Interview questions for waiting staff
These are the questions to prepare for in a job interview for waiting staff: 6 job-specific questions with tips for good answers, the most common questions in every interview, and questions you can ask the employer. With Selja you can also practise the interview for the exact job you have applied for.
Job-specific questions for waiting staff
How do you keep a cool head when the place is full?
Give an example from a busy day. Show that you prioritise, talk to your colleagues and keep your spirits up.
Tell me about a time a guest was dissatisfied.
Show that you listened, apologised without arguing and sorted it out quickly. Also say when you would have fetched a manager.
What does good service mean to you?
Answer in your own words, and give an example where you made the visit better for a guest.
How do you look after hygiene and food safety when it is busy?
Show that the routines are second nature, such as hand washing, temperature checks, allergens and cleaning, even when the pace is high.
What experience do you have already?
Be specific: the type of place, how many guests, and what you did yourself. If you have little experience, talk about other fast-paced work with customer contact.
What are you like to work with on a long and busy shift?
Service is teamwork. Give an example of helping a colleague who was falling behind.
Common questions in every job interview
Tell me a little about yourself.
Keep it to one or two minutes. Start with who you are professionally, highlight two or three experiences that are relevant to the job, and finish with why you are applying right now. Skip your whole life story.
What are your greatest strengths?
Choose two or three strengths the job actually requires, and give a short example of each. A strength without an example is just a claim.
What is your greatest weakness?
Choose something real that is not crucial for the job, and explain what you are doing to improve. Avoid tired answers like saying you are a perfectionist.
Why did you apply for this job?
Link what you know and enjoy to what the job involves. Mention two specific things in the job ad that appealed to you, not just that you need a job.
What do you know about us?
Read their website, recent news and LinkedIn page beforehand. Mention something specific, such as a product, a client or an initiative, and say why it interests you.
Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem.
Use STAR: briefly describe the situation, what your task was, what you did, and what the result was. Spend most of the time on what you did yourself.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
Choose a real mistake, take responsibility without blaming others, and spend most of the time on what you did to put it right and what you do differently now.
Tell me about a disagreement with a colleague. How did you resolve it?
Show that you listen and focus on the issue, not the person. Finish with how you worked together afterwards.
What are your salary expectations?
Research the pay level for the job beforehand. Give a range instead of a single figure, and justify it with your skills and responsibilities. The hourly pay calculator here can help you convert between hourly and annual pay.
When can you start?
Check your notice period before the interview, and give a concrete answer. If you are flexible, say so.
Answer with the STAR method
When you are asked for an example, the STAR method gives an answer that is concrete and easy to follow:
- Situation: Where were you, and what happened? Keep it short.
- Task: What was your responsibility or goal?
- Action: What did you do, step by step? Spend most of your time here.
- Result: What was the outcome? Include numbers if you can.
Questions to ask the employer
How are the rotas set up, and how much evening and weekend work is there?
You need to know this before you accept. Also ask how early the rotas come out.
How many of you are working when it is at its busiest?
Tells you a lot about the pace, and how well staffed the place is.
What is the training like for the first shifts?
Shows that you want to deliver well from the start, and tells you whether you get to work alongside someone experienced.
What do the people who enjoy it and stay a long time here have in common?
You hear what they value, and whether the working environment is good.
What does a normal week look like in this job?
You get a concrete picture of the daily work, and can see whether the tasks match what was in the job ad.
What are the most important goals for the first six months?
Shows that you are thinking about delivering from the start. The answer tells you what is actually expected of you.
How do you measure success in the role?
You find out what you will be assessed on, and whether the goals are clear or vague.
Practise the interview with Selja
The best thing you can do before the interview is to practise the questions for that exact job out loud. Interview practice in Selja creates questions from the job ad and your CV. You answer by speaking or writing and get feedback on every answer, so you know what to say differently before it counts.
- See the interview questions for your profession for free.
- Create your CV and cover letter for the job in under a minute, so you get the interview first.
- CV example for waiting staff
- How to prepare for a job interview
Frequently asked questions
What do they ask in a job interview for waiting staff?
You get both common questions, like "Tell me a little about yourself", and job-specific questions, for example: "How do you keep a cool head when the place is full?" and "Tell me about a time a guest was dissatisfied."
How do I prepare for an interview for waiting staff?
Read the job ad and find the three most important requirements. Prepare a short example for each, ideally with the STAR method, and practise out loud. Have two or three questions ready for the employer.
Is there a tool for practising an interview for waiting staff?
Yes. With interview practice in Selja you practise the interview for the exact job you have applied for, speaking or writing, and get feedback on every answer. You can see the most common interview questions by profession for free, and Selja also creates your CV and cover letter for the job in under a minute.