When interviewing a Barista, it's key to ask questions that reveal their real-world skills and attitude. Focus on their experience with customer service, their ability to handle busy periods, teamwork, and their coffee making skills. For instance, you might ask, "Tell me about a time you turned an unhappy customer into a regular guest. What did you do?" This type of question helps you understand their approach to customer service and problem-solving.
Common misunderstanding: Asking only about technical coffee-making skills gives a complete picture of the candidate.
While knowing how to make great coffee is important, focusing solely on technical skills can overlook a candidate's customer service abilities and teamwork. It's important to balance technical questions with those about service and teamwork.
Common misunderstanding: The more questions you ask, the better you understand the candidate.
Quality matters more than quantity. A few well-chosen questions can provide deeper insights than a long list of superficial ones. Focus on asking meaningful questions that relate to your café's daily operations and values.
Behavioural questions are great for understanding how a candidate has handled real situations in the past. Ask them to describe specific instances, such as dealing with a difficult customer or managing a sudden rush. For example, you could ask, "Describe a situation where you had to manage a sudden rush — how did you stay organised and keep drink quality high?" This helps you gauge their practical skills and how they react under pressure.
Common misunderstanding: Behavioural questions are only about past negative experiences.
Behavioural questions should cover a range of experiences, not just negative ones. They are also an opportunity to highlight successes and strengths, showing how the candidate has positively impacted their previous workplaces.
Common misunderstanding: Theoretical questions are as effective as behavioural questions.
Theoretical questions ask what someone might do, while behavioural questions ask what they have actually done. Real past behaviour is a better predictor of future performance than hypothetical answers.
To assess how well a candidate handles customer service and pressure, ask questions that require them to describe past experiences where these skills were tested. Questions like, "Tell me about a time when you had to handle a highly stressful situation while maintaining excellent customer service. What happened and how did you manage it?" are effective. This shows you their ability to multitask and keep a cool head in busy situations.
Common misunderstanding: Pressure handling is only about speed.
While speed is important, effective pressure handling also involves maintaining quality, accuracy, and a positive attitude. It’s crucial that the candidate demonstrates they can manage all these aspects under pressure.
Common misunderstanding: Good customer service is just about being friendly.
Good customer service also involves problem-solving, attention to detail, and the ability to anticipate customer needs. It's important to look for answers that reflect these qualities, not just friendliness.