How to record a waiter video job ad

Step 1: Open with the Opportunity

Start your video by answering the questions every waiter candidate is asking: "What will I actually earn here, and what's it like to work on the floor?" Waiter recruitment is competitive — good servers have options, and they're evaluating opportunities primarily on earnings potential, the restaurant environment, and whether it's a decent place to work.

This matters because waiter candidates are practical. They know that base hourly rates are often similar across restaurants, so they're looking at total earnings including tips or service charge. They know that some restaurants are well-run and pleasant to work in, while others are chaotic nightmares. They've probably experienced both. Your job is to be clear about what you're offering: the real money they'll make, the type of service environment, and what makes your restaurant a good place to work.

The fundamental questions waiter candidates ask are: What's the real take-home? What's the service style like? Is this a place where I'll enjoy working? They've been burned by restaurants that promised "competitive earnings" and delivered minimum wage with unreliable tips. They've worked in restaurants that claimed "great team culture" and delivered management chaos and floor politics. Be honest about what you're actually offering, and you'll attract candidates who want what you have.

Your goal is to make them think: "This is a restaurant where I'd want to work."

Use this 3-part approach:

1. Lead with what they'll earn

For waiter roles, earnings are usually the first filter. Be completely transparent.

State the full earnings picture clearly. Base hourly rate plus tips or service charge equals what realistic take-home? Don't give ranges so wide they're meaningless. "£11.50/hour plus service charge averaging £6-7/hour, so realistically £17-18.50/hour" is specific and useful. "Competitive rates plus tips" is vague and candidates will assume the worst.

Explain how tips or service charge works. Is it pooled across all staff? Split between front and back of house? Based on hours worked? Individual tips kept? The system matters — some waiters prefer pooled systems for consistency, others prefer keeping their own tips. Be clear about yours.

Be honest about earnings variation. Do weekday lunches earn less than weekend dinners? Is there seasonal variation? Candidates planning their income need to understand the realistic range, not just the best-case scenario.

Address the hours honestly. How many hours per week? Are they guaranteed, or dependent on business levels? Can they get enough hours to earn what they need? Part-time versus full-time availability?

2. Understand what matters to waiters

Waiter candidates have specific priorities. Understanding these helps you speak to what they actually care about.

Total earnings are usually the top priority. Most waiters are working to earn, and they calculate take-home more carefully than employers often realize. Be transparent because they'll find out the reality anyway.

The type of restaurant matters for daily experience. Fine dining is different from casual dining. High-volume is different from intimate. Some waiters love the pace of a busy floor with fast table turns; others prefer slower-paced service with more guest interaction. Be clear about what yours is like so candidates can assess fit.

Scheduling flexibility is often valuable. Many waiters are managing other commitments — studies, other jobs, family. If you offer schedule flexibility, that's a genuine advantage. If you need specific availability, be clear about it.

The team dynamic affects daily happiness. Is the floor team collaborative or competitive? Is management supportive or chaotic? Are there cliques and politics, or is it genuinely a good team? Waiters spend long shifts together; the social environment matters.

Growth opportunity matters to some, not all. Some waiters want to develop — to supervisor, to manager, to sommelier. Others are happy serving and don't want more responsibility. Your opportunity should be clear about which path it offers.

3. Differentiate from other restaurants

Waiters have options — every restaurant needs floor staff. What makes yours worth choosing?

Differentiation for waiter roles is usually about earnings, environment, and management. If your tips are above average for the area, lead with that. If your management is competent and supportive (rarer than it should be), highlight it. If the team dynamic is genuinely good, that matters.

Consider what makes people stay or leave. If your servers tend to stay for years, that signals something good about the environment. If there's high turnover, be honest about what you're working to improve.

Be honest about your advantages. Maybe you're a destination restaurant with big-spending guests and strong tips. Maybe you offer flexibility other places don't. Maybe the team is genuinely great. Whatever your real strengths are, name them.

Tips if you're unsure what to say

Talk to your current waiters. What made them choose to work here? What do they tell friends who ask about the job? What would make them leave? Their honest answers reveal your actual selling points.

Calculate actual take-home for different shift patterns. What does a waiter working full-time actually earn? Part-time? Be prepared to share realistic numbers.

