Use a service-focused structure: welcome and operation overview, service experience discussion, practical assessment, and team integration evaluation whilst including hands-on demonstration of setup tasks and guest interaction scenarios. Design structure to assess service instincts and team cooperation within realistic catering environments.
Common misunderstanding: Office interview formats work well for catering roles
Many hiring managers use standard office interview structures without recognising that catering environments require hands-on assessment of practical capability, team dynamics, and guest service skills. Service roles need realistic event simulation and team interaction observation.
Let's say you are conducting desk-based interviews using only conversation to assess catering candidates without practical demonstration or service simulation. Traditional interview formats miss essential observations about work patterns and service instincts that predict catering success.
Common misunderstanding: Quick interviews provide sufficient assessment
Some managers rush through interviews without adequate practical assessment time, missing critical observations about work patterns, service instincts, and team integration. Catering roles require extended observation to assess performance in demanding event environments.
Let's say you are allocating 30-minute interviews for catering assistant roles without hands-on assessment or team interaction observation. Quick interviews fail to reveal actual service capability and team cooperation essential for event work success.
Combine conversational interview with practical trial to assess both service attitude and hands-on capability whilst including team interaction observation and realistic catering task demonstration. Balance structured questions with natural conversation about hospitality experience and event work motivation.
Common misunderstanding: Conversation alone reveals service capability
Hiring managers sometimes rely solely on conversational interviews without practical demonstration, missing essential insights about actual service capability, work efficiency, and team cooperation. Catering assistant success requires hands-on assessment of real service skills.
Let's say you are evaluating catering candidates through discussion only without observing their actual setup skills, guest interaction comfort, or team coordination abilities. Conversation doesn't reveal practical service competencies or work patterns.
Common misunderstanding: Rigid structure prevents natural assessment
Some managers over-structure interviews without allowing natural hospitality instincts to emerge through informal interaction and practical tasks. Service assessment requires flexibility to observe genuine service attitude and problem-solving approach during realistic catering challenges.
Let's say you are following strict interview scripts without creating opportunities for candidates to demonstrate their natural service instincts or hospitality approach. Over-structuring prevents observation of genuine catering competencies and service thinking.
Plan 60-90 minutes total: 25 minutes for service experience interview, 40 minutes for practical assessment, and 15 minutes for questions and next steps discussion whilst allowing flexibility for extended practical observation when candidates show strong potential or need additional assessment time.
Common misunderstanding: Practical assessment can be rushed
Hiring managers sometimes allocate insufficient time for practical assessment, rushing through hands-on evaluation that requires adequate observation of setup skills, guest service capability, and team interaction patterns. Catering assessment needs proper time allocation for thorough evaluation.
Let's say you are spending only 15 minutes on practical assessment when catering roles require extended observation of service skills, teamwork, and problem-solving under realistic event conditions. Rushed assessment misses critical service competencies.
Common misunderstanding: Longer interviews always improve assessment quality
Some managers extend interviews beyond candidate comfort without clear assessment purpose, creating fatigue that affects performance evaluation. Effective catering assessment uses focused time allocation that efficiently assesses core competencies without exhausting candidates.
Let's say you are conducting 3-hour interviews without structured purpose or breaks, causing candidate fatigue that prevents accurate assessment of their service capabilities and professional presentation. Extended interviews without focus reduce evaluation quality.