Should I include practical trials in Bar Manager job interviews?

Use management shadowing periods, team coordination tasks, strategic planning exercises, and operational oversight activities to assess leadership presence, practical management capability, decision-making quality, and natural authority whilst maintaining realistic business conditions.

Common misunderstanding: Avoiding practical trials for management positions

Many hiring managers skip practical assessment for Bar Manager roles, missing chances to see real leadership behaviour. Interviews alone don't reveal how candidates actually manage teams and handle business pressure in realistic situations.

Let's say you are hiring a Bar Manager based only on interview responses. You might miss someone who talks well but struggles with actual team leadership. Include practical trials where candidates coordinate with your team during real service periods to see their genuine management abilities.

Common misunderstanding: Creating unrealistic practical tests

Some managers design artificial practical tests that don't match real Bar Manager responsibilities. Testing bartending skills doesn't reveal management capability. Focus on leadership tasks like team coordination and strategic oversight.

Let's say you are designing a practical trial for Bar Manager candidates. Don't test their ability to make cocktails. Instead, have them coordinate service during a busy period, resolve a customer complaint while managing staff, or plan tomorrow's operations. This tests management skills, not technical abilities.

What practical management tasks should I include for Bar Manager candidates?

Include team coordination exercises, financial review sessions, operational planning activities, strategic decision-making scenarios, and stakeholder communication tasks whilst observing leadership presence, commercial thinking, and systematic management approaches.

Common misunderstanding: Testing bartending skills instead of management capabilities

Hiring managers sometimes test operational abilities rather than leadership competency in practical trials. Bar Manager roles need oversight and team development skills, not technical bartending expertise. Test management thinking, not operational tasks.

Let's say you are assessing Bar Manager candidates through practical trials. Don't evaluate how well they make drinks. Observe how they guide team members, make strategic decisions under pressure, and coordinate multiple priorities. Management competency matters more than technical skills.

Common misunderstanding: Running trials without clear assessment criteria

Some managers observe practical trials without structured evaluation frameworks. This leads to subjective assessment and inconsistent hiring decisions. Define specific criteria for what good management looks like during practical assessment.

Let's say you are observing a Bar Manager candidate during a practical trial. Don't just watch generally. Use specific criteria: "How do they communicate with team members? Do they prioritise effectively? How do they handle pressure?" Structure your observation to get objective assessment results.

How long should Bar Manager practical trials be?

Design 2-3 hour management observation periods allowing adequate time for leadership assessment, team interaction evaluation, and strategic thinking demonstration whilst respecting candidate time and maintaining realistic business pressure levels.

Common misunderstanding: Making practical trials too short

Many hiring managers conduct brief practical assessments that don't allow enough time to see real leadership behaviour. Authentic management assessment needs extended observation periods to see how candidates handle various situations and team dynamics.

Let's say you are planning a practical trial for Bar Manager candidates. Don't limit it to 30 minutes. Plan for 2-3 hours so you can observe how they adapt to different challenges, build rapport with your team, and maintain leadership presence over time.

Common misunderstanding: Making trials too long without clear objectives

Some managers extend practical trials for hours without clear assessment goals. This wastes everyone's time and doesn't improve hiring decisions. Structured timing with specific objectives works better for evaluating Bar Manager capabilities.

Let's say you are running a practical trial that's gone on for 4 hours without clear structure. This usually means you don't have focused assessment criteria. Plan specific activities: team coordination (60 minutes), strategic planning (45 minutes), problem-solving (30 minutes). This gives better results efficiently.

What should I observe during Bar Manager practical trials?

Focus on leadership presence, team communication quality, decision-making processes, commercial awareness, strategic thinking demonstration, and natural authority whilst documenting specific management behaviours and coordination capabilities for objective evaluation.

Common misunderstanding: Observing without structured assessment criteria

Hiring managers sometimes watch practical trials without clear evaluation standards. This leads to subjective judgment and poor hiring decisions. Systematic observation needs specific competency frameworks to assess management capability fairly.

Let's say you are observing Bar Manager candidates during practical trials. Don't rely on general impressions. Use structured criteria: leadership presence (confident communication, clear direction), team coordination (effective delegation, conflict resolution), strategic thinking (prioritisation, problem-solving). This gives objective assessment results.

Common misunderstanding: Focusing on task completion instead of management processes

Some managers focus on whether candidates complete specific tasks rather than how they manage people and coordinate activities. Bar Manager evaluation should prioritise leadership processes and strategic thinking over operational execution.

Let's say you are observing a practical trial where the candidate successfully organises inventory. Don't just note task completion. Observe: How did they involve the team? Did they explain their approach? How did they handle questions or resistance? Management process matters more than task completion.