Think about what you'd tell a waiter with three job offers. Why should they pick you? If you can't articulate it, either you have hidden strengths or your offering needs improvement.

Example: Neighbourhood Restaurant

We're looking for waiters who want to earn well in a restaurant that's actually well-run. Let me be specific about the money: base rate is £12/hour, plus service charge that averages £7-8/hour. On a typical 35-hour week, that's around £650-700 take-home. Friday and Saturday dinners earn more; quiet Tuesday lunches earn less. But that's the realistic picture.

We're a 70-cover neighbourhood restaurant — busy but not chaotic, with regulars who come weekly and new guests who've booked for special occasions. The service style is warm and knowledgeable, not formal or scripted. You'll learn the menu properly — we'll train you on the food and wine — and you'll have genuine conversations with guests rather than just taking orders.

The team's been stable; three of our five servers have been here over two years. Management is competent (the GM has been here four years and actually knows what she's doing). If you've worked in chaotic restaurants with terrible managers and want somewhere properly run, this is it.

Step 2: Show Your Venue Personality

Now help candidates picture themselves on your floor. For waiters, this is about the dining room, the service style, the guests, and the team they'd work with.

Video works well here because it shows the space and your personality. The dining room visible behind you, how you describe the guests and team — all communicate what working there feels like.

Your goal is to help them picture what serving in your restaurant is like.

Use this 3-part approach:

1. Describe the restaurant and service style

Give candidates a clear picture of the environment.

Describe the type of restaurant. Fine dining with tasting menus? Neighbourhood bistro? Busy casual dining? Destination restaurant? The type shapes everything about the waiter experience.

Talk about the pace and covers. How many covers on a busy night? How many tables per waiter? What's the turn time — quick turns or guests lingering? This tells them about the intensity and earnings potential.

Explain the service style. Is it formal with prescribed standards? Warm and personable? Efficient and fast-paced? Some waiters thrive in formal environments; others prefer casual warmth. Be clear about yours.

Describe the guests. Who comes here? Business diners? Couples on dates? Families? Regulars? The guest profile affects the serving experience and the tips.

2. Share the floor culture

Culture on the floor is what candidates need to understand.

Describe the team dynamic. Do servers support each other during busy periods? Is there camaraderie or competition? Is it collaborative or every-person-for-themselves? The team relationship affects daily experience significantly.

Talk about management. Who runs the floor? What's their style — supportive and organized, or chaotic and blame-focused? Is the GM present and competent, or absent and unhelpful? Management quality is often the difference between a good serving job and a miserable one.

Address how problems get handled. When things go wrong — a complaint, a mistake, a difficult guest — how does management respond? Support or blame? This tells candidates a lot about the culture.

Be honest about the busy periods. What's a Friday night actually like? Is it manageable busy or overwhelming chaos? Candidates need to know what they're signing up for.

3. Introduce who they'll work with

The immediate colleagues matter enormously for waiters.

Describe the floor team. How many servers? What's the mix — experienced career servers, students, mix? How long have people been there? Stability suggests a good environment.

Talk about the relationship with the kitchen. Is it collaborative or adversarial? Does the kitchen communicate well with the floor? Kitchen-floor dynamics affect every service.

Address management presence. Is the GM on the floor during service, supporting the team? Or in the office, unavailable when things get difficult?

Tips if you're unsure what to say

Ask your current servers what the culture is really like. Their description is more accurate than management perception.

Think about what surprises new servers positively or negatively. What do they discover that wasn't obvious before starting?

Example: Neighbourhood Restaurant

We're a 70-cover restaurant in a converted warehouse space — high ceilings, open kitchen, a bar where locals drop in for a drink. The atmosphere is warm rather than formal; we want guests to feel genuinely welcome, not processed.

A typical Friday night is 90 covers across the evening — busy but not overwhelming. Sections are five to six tables, and the pace is steady rather than frantic. Guests generally stay for two hours; it's not quick-turn casual dining, but it's not three-hour tasting menus either.

The team is five servers plus supervisor, with two on lunch and four or five on busy dinners. Most have been here over a year — there's genuine stability and people know each other well. The dynamic is collaborative; when one section gets slammed, others help run food or check on tables.

