Staff can really make or break an establishment. Having good people running the show can draw a loyal crowd to your bar on the regular, but patrons will notice unhappy or poorly organised staff and that will send them out the door never to return before you know what happened. Don’t make these common hiring mistakes, and if you’re looking for a job, don’t make these mistakes once you’re on the job.
If You Hire, Don’t Make One
Finding the right server for the job can be a difficult task—having taken some bartending and Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) courses is a necessity, but not by a long shot are those the only things you need to consider.
You’re trying to answer a lot of questions during an interview. Will this applicant work effectively? Can they work under pressure? What kind of experience do they have? It’s hard to figure these things out in a formal meeting, especially if you haven’t seen this applicant working before, but you can get a good idea of their capabilities if you listen to what they have to say during the interview rather than just mentally checking boxes as the interview goes on.
In a similar vein, you should take care to ensure that an applicant will fit in well in the environment of your bar or restaurant. A bar with a constant stream of patrons wanting a quick drink needs a different kind of staff than an upscale establishment that might move more slowly, but have patrons that expect extremely well-made drinks and friendly, chatty staff.
If You’re Hired, Don’t Be One
It takes two to tango. If you’re applying for server or bartender jobs or have just got one, you still have to prove yourself a worthwhile employee if you want to stay. How do you accomplish that? It’s not hard; all you need is to do your job!
Therefore, you shouldn’t misrepresent yourself during the interview just because you think that doing so might improve your chances of getting hired. The reasoning is simple: if you end up taking a job that you can’t really do, your performance will not be up to par.
Be ready to work as a team with your fellow bartenders and servers. Sometimes you’ll have to take a shift that you’d rather not, or you might even have a disagreement with a coworker. These happen all the time. It is absolutely necessary to handle these situations sensitively, effectively and without hard feelings.
Hiring in the service industry isn’t the most difficult thing in the world, but there are some basic principles that both employer and employee should follow. These are just the most important ones. If you’re looking for a job as a bartender in the Melbourne area, don’t hesitate to look for more tips online or by asking your friends. Of course, having taken a couple RSA courses in Melbourne and knowing how to pour a beer the right way wouldn’t hurt either.
