best way to interview potential bar mgr

[lounge5575]

i am currently in the process of interviewing someone for the main bartender position in my new establishment. because this posititon is so important i am curious if anyone has advice on interviewing him. his resume reads very well. however, i know that interviews can be deceiving to the employer and this is a key management position......help!

[Securitygeek]

Background checks!!! Its tedious, boring and a pain in the arse, but check their references. call former employers. David will be the first one to tell you that most people don't check. You should for any employee. Especially management.

[G-Dog]

You can always check their references. If you have permission a credit check may reveal any problems they have in managing budgets. There is also information re: previous employers on there that the applicant may have "overlooked".

[steffen]

I don't know about many other states, but in Missouri, the Liquor Board actually helps encourage backgroung checks, issued by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. This covers both responses to your orginal quesiton, since they both provided background checks, but also a credit check to check for employers.... Any check done through the state, in Misosuri, will go throught the unemployment office as well, this will let you know the places your prospective employee has worked at since they have had to pay unemployement insurance plus send the state withholdings...

--steffen

[The Event Guy]

Originally posted by G-Dog
You can always check their references. If you have permission a credit check may reveal any problems they have in managing budgets. There is also information re: previous employers on there that the applicant may have "overlooked".

I don't really agree with credit checks because they don't always state the facts and can give the wrong impression of people

[David]

Since we also have Gaming with Liquor, all employees that handle money, have to have a background check done by our State Liquor Control Board and Gaming.

Items that will immediately disqualify you from employment.

1. Any Felony, no time limit.

2. Habitual offender status on anything.

3. Assault and Battery, no time limit.

4. More than one D.U.I

Interview all potential employees in person at least three times.

The first interview is used to weed out the undesirables.

The second interview is used to establish a report with the remaining individuals.

The third is used after all references have been checked out. Within the law of course.

But, as we all know, we are limited on what we can ask their references. Ask your employees what they have heard on the street about potential candidates. They will usually have all of the info that you need.

I have even hired people to shop the final candidates at their current place of employment. I give them a list of things to look for.

* Attitude towards the customers

* Attitude towards their fellow employees

* Attitude towards the Management on shift

* Efficiency and Proficiency

* Honesty and Integrity

* Last but not least, ability to converse with the customers at the bar and the customers reaction to Him/Her

[mrclubscene]

Well......resumes are not always a good mesure of management ability. You want an honest guy/girl, void of an egos and complexes, having a strong work ethic and one who will lead people. This leading ability is important cause if the staff does not respect him they will only do enough to get by.

(1) Notice what he is wearing, the quality/style, manner and greetings he uses. Do they mesh with your establishment.

(2) (u could skip this one but i have used it) Use a few well placed curses/profanity and see if he/she starts using profanity. What i was looking for was communication/decent langauage skills. If he starts cursing then he is the type to do so in your absence. The potential for verbal abuse of staff/customers exists.

(3) These are just situation questions u throw at him and see how he responds. Here are a few questions...some normal others real life that I have actually encountered. You could have some fun with these.......

- A fight breaks out w/multiple people involved. What do you do?
- A bartender is pissed off at a nagging customer and the customer is complaining that the bartender apologize or she will never vist again. Whats the solution?
- Friday happy Hour (7pm) is in full swing? Barbacks tell you that the ice machines just crapped out and the toilets in the ladies room are backed up? Plan of action?
- You think one of the bartenders is stealing? Your way of dealing with it.
- A draw is short ~$83, and bartender is like i dunno what happened. Whats your response?
- You have a special guest DJ/Artist scheduled for 1AM. Everyone is there to see her but as per overbooking, she cancels. How do you inform the crowd that she not coming?
- You know you are packed over the limit? Firemarshall is on his way. Plan of action?

[mix]

i feel that a bar manager should always start as a lead bartender

i dont see how you can make your way up the ladder without using each step

this will give the owners/manager/gm a chance to view the individual on work ethic, and the ability to work with customers and the staff.

give em a little rope and see if they hang themselves with it.

case in point, a good friend of mine is a gm at one of the nicest clubs in his state, his bar manager has the priveledge of "comping" drinks to loyal customers, and of giving drinks to dissatisfied customers, as well as any time he sees that the extra customer service may make a person return to the establishment (for example: "try our newest vodka" or "let me make you my specialty".

this priveledge now is to give free drinks to all his friends, and whatever females he wants to see their cup size. in addition, he will give free shots away to lure customers to his bar and away from other bartenders.

easily fixable problem, but a problem that never should have occurred. this particular individual abuses his position, and had he had it as a lead, he would have done the same, only for less pay and with less responsibility and with less time invested to train him in the admin side of the biz...

also, unverifiable out of state work experience shouldnt fly with you. if i say i was the bar manager at smokey sams house of booze in florida until it closed after 4 years, how do you know that to be true ??? no number to call... no number on the owner... no employee refs. but your place in connecticut may think, "hey big time bar manager from a big florida club... what a bargain"!!! besides, whos to say if the place actually existed, and i gave a number, that the florida # i wrote down and told you that Joe was the GM, when he was really the bartender at the register next to mine... hear me knockin ???

just say no bro....

i could go on and on because i cant stand unprofessional people, and in our business, they are rampant... which helped me make the change to stay in my box with my headphones and let the wolves eat each other...

now my blood pressure is up

[sully]

It's always a good idea to check with previous employers. They can provide a good feel for the apllicant abilities. While the are under no obligation to give you any info, if they were burned in the past, they'll likely make it known.

Also, always ask why the apllicant left their previous employer.

[jtarn]

- A fight breaks out w/multiple people involved. What do you do?
- A bartender is pissed off at a nagging customer and the customer is complaining that the bartender apologize or she will never vist again. Whats the solution?
- Friday happy Hour (7pm) is in full swing? Barbacks tell you that the ice machines just crapped out and the toilets in the ladies room are backed up? Plan of action?
- You think one of the bartenders is stealing? Your way of dealing with it.
- A draw is short ~$83, and bartender is like i dunno what happened. Whats your response?
- You have a special guest DJ/Artist scheduled for 1AM. Everyone is there to see her but as per overbooking, she cancels. How do you inform the crowd that she not coming?
- You know you are packed over the limit? Firemarshall is on his way. Plan of action?

[teenclub]

-do background check for legal issues
-call previous employers (the best question that tells it all...would you hire him/her again?)....anything but yes is a problem.
-give PERSONALITY/TEMPERMENT Profile/test/survey...will tell you alot
-have them come on a busy night, tell them to hang around your club and walk around...tell them to give you a report on what they like, and what they think needs improvement (and how it would be improved)


when in doubt try sodium penathol :p