Hospitality Interview Questions: Best Questions to Ask
The interview process is by far one of the most important phases when hiring hospitality staff. But you need to know the right questions to ask. Learn the best questions to ask in this article.
Pretty much anyone can put together a great-looking resume. You might even get a few good references. But what do you really know about your applicant, especially in hospitality, until you interview them?
Not much.
You can’t get personality from a job application. You need to see the person in real life, sit across from them, and engage.
A great interview can prevent the most expensive mistake in the hospitality industry: hiring the wrong hire for your busy shifts.
shiftNOW offers a tight set of questions to help you understand any applicant’s ability to keep up with the pace of your business and embody guest-first instincts. You’ll also be able to tell how reliable any potential job seeker is, all with a few simple questions.
Key Takeaways
- The right hospitality interview questions reveal reliability, speed, and service mindset, so managers can avoid costly bad hires during busy shifts.
- Using role-specific interview questions and a consistent scorecard improves hiring accuracy, so you can make sure your candidates can handle high-volume hospitality environments.
- Structured hospitality interviews help businesses hire faster without lowering standards. You’ll cut turnover and protect the guest experience.
What you should screen for in hospitality roles
Before we get into the questions, it’s important to know what you’re looking for in the answers. Here are the primary qualities you need in any hospitality role:
- Reliability and accountability. Does the applicant arrive on time and appear ready to work? Does their schedule fit your needs? Are they good communicators? These are perhaps the most important traits for anyone in hospitality because they reveal a quality of character you’ll need in someone expected to hustle their way through a busy shift with a smile.
- Service mindset. Anyone in your restaurant, bar, or hotel has to be service-oriented. From the moment they clock in, they’re thinking about the customers and what’s best for them.
- Speed and stamina. Not everyone is the Energizer Bunny, and that’s okay. But you don’t want someone with flagging energy who can’t stay on their feet for several hours during a busy Friday night. Your candidate needs to manage high volume, multitask, and prioritize duties throughout a shift that may run six hours or more.
- Coachability. You’re not going to get a perfect fit from day one, but your hire should be inherently coachable. Hospitality roles require taking constructive criticism and implementing it on the fly. They should also be able to learn your systems quickly.
- Role skill basics. Anyone filling gaps during busy periods should already have core skills. Servers should know POS systems, cooks should have knife skills, bartenders should know classic drinks, and all staff should understand sanitation standards.
Now that you know what to screen for, here are the best questions to ask by role.
The best hospitality interview questions for any role
These core questions work for virtually every hospitality position:
- “Walk me through your last shift on a busy night. What went wrong and how did you handle it?”
This reveals how the candidate reacts under pressure. - “What does ‘good service’ mean to you when you’re slammed?”
Strong candidates balance honesty, empathy, and professionalism. - “Tell me about a time you received feedback you disagreed with. What did you do?”
This shows coachability and emotional maturity. - “What’s your ideal schedule and what times can you never work?”
Availability matters as much as skill. - “How do you handle it when a coworker doesn’t pull their weight?”
This highlights teamwork and leadership tendencies.
Server interview questions
- “How do you manage a six-table section when two tables get seated at once?”
- “What’s your process for upselling without being pushy?”
- “Tell me about a guest complaint you successfully turned around.”
- “What POS systems have you used, and how quickly do you learn new ones?”
- “How do you prioritize refills, running food, payments, and greeting new tables?”
Bartender interview questions
- “How do you keep ticket times down during a rush?”
- “What are your top ten classic cocktails, and how do you ensure consistency?”
- “How do you handle an intoxicated guest without escalating the situation?”
- “Tell me about inventory, waste control, and station organization.”
- “How do you balance service bar tickets with guests seated at the bar?”
Line cook and prep interview questions
- “Describe your station setup before service. What’s non-negotiable?”
- “How do you communicate when you’re behind on tickets?”
- “What do you do if you notice a teammate cutting corners on food safety?”
- “Walk me through how you handle a modified ticket or allergy callout.”
- “How do you maintain speed and consistency when you’re in the weeds?”
Dishwasher and back-of-house support interview questions
- “What does a good close look like to you?”
- “How do you keep pace when dish volume spikes?”
- “Tell me about a time you were short-staffed. How did you stay organized?”
- “How do you handle repetitive work without quality dropping?”
- “What do you do when you notice equipment problems mid-shift?”
Hotel front desk interview questions
- “Tell me about a time a guest was angry at check-in. What did you do first?”
- “How do you prioritize when multiple guests need help at once?”
- “What PMS systems have you used, and how do you learn new software?”
- “How do you handle room issues when there’s no immediate fix?”
- “What does professionalism mean to you during a stressful shift?”
Interview scorecard (fast, repeatable hiring)
Use a simple scorecard during interviews to compare candidates objectively:
- Reliability (1–5): schedule fit, punctuality, communication
- Pace (1–5): multitasking, prioritization, high-volume experience
- Service mindset (1–5): guest recovery, teamwork, composure
- Coachability (1–5): feedback response, willingness to learn
- Role competence (1–5): systems, tools, real-world examples
Watch for red flags like vague answers, blaming others, entitlement, or inconsistent availability. These often predict future problems.
How to hire faster without lowering the bar
You can hire quickly without sacrificing quality:
- Use the same structured questions and scorecard for every candidate.
- Keep interviews under 20 minutes and stay consistent.
- When necessary, offer a short trial shift for real-time evaluation.
Common interview mistakes in hospitality
Don’t hire based on personality alone. Charm doesn’t equal reliability under pressure.
Don’t skip schedule-fit questions. Even great talent is useless if they can’t work your busiest shifts.
Don’t ignore real examples. If candidates can’t describe a busy shift, they may not be ready.
Don’t overlook communication habits. Poor communication often signals unreliability.
Closing
The best interview questions reveal how someone performs under pressure, not just how well they interview. When you use consistent, role-specific questions and a scorecard, you hire with confidence every time.
With shiftNOW’s AI system, you can get suggested interview questions and automated scoring to save time while improving hiring accuracy.
FAQs
What are the best behavioral interview questions for hospitality?
Questions that ask for real examples of busy shifts and feedback handling best predict on-the-job performance.
How do I interview for speed and reliability without being harsh?
Set expectations clearly and explain why the questions matter for both the business and the candidate.
What interview questions predict good guest service?
Questions about handling difficult guests, system failures, and high-pressure moments reveal service mindset.
How should I consistently score hospitality candidates?
Ask the same questions every time and use a standardized scorecard for objective comparison.
