Finding the right candidates to fill open positions in your business can be challenging whether you run a sizable family restaurant, a tiny bakery, or a sizable hotel restaurant. The hiring of excellent workers should be one of your main priorities. Remember that each restaurant role has unique duties and responsibilities that are vital to the business’s success. It would help if you carefully assign them to the appropriate individuals. On many hotel job sites, you can post openings in your restaurant.
Before hiring, you should familiarize yourself with all restaurant job positions. Many entrepreneurs confuse a head chef with a kitchen manager and wonder why their firm is failing. Understanding restaurant positions will help you hire the right employees.
This article aims to familiarize you with the job functions and responsibilities of each position within a restaurant. In this manner, you will learn what to anticipate from every team member—establishing effective working procedures and a higher level of client satisfaction.
Restaurant Positions and Their Responsibilities
Some restaurants use efficient self-ordering technology to cope with limited employees. Depending on your business plan and restaurant type, you may need to hire more than 80 individuals for 20 positions. Thus, to choose the right crew for your restaurant’s smooth running, you must first learn what each position does:
1. The General Manager
Concerning the operational aspect of your company, this is the most crucial role. Recruiting and firing staff, training initiatives, public relations, marketing campaigns, and process improvement. The main concerns of general managers. The person in question serves as the restaurant’s
manager.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Capability to operate under pressure
• Problem-solving skills
• Solid experience
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work under pressure
2. A Manager Assistant
As implied by the title of the role, assistant managers assist the general manager in carrying out his duties. They often handle paperwork, training programs, brainstorming, decision-making, and more.The assistant covers the general manager’s absences when he takes a day off.
Knowledge & Proficiency: (almost identical to those of General Manager)
• Capability to operate under pressure
• Problem-solving skills
• Experience (less experience than General Manager)
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work under pressure
3. Executive Chef
If you want to serve the best food in town, concentrate on hiring the top executive chef. An excellent executive chef creates the meals on your menu. The best one improves your service and tailors the culinary concept of your restaurant. In addition, he handles all aspects of cuisine, from preparation to presentation.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• An appropriate culinary education or degree
• Substantial experience
• Excellent organizational abilities
• The capacity to operate under pressure
• Be proactive
4. A sous-chef
After the executive chef, this is the second-most crucial role in the kitchen. Think of sous chefs as the main chef’s helpers. The sous chef controls the kitchen if the executive chef takes a day off. Sous chefs need to have equivalent experience and skill levels to executive chefs.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Culinary training or a degree
• Superior organizational skills
• Capacity to work effectively under pressure
5 – The Pastry Chef
The delectable baked goods on your menu are the work of your establishment’s pastry chefs. They create dessert recipes like cookies, cakes, crepes, and mousses. If you run a large, informal restaurant, consider hiring someone in this capacity. Otherwise, if your other chefs have pastry experience, you can delegate these tasks to them.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Appropriate education in pastry arts
• Superior organizational abilities
• Capability to operate effectively under pressure
6. Kitchen Manager
This role’s responsibilities are hiring and firing employees, managing and optimizing processes, and managing inventories. The kitchen manager should be able to bring together a cohesive group that functions as a team. He must have the achievement of high customer satisfaction as his major objective.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Superior communication ability.
• Superior ability in an organization.
• Superior ability in problem-solving.
• Previous experience in management.
7. Food and beverage supervisor
Most restaurants prefer this posture less than the bigger ones do. The menu items’ definition and the restaurant’s overall working procedures are the responsibilities of food and beverage managers. They are also in charge of maintaining inventory (both bar and kitchen goods and supplies). They must ensure that the kitchen and bar adhere to local health regulations (creating schedules, for example).
