Case study

Hobson’s Choice: Finding the best server for the job.

Management skills. Case study.

Bill Hobson, general manager of Mc Fitzhugh’s , an independent casual-dining restaurant, was working late on a Thursday night, reviewing the interview notes he had gathered for a server opening he had to fill right away. On Monday, his assistant manager, Gretched Jensen, conducted the first round of interview and eliminated seven of the applicants. This morning he personally interviewed the remaining three candidates and this afternoon he asked the staff who had met them for their own impressions. Bill had told each candidate that he would let them know his decision by three o’clock Friday afternoon.

But the decision was not as easy as he had anticipated. Each candidate had arrived for the interviews well-groomed, well-dressed and on-time. They all had either some restaurant experience or hospitality education. Even so, none was an obvious choice for the job. Each person came with his or her own strong points or weak points. Bill hoped that by going over his second-interview notes one more time he would at last be able to make a decision.

Because service skills and availability already seemed a given for these three candidates, Bill had focused on a series of questions designed to find how well each applicant would fit in with Mc Fitzhugh’s team. How well would they hold up under pressure? Were they able to laugh at themselves? Did they have a guest-friendly, team-friendly personality? To find out, he had develop four specific questions:

1.       How well do you think you work with people?

Although most of the Mc Fistzhugh’s team is made of people under the age of 25, they have various education, family and lifestyle backgrounds. They don’t all share the same work ethic. Yet, when they are on the job, everyone has to work smoothly together if they’re going to successfully serve their guests. There’s no room for lone rangers or prima donnas.

2.       What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you in the last week?

Bill knew that some people scoffed at the importance of a sense of humor, but he had found that a positive and constructive sense of humor can be an invaluable asset when problems or a stressful situation arise. And guests enjoy a pleasant, smiling server who can laugh along with them.

3.       Can you tell me about a time when you weren’t treated fairly? What did you do?

The answer to this question would help Bill know whether the applicant could be cool under pressure – such as when the kitchen makes a mistake on an order, when two servers are out sick on a busy night or when guests refuse to be pleasant no matter what you do.

4.       Has your personality ever helped you out a tough situation?

Over the years, Bob had hired more than his share of job applicants who described themselves as “people persons”, but weren’t able to relate well with people who spoke, dressed or acted differently than they did. When high-tension situations arose, they were flustered- or worse. Mc Fitzhugh’s needed servers who could relate well to a wide variety of guests and co- workers and diffuse even difficult situations comfortably.

Now Bill turned to the notes Gretchen had prepared for him after her initial interviews.

(see Pp. 41 to 43 Managing service in Food and Beverage Operations, Ronald F. Cichy and Philip J. Hickey, Jr. #rd. Operation American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institut, USA 2005)