How many times have you seen or experienced new employees start at a new place and after they have had only a couple of weeks of the buddy buddy training system, they simply crash and burn when they are left alone and end up either leaving or they get fired because they are unsuitable for the organization?
As we are all aware of the hospitality industry experiencing a skill shortage and desperately need qualified, reliable, hard working, friendly and fast professionals to enter the workforce now, many managers and human resource departments when posting job applications think that by including the terms friendly, qualified and hard working in the key performance indicators of a job profile that they will automatically receive the best of the best in possible candidates and that they will be the most loyal employees to the organization. However, the issues lie much deeper than the simple job analysis and job description. The problems actually start with the interview followed by the induction.
Let us start with the interview.
The Interview
How many and who are included in the interview process? Is there only one person – the Human Resources representative conducting the interview?
If the interview was only conducted by the HR representative and the HR person only had the information provided by the manager of what the manager was looking for in an employee and had no knowledge of what it was like working on the floor or what the staff were like working as a team, then I ask you, how certain are you that the employed candidate will fit your organization when there is only one person doing the interviewing? Lack of knowledge and “gut” feeling is going to be applied in this situation, whether you want to admit it or not.
The solution to this scenario is by making the interview process a priority to management staff and have the floor manager, the supervisor and the HR representative present when conducting an interview, at least then there will be no appointments based upon lack of knowledge or “gut” feelings.
Are the questions open or closed? Are behavioral questions asked?
During the interview process it is better to ask behavioral questions than straight open and closed questions that provide a yes or no answer. When open and closed questions are asked, the interviewer will have to coax the candidate for a more detailed response than when behavioral questions are used. By asking behavioral questions, you want to know how the candidate has performed in similar situations because if in the past the applicant has struggled or become stressed in a pressure – cooker environment; odds are that they might struggle if put in a similar situation.
An example of a behavioral question would be: Can you please describe an incident in which you were extremely busy but were able to provide exceptional service to the customer?
Is a skill test implemented in the selection process?
A skill test during the interview process is a necessity and would include a basic test of carrying three plates, the clearing of plates from a table of 2, presenting and opening a bottle of wine, pouring a beer from a bottle and holding a tray of drinks.
By including a basic skills test; you are determining whether the potential candidates are the real deal, whether they need extra training or whether they are all talk; after all, actions speak louder than words.
The reason why I suggest the skills test is because I am simply amazed of how many new employees don’t know how to carry three plates or how to pour a beer properly.
Do you use other screening techniques in an interview?
Another technique which can be used is a paper based behavioral question analysis which is very similar to the computer – assisted interviews whereby the computer presets a patterned interview which consists of questions and multi choice answers. The applicant is told that there are no wrong answers and to answer the statements as honestly as they can. This technique is less confronting and less intimidating to those applicants whom find interviews stressful and daunting but can also mean increased workload for the HR department or if an external company is contracted, and then it could also be expensive. This screening technique is used when there are a lot of applicants applying for the same position. The Novotel and Crown Casino use this screening technique.
For example:
You find out that your team member has been stealing. What do you do?
a) Tell the manager
b) Tell the supervisor
c) Do nothing
d) Tell the employee
How are you at dealing with pressure?
a) Great, you thrive on it
b) You get flustered
c) You get stressed
d) Don’t know
Whilst this technique is a less intimidating process, there are still some employers whom will provide personality or psychological profiling tests. These profiling tests which are designed to assess overall personality characteristics are extremely dangerous because once the results are known the profile stigma may stick, and if the applicant ever found out what the real reason for not getting the job was because of some profile test that revealed that you were an introversion with no initiation or creativity, well, the company may be bordering upon discrimination, with the possibility of litigation. The Myers Briggs Indicator is an example of a personality or psychological profiling test.
Once the applicant has gone through the interview process, and has successfully been appointed then the next step is the induction and orientation, which will be covered in the next press release.
So what did we learn about the interview process?
An interview only conducted by the HR representative is expected to have a lack of knowledge and “gut” feeling being applied to this situation.
It is better to have the floor manager, the supervisor, and the HR representative present for the interview process so that the best possible applicant can be appointed
Behavioral questions are better to ask than open and closed questions as they provide more information on how the applicant has performed in past situations.
A skills test could be useful in determining whether the applicant is the perfect candidate for the position.
Another screening technique includes the paper – based behavioral question analysis.
The personality or psychological profiling tests could be integrated in the interview process - The Myer Briggs Indicator being an example.
To the managers: Just a hint, but this is how you conduct and use content in an interview, to make sure the applicant is the right fit.
To the applicants: although the interview at the best of times can be an extremely daunting experience, I hope this brief overview of the interview process has made you aware of the different techniques which can be used in the hospitality industry. Every organization and company have their own interview techniques, and I just want you to be aware of what the interview process might entail so that you can get that job! Good Luck!
© 2009 Sumalee Kunert – Lee
