Before a potential employee walks in your office for their interview, you should already have a good idea if they would be the right person to fill your resort, hotel, or restaurant job.You can use the power of nonverbal communication cues to help you pick the best people for your establishment.Many times the people who look the best on paper are not actually the best people to hire for a service oriented hospitality job.By the time a candidate has sat down in your office you should already know something about their confidence, self-esteem, and other key characteristics just by the way they carry themselves and how they greeted you. Learn how to choose more wisely in the interview process by noting what your potential employees say to you through their actions, as well as their words.
Dress to Impress
When you have a restaurant interview or foodservice interview pay attention to what the candidate says to you with their clothing.Someone who is well dressed and professional will give the same positive vibe to your customers. If someone comes in who is poorly groomed, smells of too much perfume, or has scuffed shoes then you might want to think twice about hiring him or her.Good hygiene, tasteful makeup, and professional dress are all signs of pride and good self-esteem.These are positive qualities that are crucial to anyone working in a foodservice job, hotel job, or any other hospitality job.
Greeting Your Potential Employee
After you’ve taken a moment to assess the candidate’s professionalism through dress, you’ll want to notice how they greet you.Do they give you a solid firm handshake or a weak and limp one?These sorts of details will also give you an idea of your candidate’s self-esteem.The handshake should be firm, but not overpowering.Someone who squeezes too hard is signaling an overbearing personality or aggressiveness.A weak handshake may signal low self-confidence, another negative point for your work place.
How They Say It
Now it’s time to find out what your candidate is made of, focus not only on what they say, but how they say it. A good potential employee will answer your interview questions succinctly.They should speak in an even tone and clearly without mumbling.If you hire someone who mumbles or whispers in an interview, you can expect a meek employee who doesn’t take much initiative in the workplace.Someone who is too loud during the interview may also be aggressive in the workplace.
The Eyes Say It All
Pay attention to where your potential employee is looking during the hotel interview or hospitality interview.They should be making eye contact with you and focusing on your interview questions. If they are looking around the room, this means they are not focused and easily distracted.On the other hand if someone stares at you too intently they may have an overbearing persona.Someone who makes no eye contact at all is giving a sign that they could be untrustworthy. Yama Jewayni, one of the owners of Washington D.C.’s hippest restaurants and bars such as the Eighteenth Street Lounge, Dragonfly, and Local 16 says, “When we are looking to staff our restaurants, I always pay attention to how a potential employee looks at me during the interview.I want to know that they can look me in the eye while we are talking.This makes me think I can trust them and they will be able to work well with customers.”
Reading Body Language
There are a few simple clues you can take stock of during the interview to help you learn what a candidate is telling you through their body language. The best candidates will be sitting upright with good posture, but still at ease.Slouching is a sign of sloppiness and you are sure to see this in their work if you hire them.Good posture shows good self-esteem and confidence.Someone who is leaning back with her arms above their head or is taking over your whole desk with her notepad is displaying aggressiveness and this behavior is sure to show up in the workplace.You want a candidate that is secure enough to take notes on your desk without taking it over. The more practice you get at listening with your ears and your eyes, the easier it will be to find the best employees for your business!