As of early 2021, nearly 150,000 full-service restaurants were operating in the United States. This figure does not include chains, only single-location establishments. Additionally, there are more than 91,000 motels and hotels in the nation. Staffing these locations requires millions of workers.
Unfortunately, this massive demand for employees can make it tough for you to find talented staff for your hospitality establishment. To overcome this lack of supply and hire better, you must modernize your screening practices. This modernization means utilizing skills tests to screen candidates and identify the most talented applicants.
Below, we outline some key hospitality skills examples for which you should be on the lookout. We list several common types of hospitality skills tests and highlight how utilizing these screening tools can lead to smarter hiring.
Hospitality Skills Examples
While the skills needed to succeed in your organization depend largely on a position’s responsibilities, there are a handful of attributes that just about every hospitality professional should possess. These include the following:
Emotional Intelligence: Employees with a high level of emotional intelligence will be skilled at “reading the room.” They will be more adept at resolving conflicts with coworkers or customers. They will exhibit a high level of empathy when interacting with others, which will help them effectively work with other team members.
Communication: Communication is integral to the success of any hospitality professional. Whether you are hiring a server, greeter, hostess, cook, front desk staff person, or maintenance worker, they must be able to relay information to others effectively. Poor communication will undoubtedly create friction with coworkers and customers.
Food Safety: Safe food handling and preparation skills are essential for servers, cooks, and other employees interacting with food or beverages. Unsafe food handling practices can endanger guests and could ruin your company’s reputation or open the door for fines from the health department.
Attention to Detail: When guests arrive at a hotel or restaurant, they expect everything to be perfect. They expect set tables, spotless reception areas, and clean, neatly arranged rooms. If anything is out of place, customers will take notice and may be hesitant to do business with your company in the future. You must hire hospitality professionals who exhibit unwavering attention to detail, in light of this fact.
Types of Hospitality Skills Tests
Hospitality professionals are required to possess a broad range of skills and talents. There is no single skills test suitable for screening all hospitality candidates. Instead, you should select specific skills tests based on the vacancy you attempt to fill. We have outlined several common hospitality positions and the skills tests you should use to screen those applicants to make things easier.
Skill Assessment for Restaurant Managers: When screening for restaurant managers, you may want to use the Emotional Intelligence, Event Planning, Attention to Detail, or Multitasking skills tests. Alternatively, you can build a custom skills test using our library of thousands of expertly written questions.
Hospitality Assistant Skills Test: Some of the best hospitality assistant skills tests include Attention to Detail, Front Desk Skills, and Communication. These skills tests will provide insights into candidates’ abilities and help you find the best candidate for your organization.
Hospitality Manager Skills Test: In addition to the skills tests outlined in the restaurant manager section, the Event Planning Skills assessment is a great screening tool when hiring hospitality managers.
Event planning is a critical business responsibility that hospitality managers must fulfill. Managers who possess strong event planning skills will be able to help VIP customers orchestrate parties, weddings, or other revenue-driving affairs.
Server/Cook Skills Assessment: Some of the most important skills for cooks and servers include safe food handling practices, general food knowledge, food prep, and server functions. The Cooking Skills assessment is an excellent option for screening cooks, whereas the Food and Beverage Serving Skills test would be most suitable when hiring servers.
How Skills Tests Lead to Better Hires
Skills tests lead to better hiring by allowing you to accurately measure candidates’ skills, abilities, and talents. Instead of relying on potentially discriminatory screening practices, you can make all hiring decisions based on precise skills testing data.
Skills tests are effective for weeding out underqualified individuals or differentiating two similarly positioned candidates. As an added benefit, hiring based on skills-test results is highly defensible from a civil liability perspective. When authorities scrutinize your hiring practices, you can produce candidates’ testing results to justify your employment decisions.
Testing Solutions From eSkill
eSkill offers skills testing solutions specifically designed for the hospitality industry, including a skills assessment for restaurant managers and a soft skills test.
Are you ready to streamline your hiring process so you can recruit hospitality experts for your team? Contact us to request a demo.