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Superior organizational abilities
• Capacity to operate well under time constraints
• Participation in group activities
• Problem-solving abilities
• Management experience
8. Line Cook
You must fill this position if you are in charge of a more substantial eatery. The line cook performs several duties designed to simplify the work of other cooks and the chefs. The responsibilities of a line chef include managing one or more kitchen areas to ensure effective and efficient workflow.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Participant in a team environment
• Habits of work that are both dynamic and efficient
• Organized and focused
• Prior experience working in a professional kitchen
9. A fast-food chef
This job is crucial to the overall success of your quick-service restaurant if you are the owner. Fast food chefs must be able to complete orders fast and work under pressure. They frequently use appliances from the kitchen, including grills, deep fryers, sandwich makers, and ovens.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Participant in team activities
• Highly developed communication skills
• Prompt and productive work habits
10. Quick Order Cook
Small orders for breakfasts or brunches are handled by those in this role, as the title would imply. Quick-order cooks frequently make salads, sandwiches, burgers, and other quick-to-prepare foods.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Exceptional communication skills
• Previous experience in the kitchen
• Working manners that are prompt and efficient
11. Prep cook
A restaurant kitchen is successful because of the prep cook. This position’s employees are one of the key reasons your cuisine is served so promptly, even though they don’t cook. In fine dining establishments, the prep cook prepares ingredients for menu items. When there is a high volume of orders, prep cooks are crucial to helping chefs complete them as fast as feasible. Meals are prepared quickly and effortlessly when all the ingredients are ready.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Working methods that are prompt and effective
• Excellent communication abilities
• Fast learners
12. Sommelier
Hiring a sommelier is essential if you are running a fine dining restaurant where wine is the main focus of the entire experience. His duties include buying wine, establishing a good wine list, and advising clients and servers on wine varieties and pairings.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• A formal education
• Substantial experience
• Excellent organizational abilities
• Excellent communication skills
13. Server
The server is the restaurant’s heart, whereas the host or hostess is its face. The best servers often turn a bad client experience into a positive one and vice versa. Servers accept orders and send them to the kitchen and bar, but they also care for each customer. A certain set of abilities are needed for this position. A good server knows when he’s needed and doesn’t bother customers every two minutes to check on them. On the other side, waiting too long for a bill or an order is the worst possible experience for a consumer. So make sure your servers know the balance between both and can serve your customers accordingly.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• A good memory
• Working manners that are prompt and effective
• Excellent communication skills
• The ability to work under pressure
• An easy-going individual with a professional attitude
• Knowledgeable and competent in assisting customers
• Solid experience
14. Runner
To make the work of the servers more effective and simple, some restaurants prefer runners. The runner gets the dish from the kitchen and serves it to the customer as soon as feasible. In this manner, the food is delivered promptly and at the right temperature.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Working methods that are prompt and effective
• Capability to function effectively under adverse conditions
15. A bus person or busser
This position involves setting and cleaning tables. The busser cleans and prepares a table for the next customer after a customer leaves. Bussers frequently handle simple, time-consuming activities like refilling glasses and serving butter, bread, and water.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Working methods that are both speedy and effective
• Contributor to the team
16. Host/Hostess
First impressions of your restaurant and service are up to the host or hostess. As a result, if you want to prepare your customers for their encounter, you must hire a pleasant person. The host or hostess typically welcomes your guests and shows them to their assigned table. In addition, they give out menus and help the clients with any first inquiries or informational needs. Aside from arranging reservations, those recruited for this post are also in charge of the phone line.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Highly organized
• Excellent communication skills
• Easy-going individual with a positive attitude
17. A bartender
Without a fantastic drink, a wonderful meal is nothing, right? The bartender’s job greatly impacts how your business is perceived. Make sure to choose a skilled bartender because this will determine how satisfied customers are. Remember that the person hired for the position won’t just be seated alone behind the bar. Professional bartenders are essential to the success of your business since they will interact with customers and take orders.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Proficient communication skills
• Vast expertise in serving a variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages
• Friendly and easy-going personality
• Capacity to perform effectively under pressure
• Professional demeanor with a primary emphasis on satisfying customers
18. Barback
Barbacks are the baristas’ helpers. They have many responsibilities, but generally, they ensure the bartender has everything he needs to do his job well. They are in charge of keeping the required number of bottles on hand and keeping track of inventory (coffee, sugar, fruits). Not only this, but they also replenish the bar with ice and switch out the kegs.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Excellent communication skills
• Initiative
• Participation in team activities
• Multitasking Ability
• A positive, “can-do” attitude
19. Barista
You must employ a barista if you own a fast-food establishment or a small bakery. People will be willing to order coffee, tea, and smoothies in addition to the dishes. The person you hire should be able to pay close attention to customers’ requests and promptly fulfill their orders.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Excellent communication skills
• Effective memory;
• Ability to remain calm under pressure;
• Quick and efficient work habits
20. A drive-through worker
The majority of quick-service restaurants have this position. Drive-thru operators take and process orders, handle cash, and deliver food through the window. The most distinctive requirement for this role is that it must provide prompt, effective service with a minimum amount of waiting.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Capability with statistics and financial processing
• Superior verbal and written communication skills
• Capacity to function effectively under pressure
21. Cashier
The cashier, like the drive-thru operator, takes orders and handles cash. The drive-thru operator is situated in a drive-thru restaurant, which is the only thing that distinguishes them from one another.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Capability to operate effectively under duress;
• Superior communication and interpersonal skills;
• Experience managing financial matters
22. Dishwasher
Most individuals who wish to work in a restaurant kitchen
begin at this level. Because it doesn’t require expertise and gives you a
chance to work in a restaurant kitchen and learn from the chefs, dishwashers
handle not only the cleanliness of the dishes but also the rubbish and kitchen
cleaning.
Knowledge & Proficiency:
• Capability of working in a rapid and effective manner
Conclusion
When hiring for most of the above restaurant positions
(excluding bartenders, chefs, and management-oriented ones), motivation and
desire to learn and adapt are key. Try to find the right combination of
youthful, ambitious people you can train and mold to your restaurant’s demands
and seasoned pros. Post your openings on hotel job sites to discover the right restaurant employee.
These folks will spend most of their time together.
Maintaining employee satisfaction is crucial to a company’s long-term success.
Provide the greatest working circumstances to do that.
