When hiring a Head Waiter, look for someone who is calm under pressure, has excellent guest communication skills, and can lead a team effectively. These traits ensure they can manage the dining floor smoothly and handle any service issues that arise.
Common misunderstanding: Any experienced waiter can be maitre d'.
Experience is valuable, but the right personality traits are crucial. A maitre d' needs to show leadership and calm, not just service skills.
Let's say you are a maitre d' candidate with 10 years of serving experience. Without leadership skills, conflict resolution abilities, and calm under pressure, you'll struggle to manage staff, handle guest complaints, and coordinate floor operations effectively.
Common misunderstanding: Technical skills outweigh personality traits.
While technical skills are necessary, personality traits like leadership, calmness, and communication define a successful maitre d'. These traits help them manage the team and guest experiences effectively.
Let's say you are a maitre d' with excellent wine knowledge and perfect table service technique. However, when the kitchen falls behind and guests become impatient, your leadership and communication skills determine whether the situation improves or escalates.
Identify the specific challenges and pace of your restaurant to match with the personality traits of your Head Waiter. For example, a fast-paced, high-volume restaurant needs someone who remains calm and decisive under pressure, while a fine dining venue might require more emphasis on meticulous guest service and elegance.
Common misunderstanding: One-size-fits-all personality traits work for all restaurants.
Different restaurant types and paces require different traits. Tailor the personality traits you seek according to your restaurant's specific needs and customer expectations.
Let's say you are a maitre d' with a calm, methodical personality perfect for fine dining. However, this same approach might be too slow for a high-energy sports bar where quick decision-making and energetic leadership are more valuable.
Common misunderstanding: Assuming adaptability without evidence.
During interviews, ask for specific examples where candidates have adapted to various service environments. This helps ensure they can truly align with your restaurant's dynamic.
Let's say you are a maitre d' candidate claiming to be adaptable. Without specific examples like successfully transitioning from casual dining to fine dining, or managing both quiet nights and busy holiday rushes, this claim remains unproven.
Specifying interpersonal skills in a job description helps attract candidates who are capable of building good relationships with both guests and staff. These skills are crucial for resolving conflicts, ensuring smooth service, and maintaining a positive dining atmosphere.
Common misunderstanding: Interpersonal skills develop naturally on the job.
While on-the-job experience helps, explicitly looking for these skills during hiring ensures you start with someone who already excels in these areas.
Let's say you are a maitre d' starting work without strong interpersonal skills. Learning to read guest moods, mediate staff conflicts, and build rapport with regular customers takes years, and mistakes during this learning period can damage service quality.
Common misunderstanding: Interpersonal skills are less important than operational ones.
Operational skills keep a restaurant running, but interpersonal skills ensure guests and staff are happy and engaged, which is just as critical for long-term success.
Let's say you are a maitre d' who excels at scheduling, inventory, and logistics but struggles with interpersonal connections. You might run efficient operations, but unhappy staff and dissatisfied guests will ultimately harm the restaurant's reputation and success.