant manager must have great customer service skills, but it would be nice to have someone who has previous management experience, and also extensive food and beverage knowledge.
PRO TIP #2
Ensure to include in the job description what it is like to work for your company, what your company values and what your expectations are for the successful candidate. This will ensure you identify the right person for your company.
SKILL ASSESSMENT
Sample skills assessment
Question 1
Staff Management
Question Type: Document
Describe a time where you have had to manage someone’s performance. How did you approach this? Please outline this in the document below.
Question 2
Interpersonal Skills
Question Type: Text
How do you approach developing relationships with your staff and/or suppliers?
Question 3
Business Acumen
Question Type: Video
How do you obtain feedback from customers to improve the restaurant’s service or food?
INTERVIEW
Interview guide for a Restaurant Manager
Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The PDF interview guide contains structured questions against each of the competencies for this role.
This interview guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the Vervoe skills assessment. Where a candidate has scored Low – Medium on a skill, focus on asking more questions from that skill to gain deeper insight into their level of competency.
PDF INTERVIEW GUIDE
Get your copy of the interview guide to complete the hiring process. Includes questions against each of the skill competencies for the role.
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