How should I evaluate experience in a Restaurant Duty Manager job interview?

Focus on shift leadership examples, operational crisis management history, and guest complaint resolution achievements whilst requiring specific scenarios demonstrating authority and control. Evaluate progressive responsibility and real management experience over title-based claims.

Common misunderstanding: Job titles show management experience.

Many people think impressive job titles automatically mean someone has real management skills. However, what matters for duty managers is actual shift leadership experience, not fancy titles.

Let's say you are a duty manager interviewing someone who was a "Restaurant Supervisor" at their last job. You need to ask: "Tell me about a specific time you had to make a difficult decision during a busy Friday night when everything was going wrong." Look for detailed examples of how they actually led people and solved problems, not just what their business card said.

Common misunderstanding: All hospitality experience is the same.

Serving tables for five years doesn't automatically make someone ready to run a restaurant shift. Duty manager roles require specific leadership skills that many hospitality workers haven't developed.

Let's say you are a duty manager interviewing someone with lots of waiting experience. Ask them: "Describe a time when you had to handle an angry customer complaint while also dealing with a kitchen crisis and managing a new staff member - all at the same time." Look for examples where they took charge of multiple problems simultaneously, not just good customer service stories.

What questions help assess relevant Restaurant Duty Manager experience effectively?

Ask for detailed examples of managing difficult shifts, handling emergency situations, and resolving guest complaints whilst requiring specific outcomes and lessons learned. Focus on leadership progression and increasing operational responsibility over time.

Common misunderstanding: Basic questions reveal management ability.

Asking "How long have you worked in restaurants?" won't tell you if someone can actually manage a crisis. You need to dig deeper into specific challenging situations.

Let's say you are a duty manager conducting an interview. Instead of asking how many years they've worked, ask: "Walk me through exactly what you did when your head chef called in sick during your busiest Saturday night service." Look for clear decision-making steps, team coordination, and customer focus under pressure.

Common misunderstanding: Experience length equals leadership growth.

Working somewhere for years doesn't mean someone has grown into a leader. Many people stay at the same skill level throughout their career without taking on more responsibility.

Let's say you are a duty manager reviewing a candidate's background. Look for evidence they gradually took on more challenging tasks: "How did your role change from when you started to when you left?" Watch for progression from following instructions to making decisions, training others, and handling difficult situations independently.

How do I determine if a candidate has sufficient Restaurant Duty Manager background?

Look for progression from service roles to supervisory positions with demonstrable leadership achievements whilst requiring evidence of independent decision-making. Assess depth of operational knowledge and crisis management capability through specific examples.

Common misunderstanding: First impressions show experience depth.

A confident interview manner doesn't prove someone has the deep operational knowledge needed for duty management. You need concrete evidence of their actual achievements.

Let's say you are a duty manager evaluating candidates. Ask for specific examples: "What's the most complex operational problem you've solved, and exactly how did you approach it?" Look for detailed problem-solving processes, not just confident answers. Ask follow-up questions to test their understanding of restaurant operations.

Common misunderstanding: Simple questions are enough for assessment.

Duty manager roles are complex and demanding. Surface-level interview questions won't reveal if someone can handle the real pressures of restaurant management.

Let's say you are a duty manager hiring for your team. Design scenarios that test multiple skills: "It's 7 PM on a Saturday, you're fully booked, the dishwasher has broken, a customer is complaining loudly about food poisoning, and two servers just called in sick. Walk me through your first 30 minutes." Listen for systematic thinking, priority setting, and calm leadership under pressure.