Bartenders are the face of your establishment, interacting with your guests to create an inviting, positive atmosphere. With their friendly demeanor and excellent customer service skills, they play a major role in your success. If you’re looking to find and hire bartenders, PeopleReady is here to help with our hospitality staffing solutions.
Below, you’ll find:
- Top skills and qualities your bartending staff need
- Tips on attracting applicants to your open bartending jobs
- The secret to success in bartender staffing
Top skills and qualities for your bartending staff needs
What do we tend to look for in job seekers who apply to our bartender jobs? Here are some key skills and qualities that all the best candidates should have.
Customer service skills
Bartenders serve a variety of people, which makes strong customer service skills important. Being good at talking to others can help your bartenders create a warm, welcoming environment and ensure guest satisfaction.
Multi-tasking skills
From special events to happy hours and everything in between, bartenders often handle a high volume of drink orders. They also need to accommodate special requests while keeping the bar organized and processing payments accurately. With strong multi-tasking skills, they can get all their tasks done quickly and correctly.
Teamwork and communication skills
Hospitality and event bartenders often work as a team to serve drinks for a large number of guests. Having good communication is crucial for excellent service because it helps everything run smoothly and ensures guests are having a great time.
The ability to follow all rules and regulations
Bartenders are required by law to serve alcohol responsibly. This includes checking IDs and making sure guests stay safe while still having fun. Plus, bartenders who stick to the rules will benefit your company’s overall reputation.
A focus on safety and cleanliness
A safe, clean bar is important to keep guests safe and comfortable. Bartenders must follow cleaning protocols and keep the bar and its equipment clean throughout their shift.
Tips for attracting the right applicants for your open bartending jobs
In many areas across the country, the competition to hire bartenders is strong. Fortunately, there are some ways that you can attract more applicants with the right skills and experience. For example:
Write a clear and detailed job posting
Tailoring your job postings to your specific needs is key to attracting the right candidates for bartending jobs. For example, you can mention if any courses or certifications are required for the position. Additionally, providing details about expected shifts can help you find bartenders who are able to accommodate your hours.
Accommodate different schedules whenever possible
Creating a schedule for your bartender staffing needs can be challenging due to the nontraditional hours and part-time nature of the job. So, how do you make scheduling easier? One thing to consider is providing flexible staffing options for your bartenders and other team members. Staffing flexibility such as self-scheduling or flex scheduling can ensure you have enough workers for every shift.
Highlight your company’s environment
Potential applicants want jobs where they feel they will be supported and appreciated. By showcasing your company’s vibrant atmosphere and positive team culture, you can attract workers to your open bartender roles. Meanwhile, perks and incentives — like flexible scheduling or free event tickets, for example — show workers that your company values their efforts, which can boost job satisfaction and retention rates.
Create an employee referral program
Your team likely knows bartenders from past jobs who are qualified and will serve you well. Employee referrals can expand your pool of potential candidates — and there are benefits for your team as well. Having your team involved in the bartending staffing process makes them feel valued.
Promote training opportunities for all members of your bartending staff
Providing training opportunities attracts bartender applicants and encourages their loyalty once they have joined your team. Whether applicants are new to the field or seasoned bartenders, it’s important to train them thoroughly in your specific standards and procedures. Proper training ensures that they’re able to deliver exceptional customer service, regardless of their prior experience.
Ask the right interview questions
A strong interview process will help you distinguish great candidates from all the rest. These are some of the questions our team might ask to get a better understanding of our applicants:
- What bartending experience do you have?
- Do you hold any licenses or certifications?
- How do you ensure a high level of customer service?
- How do you stay organized during a busy shift?
- Can you share some examples of when you worked successfully as part of a team?
Benefits of hiring bartenders with a hospitality staffing agency
In order to make their bartender staffing efforts a success, many event and hospitality companies partner with a staffing agency. If you’ve never worked with a bartender staffing agency before, here are just some of the benefits you can expect:
Hospitality industry insight and expertise
While many bartending roles welcome beginners, some hospitality and event spaces seek bartenders with specialized training and experience. Staffing agencies with a focus on hospitality staffing know just what to look for in your potential candidates. They ensure that each bartender has all the necessary certifications and licenses, giving you confidence in their ability to perform well.
Convenient access to a wider pool of bartenders
The ideal staffing agency will have solid ties within your community, which means they understand your local hiring market. Strong community connections help staffing agencies quickly find and match qualified candidates for your specific job needs. This makes your search for new bartenders or other team members a lot simpler.
Flexible staffing solutions for your bartending needs
Your staffing agency should be able to step in when your workforce needs change unexpectedly. The right staffing agency for you can supply bartenders on a part-time or temporary basis, whether it’s for a one-night event, an entire season or even longer. With their support, you can rest assured that your staffing needs are always taken care of.
Customized event and hospitality staffing plans
No two hospitality companies are alike, whether it’s a hotel, resort, conference center or event venue. Staffing agencies that specialize in hospitality hiring work closely with you to create a customized staffing plan based on your specific needs. This highly detailed approach accounts for a variety of factors, including your location, services, schedules and more.
Support with safety and compliance efforts
Partnering with a staffing company for bartender staffing ensures compliance with local and federal laws, minimizing the risk of misclassification and legal issues. Their expertise in employment regulations guarantees that all the bartenders they provide are properly classified and meet legal requirements. This level of support can help protect your business from liability.
PeopleReady is your answer for hospitality staffing solutions
PeopleReady offers hospitality staffing solutions for your front of house staffing or back of house staffing needs. With local teams in hundreds of markets across the U.S., we can provide you with a W-2 workforce that includes hospitality and event workers for a wide variety of roles:
- Front of house staffing: Concierges, front desk attendants, bartenders, concession workers, parking attendants, ushers
- Back of house staffing: Dishwashers, chefs, food runners, line cooks and prep cooks
- Facility services staffing: Groundskeepers, janitors, cleaning crew members, housekeepers, laundry attendants
- And other hospitality staffing services!
Our team of staffing experts will work with you to develop a staffing plan that’s customized to meet your company’s specific needs. Meanwhile, our JobStack app along with our dedicated support team can help you fill jobs, even outside of regular business hours.