The GM runs the floor during service — actually present, actually helpful when things get busy or problems arise. She'll jump in to run food, handle a complaint, or support a server who's struggling. That presence makes a real difference to how service feels.

Kitchen relationship is good. The head chef communicates clearly about specials and timing; if something's going to be delayed, we know before we have to explain to guests. There's no kitchen-floor warfare here.

Step 3: Paint a Picture of the Role

Give candidates a realistic preview of what waiting tables in your restaurant involves.

Your goal is to help them understand what their shifts will actually be like.

Use this 4-part approach:

1. Describe what a typical shift looks like

Walk candidates through the rhythm of a waiter's day.

Explain the pre-service period. When do they arrive? What's the setup — polishing glasses, setting tables, team briefing? How long before service starts?

Describe the service itself. How does the shift flow from first covers to last? What's the pace at different times? What does a busy period feel like versus a quiet one?

Talk about the end of shift. What's involved in closing down? Cleaning, cashing out, sidework? When do they actually leave?

Address how shifts vary. Are lunch shifts very different from dinner? Weekdays from weekends?

2. Explain what they'll actually do

Be specific about the waiter's responsibilities.

Describe the guest interaction. Taking orders, delivering food, checking on tables — but also: how much conversation and rapport-building is expected? Is upselling emphasized? Is menu knowledge tested?

Talk about section responsibility. How many tables? What's involved in managing a section well? What support is there from runners or bussers?

Address the sidework. What are they responsible for beyond serving — stocking, cleaning, preparation? Be honest about the less glamorous parts.

Talk about the level of autonomy. Can they make decisions about comping a drink or handling a complaint, or does everything go through management?

3. Describe the demands honestly

Every serving job has challenging aspects. Be honest about yours.

Address the physical demands. Hours on your feet, carrying heavy trays, the pace during busy service. These are inherent to serving.

Talk about the emotional demands. Managing difficult guests, staying positive when tired, the performance aspect of service. Serving requires emotional labor.

Be honest about the pressure periods. What's a really busy service like? How demanding does it get? Candidates should understand the intensity.

4. Discuss the earnings pattern

Help candidates understand when they'll earn more or less.

Explain how earnings vary. Which shifts are most lucrative? Which are slower? How much variation is there week to week?

Example: Neighbourhood Restaurant

A typical dinner shift starts at 5pm. You'll arrive to check your section, run through specials with the kitchen, and do a quick team briefing. Service runs from 6pm-10pm, with covers throughout the evening rather than all arriving at once.

Your section is five to six tables. You're responsible for those guests from greeting to goodbye — taking orders, course timing, checking in, handling requests. We have runners to help deliver food and bussers for clearing, but the guest relationship is yours.

The pace varies. Early evening is usually steady; around 7:30-9pm it picks up significantly. On a busy Saturday, your section will turn once, maybe twice — you might serve 15-20 tables across the evening. That's when earnings are best, but it's also when you're working hardest.

Menu knowledge matters here. You'll be trained on every dish — ingredients, preparation, what to recommend with what. Guests ask questions and expect genuine knowledge, not just recited descriptions. Wine knowledge develops over time; we have a sommelier for serious wine questions, but you should be comfortable with by-the-glass recommendations.

End of shift involves closing your section, rolling cutlery, restocking your station. On a normal night you're out by 10:45pm; later if the last table lingers.

The physical demands are real — five hours on your feet, carrying plates and drinks, moving constantly during busy periods. It's tiring. But the earnings on a good night compensate for the effort.

Step 4: Be Honest About What You Need

This section tells candidates what you're looking for. For waiters, this is about guest interaction ability, reliability, and fit with your service style.

Your goal is to help candidates assess whether they'd be good at this specific serving job.

Use this 4-part approach:

1. Define essential requirements

Be clear about what someone needs to serve your guests well.

Address experience requirements. Do you need experienced servers, or will you train? If experience is required, what kind — fine dining, casual, any restaurant?

Clarify any must-haves. Right to work, food/alcohol service requirements, any certifications needed. Age restrictions for alcohol service if relevant.

State practical requirements. Availability for specific shifts? Physical ability to work on feet for long periods?

