A good owner knows that the best way to success is finding trustworthy, reliable employees who you can leave to it while you play a round of golf. Bartending is an art, but so is hiring bartenders. While finding the perfect bartender might rely on what kind of bar you have, your current team culture, or simply finding somebody who fits the schedule you need, a lot of qualified candidates will have similar skills on their resumes. Here are 3 (and a bonus!) to look for when reviewing applications.
- Memory Skills
A good memory goes a long way in the bartending business, and a committed barkeep knows how to leverage it to his or her advantage. It’s obvious how a good memory can help from a mixing standpoint- recalling proportions, directions, and whatnot- a good memory might be more important from a customer relations standpoint.
The bartender wears many hats in their duty beyond mixologist. They’ll have to play wingman for a group of men on one side of the bar, and then need to play psychologist for the man at the other end. Remembering tiny details that come up in each conversation makes it easier to play those roles.
And while the conversations might end at the end of the night, relationships developed with patrons don’t. Customers like to feel like something more than just a tab in the eyes of the bartender, and remembering names, stories, and conversations for when they come back helps dismiss any doubts.
2. Stress Management
Have you ever tried dealing with drunk people? They’re basically children the size of full-grown adults. It’s not easy.
And while a bartending might not need to take on the truly difficult parts of playing babysitter, keeping a cool head through frustrating interactions helps keep situations from escalating and letting everybody enjoy their night out. Ultimately, remaining calm in the stressful situations of bartending helps avoid mistakes when it comes to pouring, money handling, and customer interactions.
3. Upselling
Now we’re really getting into what’s going to make you money. We’ve wrote about what it takes to be a good upseller in the past, but somebody coming in with experience is better than having to teach it to somebody new.
Recognizing experience of successfully getting customers to splurge a little extra on a service or product will ultimately lead to better profit margins once they get behind the bar and start upselling to patrons.
4. Bonus: Free Pouring
While far from a requirement on bartending resumes, free pouring is a giant bonus from prospective new workers. Free pouring, or the ability to pour accurate drinks without measuring tools, allows bartenders to work faster and serve more patrons as they work through orders.
As a bonus to the bonus, it’s a talent that takes a lot of time and practice to perfect, so an experienced free pourer is a sign of a bartender who really enjoys what they do.
Looking for even more great new additions behind your bar? Check out our product list to find Bloody Mary seasonings, Margarita mixes, and more!
