The Top 25 Culture Fit Interview Questions For Restaurants

Identifying culture fit interview questions is critical in the restaurant industry of today. Not only are restaurants struggling to find and retain qualified candidates, but patrons' expectations are higher than ever. The result is a competitive hiring market that forces restaurant owners and hiring managers to focus their efforts.

Thankfully, you've come to the right place. 

This article will analyze company culture, and the top 25 culture fit interview questions, and more! We'll cover:

• What is company culture?
• Why is company culture influential in restaurants?
• What are some tips for hiring culture fits?
• What are some great culture-fit interview questions for restaurants?
• What are some other tips to streamline my restaurant hiring process?

Let's get started.

What is company culture?

Company culture, also commonly referred to as workplace culture, corporate culture, or organizational culture, can be defined as the pivotal aspect of any effectively functioning business that includes all the behaviors and attitudes within the company and its employees.

Ideally, the company culture should be evident in various aspects of the business, including:

• The decisions they make
• The values they hold
• The way they interact with one another
• The way they interact with customers

What makes up company culture?

Not surprisingly, company culture consists of various moving pieces, some of which might include pivotal aspects of the business, such as:

• Goals
• Expectations
• Ethics
• Values
• Leadership style
• Company mission
• Working environment

Why is company culture important in restaurants?

Company culture is critical for all businesses, especially restaurants, because when the employees' needs and values align with employers, the employees are more likely to enjoy the work they do daily. This increases retention in an industry with notably high turnover rates.
‍
If they are a culture fit, a restaurant employee is more likely to build better relationships with coworkers and ultimately be more productive when they work within an organization whose culture is a good fit with their own.

For restaurant owners, company culture is equally important in helping reduce turnaround and costs associated with training new hires. When a restaurant employee is a good fit with the company culture, they will not only be happier at work but will also be more productive.

What are some tips for hiring culture fits?

Building a strong and meaningful company culture within your restaurant requires you to improve on how your employees treat others, how they behave, what they say, and what they do while representing the company on and off the clock.

Here are some tips for hiring culture fits and beginning to develop your restaurant's culture:

• Make sure your restaurant culture is clearly defined in your employee handbook
• Lay the foundation with clearly refind vision and mission statements
• Address your organizational strategy at all levels
• Emphasize ethics as an underlying principle
• Express the value of your scheduling practices and their impact on culture

‍

What are culture fit interview questions for restaurants?

Culture fit interview questions are an effective way to focus your hiring efforts to begin developing and nurturing your company culture, which is essential in a cohesive restaurant environment where attentiveness to guests and demonstrations of teamwork is necessary.

Here are the top 25 culture fit interview questions for restaurants:

1. What is the last book you read or podcast you listened to?
2. Who inspires you?
3. Which of our company values resonates most with you?
4. Why do you want to work at this restaurant?
5. What motivates you?
6. What is your approach to solving issues at work?
7. How would a coworker describe you?
8. What is a common misconception about you?
9. How do you like to receive feedback about your performance?
10. What are your expectations from your management team?
11. How do you handle stress?
12. What does the ideal working restaurant environment look like for you?
13. What would you do to prevent a herd of cattle from stampeding through the restaurant?
14. Can you tell me about a time when you went out of your way to exceed expectations?
15. What is the biggest challenge you faced in your previous restaurant?
16. What management styles do you think you work best with?
17. What management styles make you unhappy to work under?
18. How important is work-life balance to you?
19. What are some of your hobbies or things you like to do outside of work?
20. What are the personality traits you like to see in coworkers?
21. What are the personality traits you prefer not to see in coworkers?
22. Can you tell me about a time when you and a coworker had opposing views?
23. Do you think that you work more effectively on a team or independently?
24. Can you tell me about a time when you overcame a challenging situation?
25. What's the biggest lesson you learned from your last working position?

What are some other tips to streamline my restaurant hiring process?

There are a few key ways to ensure you are hiring right when it comes to finding culture fits. 

First, be sure to have a detailed and well-thought-out server job description. This will help align you and your candidates on expectations and overall vibe. 

Next, to streamline your restaurant hiring process, consider HR management software, like Push Operations. With tools like this, you can set out on the right track from the beginning by setting up your applicant tracking system to find targeted candidates.

You can also leverage this software to monitor your applicants' interview responses, putting you one step closer to hiring the right fit sooner with customizable interview monitoring templates.