Top Traits To Look For In A Catering Staff

It’s 2020 and you want your business booming! You want to ensure you have the best event catering staff for your event. Your catering team should be #1 in your eyes, well-versed in the catering & hospitality industry, be professional, flexible, and of course incredibly personable! 

These traits should never be overlooked or compromised. All catering companies should be held to higher standards when it comes to their waitstaff and all of their service staff in general. 

Here are some of the top traits to look for in event catering staff when hiring for your upcoming event.

Dedication

Because your clients’ events might be larger than others, having team members who are dedicated, honest, reliable, and have great communication skills, is incredibly important. You need an event staff that acknowledges their roles and understands that there is no room for lack of communication, especially when it comes to time and attendance. You need to be able to trust that your staff will behave professionally and respectfully.

Experience

With many moving pieces during an event, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. You want the wait staff on your team to have past experience in the hospitality industry. They should be flexible and versatile, can easily switch from one role to the next, be quick on their toes, and handle any situation smoothly. Leadership skills are a plus here since they may need to handle or diffuse a situation. 

It is always a great idea to hire staff that will be cross-trained in all aspects of service and willing to jump in when and where needed, whether serving cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, or bussing dirty dishes. 

Confidence

Confidence goes a long way in the catering and hospitality industry. You want to hire event catering staff that isn’t timid, or afraid. You want a staff that is willing to try new things and go the extra mile to help their workmates as well as the client.

Appearance 

You want any waitstaff you hire to be able to represent your catering team accordingly. Professional, attractive, and well dressed. They should have the capacity to understand that when working they need to fit the part. If they have long hair; hair should be swooped up neatly in a pony or bun. Hair should be neatly pushed back away from the face with proper hair products.

Nails and hands should be clean with a neutral polish for ladies. Ladies should wear light, non-exaggerated makeup to look classy and beautiful. Uniforms should be impeccable! Clean, fresh, and pressed. Uniforms should not be faded or with stains or holes. Clothing should be appropriately hemmed and altered to fit just right. Clothing should not be tight or baggy.

Personality

With a catering team, you definitely do not want shy, unmotivated individuals who sit back and watch everyone work or worse hide out in a corner pretending to be busy. You need individuals that are extroverted, excited, and full of energy.

An event staff that is naturally good with small talk,  and who loves interacting with people. They should be polite and be able to put a smile on clients’ faces all while handling catering duties.

Diligence

Catering and hospitality work isn’t easy. Some days are longer than others and can take a lot of hard work and effort.  From starting with set up to dealing with a difficult guest or client during an event, to the clean up at the end. You want a wait staff that will provide the absolute best customer service. A “Do the best I can, in anything I do” attitude is key to first impressions.

Team Player

You want event catering staff that can work well with others as it’s seldom they will be working alone. An event staff needs to communicate and help each other. They should be willing, have leadership skills, and be motivated. You want your catering staff to take initiative, be helpful, and anticipate the next moving piece.

Conclusion

Ultimately you want to be able to feel you have the #1 catering staff and be able to back it up with a professional, well-trained wait staff.  Your catering staff team needs to be excellent at interacting with people while executing a task to the best of their ability. Finally, your catering staff needs to be well-versed in understanding the company and clients’ expectations to create a memorable experience.