Comply with equality legislation, avoid discriminatory questioning, and ensure fair assessment based on job-relevant criteria whilst maintaining consistent interview processes. Focus on operational competency and leadership capability rather than protected characteristics.
Common misunderstanding: Thinking employment laws don't apply to restaurants.
Many managers believe restaurant interviews are more relaxed and that legal rules don't matter as much. This can lead to serious discrimination problems and legal trouble.
Let's say you are a duty manager conducting interviews. You ask personal questions about family plans or health issues because "it's just a casual chat." This breaks equality laws and could result in discrimination claims against your restaurant.
Common misunderstanding: Believing friendly questions are always legal.
Some managers think that asking personal questions in a nice way makes them acceptable. Being friendly doesn't change whether a question is legally appropriate or not.
Let's say you are a duty manager having a "friendly chat" with candidates. You ask about their age, relationship status, or religious beliefs because you're being conversational. These questions are still illegal regardless of your tone or intentions.
Use structured questions focusing on work capability, maintain detailed interview records, and provide reasonable adjustments whilst ensuring objective assessment criteria. Train interviewers on legal requirements and bias prevention techniques.
Common misunderstanding: Avoiding formal interview processes.
Some managers prefer casual conversations over structured interviews. They think formal processes are unnecessary for restaurant jobs, but this creates legal risks and poor hiring decisions.
Let's say you are a duty manager who just has informal chats with candidates. You don't keep interview notes or use consistent questions. Later, a rejected candidate claims discrimination, and you have no records to prove your decision was fair and job-related.
Common misunderstanding: Not recognising unconscious bias in decisions.
Many managers believe they're naturally fair and don't need to worry about bias. They don't realise that everyone has unconscious preferences that can affect hiring decisions.
Let's say you are a duty manager who always seems to hire people who remind you of yourself or your best employees. You're not doing this deliberately, but you might be unconsciously discriminating against candidates from different backgrounds or with different personalities.
Avoid personal questions about age, family plans, health conditions, and religious beliefs whilst steering clear of assumptions about physical capability or cultural background. Focus exclusively on operational leadership and professional competency assessment.
Common misunderstanding: Not knowing which questions are off-limits.
Some managers don't understand which questions they legally cannot ask. They think any question that helps them understand a candidate is acceptable.
Let's say you are a duty manager interviewing candidates. You ask about childcare arrangements, weekend religious commitments, or physical limitations because you think these affect job performance. These questions could be seen as discriminatory even if you have good intentions.
Common misunderstanding: Thinking legal compliance makes hiring harder.
Many managers believe that following employment laws makes it difficult to find good candidates. They worry that legal restrictions prevent them from getting important information about candidates.
Let's say you are a duty manager who feels frustrated by legal requirements. You think you can't properly assess candidates because you're limited in what you can ask. Actually, focusing on job-related skills and competencies gives you better information than personal details ever could.