A million thoughts run through our minds when we think of Food Service Manager interviews.
We often describe them as daunting, harrowing, and scary.
Whether an interview will be any of these or not depends on how we look at them. Interviews may be termed as “frightening,” but they are not as bad as that!
Food Service Manager Interviews need to be prepared for. If you do not want to sit in front of an interviewer with clammy palms and beads of sweat running down your forehead, you must prepare beforehand.
How to be prepared for a Food Service Manager Interview?
Well, that actually depends on the needs of the employer.
Digging out questions that you may be asked is a great way of preparing for an interview. Imagine knowing the answers to all potential questions beforehand!
But it is not always possible to know all the answers, so let’s be realistic here. Even if you know answers to some of the questions that you may be asked during an interview, you have it made! Your confidence and body language will do the rest. So sit up straight, put a smile on your face, and take that interview!
See also: Food Service Manager Resume
Before you go, have a look at some interview questions (and their possible answers) for the position of a food service manager:
Food Service Manager Interview Questions and Answers
Why did you choose your career in the foodservice industry?
I have a passion for decorating food and am a fan of fine dining. I started my career as a food server and always dreamed big. With hard work and some specialization courses in food service management, I finally got promoted to this position. I am still motivated to progress further in this profession.
Explain a typical day in the life of a food service manager?
A typical day involves:
- assigning duties to staff
- receiving deliveries
- checking all work stations for hygiene and sanitization
- testing and tasting any food that leaves the stations for service
- handling complains
- dealing with staff issues
- making and validating payrolls
What measures do you take in order to groom and develop your foodservice team professionally?
I organize monthly seminars or lectures to enhance their skills in foodservice and also to keep their knowledge of high food service standards afresh.
How would you rate your leadership skills?
I would say ten on ten. I maintain good relations with all team members, have good decision-making skills, stay in touch with them, and keep encouraging high performance with small incentives. I usually set collective goals and motivate the team to achieve them.
Name 3 traits that qualify you for this role?
I believe my strong communication skills, ability to plan things flawlessly, and expertise in managing a team qualify me for this role.
Tell me about a time when your manager criticized your work. How did you take it?
Once there was a big catering event at the hotel I worked for. The food we served was of good quality, but one component that needed to be on hot plates had to be served without them because 500 of those were unavailable.
The manager critiqued me, and I took it positively. I always arrange proper crockery before events now or avoid dishes for which special crockery is needed on such a large scale.
Share an example of where you did something more than what was expected of you?
During the holiday season last year the staff was really short. Due to holidays, no one was willing to take up extra replacement shifts. I volunteered to give two extra hours daily and arrived early for 15 days to facilitate the management and also accepted an extra 3 hours night shift.
What are the trademarks of high-quality food service?
High-quality food service includes service of top quality meals, synchronized orders, polite guest greeting, giving the customers exactly what they want and checking on them now and then if they need something else.
What is the importance of good customer service in the foodservice industry? Why?
Customer service is on top of the list in the foodservice industry. That is because customers identify a place by the service they have been provided with. If customer services are not up to the mark, there is a huge chance that the place will lose its customers because there are many choices out there.
How would you keep your restaurant at the top of the list for a customer?
This is a difficult task to do, but it is also the essence of a food service manager’s work. I would make sure that my restaurant is clean, food is prepared and served on time and that nothing is out of stock at any time. It is often the little things that matter the most in this industry.
On a typical workday, what are your duties as a food service manager?
I plan menus, supervise food preparation activities, requisition food supplies, handle staff schedules, and ensure delivery of exceptional services to our customers. I am in constant training mode, so training employees is also something that I do on a daily basis.
How do you make sure that large orders are handled without problems?
For large orders, I always make sure that adequate staff is assigned. I instruct staff members to check each other’s work so that if any detail has been neglected by one, the other can make up for it.
I also make sure that all materials and supplies are ordered and delivered at least a day in advance so that there is no room for anything going wrong on the day of the party or buffet.