2. Describe what you're looking for

Beyond basics, what makes someone succeed in your restaurant?

Talk about guest interaction skills. What kind of presence and personality works in your environment? Warm and conversational? Professional and polished? Efficient and friendly? Different restaurants need different styles.

Address reliability. Showing up consistently, on time, ready to work — this matters enormously for floor staff. If reliability is critical (it usually is), say so.

Discuss teamwork. Is it important that they work collaboratively with other servers? Can they ask for help and give help when needed?

3. Be clear about flexibility

State where you're open to candidates who don't fit a traditional profile.

Address experience flexibility. Will you train someone without serving experience if they have the right personality? Are you open to people from different hospitality backgrounds?

Talk about schedule flexibility. Are you open to part-time? Students? People with other commitments?

4. State deal-breakers

If certain things genuinely won't work, be direct.

Availability is often a deal-breaker. If you need weekend availability, be clear. If you need late-night availability, say so.

Example: Neighbourhood Restaurant

Here's what we need:

Experience: Some restaurant experience is preferred — you've served before and understand the basics. But we'll consider someone from cafe or bar backgrounds if you have genuine guest interaction skills and want to develop in restaurant service.

What we're looking for: You're genuinely warm with guests — not performing warmth, but actually enjoying the interaction. You're reliable — you show up for shifts, on time, ready to work. You work well in a team — supporting others when they're busy, asking for help when you need it. You're curious about food and wine — willing to learn and remember, not just memorize scripts.

What we're flexible on: Fine dining experience isn't required. We can teach restaurant-specific skills to someone with hospitality experience and the right personality. Students and people with other commitments welcome if availability works.

What won't work: We need Friday and Saturday evening availability — those are our busiest shifts. If weekends don't work for you, this role won't fit.

Step 5: Make the Offer Compelling

Be completely transparent about earnings — that's what waiters care most about.

Your goal is to present an honest picture of what they'll actually take home.

Use this 5-part approach:

1. Be transparent about total earnings

Give specific, realistic figures. Base rate plus service charge/tips equals what actual take-home?

Break down the numbers. What's the realistic range per hour including tips? What does a typical week look like?

2. Explain the tipping/service charge system

How does it work? Pooled? Individual? Points system? Split with kitchen?

Be clear so candidates know what to expect.

3. Detail practical benefits

Staff meals, uniform, discounts — what do you provide?

4. Address scheduling

What shifts are available? How predictable is scheduling? Any flexibility?

5. Differentiate where you can

What makes your waiter job better than alternatives nearby?

Example: Neighbourhood Restaurant

The package:

Earnings: Base rate £12/hour. Service charge is pooled and distributed by hours worked; it averages £7-8/hour additional. Realistic hourly take-home: £19-20/hour. On a 35-hour week, that's £650-700.

How service charge works: 12.5% service charge, pooled across front of house (70%) and kitchen (30%). Distributed every two weeks by hours worked. It's consistent — you're not dependent on individual table generosity.

Hours: Full-time is 35-40 hours across five days. Part-time available if you can commit to at least two dinner shifts including one weekend day. Schedule is set weekly, published by Thursday for the following week.

Benefits: Staff meal every shift. 50% off dining here. Uniform provided (you provide black shoes).

Why us: Above-average total earnings for the area, competent management, stable team. The restaurant is properly run — you won't be chasing managers for problems or fighting with the kitchen. If you've worked in chaotic places and want somewhere better, this is it.

Step 6: Tell Them How to Apply

Make applying simple and quick.

Your goal is to make it easy to express interest.

Keep it simple. Brief message with relevant experience. Don't require extensive forms.

Explain the process. What happens after they apply? A trial shift is standard — explain what it involves.

Provide a direct contact.

Example: Neighbourhood Restaurant

If this sounds right, get in touch.

Send a quick message with your serving background to jobs@restaurant.com. Or just call us on 0207 XXX XXXX and ask for Sophie (she's the GM).

What happens next: A brief chat to check fit both ways, then a trial shift — one dinner service, paid. You'll work a section alongside an experienced server, so you can see how we operate and we can see how you handle guests.

We're hiring for immediate start, so we move fast. If you're looking for something soon, let us know.