These questions are written for hiring a front of house manager specifically. Each one includes what you learn from asking it and what a strong answer sounds like.
1. Walk me through your ideal pre-shift meeting.
Why ask it: Shows how the candidate prepares the team.
A strong answer: Covers reservations, specials, 86'd items, goals, and a quick service reminder, in a few minutes.
2. How do you manage seating when the host stand is overwhelmed?
Why ask it: Floor strategy and teamwork.
A strong answer: Steps in, balances sections, manages wait expectations, and communicates with the kitchen about pacing.
3. A guest wants a table that is reserved by someone else. What do you say?
Why ask it: Handling expectations diplomatically.
A strong answer: Explains kindly, offers the best available alternative, and uses tact without giving in to every demand.
4. How do you coach a server with strong sales but poor attitude?
Why ask it: Balancing performance and culture.
A strong answer: Gives specific feedback, sets clear expectations, and ties behavior to team and guest impact.
5. Tell me about a time you turned a bad guest experience into a positive one.
Why ask it: Service recovery expertise.
A strong answer: Describes listening, taking ownership, offering a fair fix, and following up.
6. How do you work with the kitchen to avoid timing problems?
Why ask it: FOH and BOH partnership.
A strong answer: Communicates in real time, respects the line, and uses pacing and seating strategies.
7. How do you evaluate whether service standards are being met?
Why ask it: Quality control.
A strong answer: Walks the floor, observes service steps, reviews feedback, and uses mystery visits or checklists.
8. What is your approach to hiring servers?
Why ask it: Hiring quality.
A strong answer: Looks for attitude and teamwork first, uses practical interview questions, and arranges trail shifts.
9. How do you handle a no-show on a busy night?
Why ask it: Problem solving.
A strong answer: Calls available staff, adjusts sections, and tells the team clearly what is changing.
10. What would you do if you saw a server giving away free drinks without approval?
Why ask it: Integrity and loss prevention.
A strong answer: Addresses it privately, reviews the policy, and follows disciplinary steps if it continues.
11. How do you build loyalty with regular guests?
Why ask it: Hospitality and revenue.
A strong answer: Learns names and preferences, trains staff to do the same, and uses notes in the reservation system.
12. How do you stay calm when everything goes wrong at once?
Why ask it: Composure under pressure.
A strong answer: Prioritizes, communicates, delegates, and keeps their tone steady for the team.