Job Interview Questions for Bar Staff

One of the most commonly sought-after jobs is working in a bar.

Why? Two reasons. One, many students will apply for part-time bar work to gain an income while studying.

The second reason is that many career professionals use a bar job to move into bar management work.

This article won’t discuss managerial job interview questions, instead, the post will focus on the answers required for passing a bartender position.

First job applicants need to understand that bar manager’s, when recruiting new staff, look at personality and skills more than experience and academic qualifications. Having a previous bartender or customer service is an advantage, as interview answers can highlight skills and qualities through sharing experiences. 

Employers require the following skills when hiring new staff. It is these skills that need to be referenced throughout all job interview answers:

• Rapport building for customer service skills
• Working under pressure or in a busy environment
• Trustworthiness due to cash handling
• Knowledge of drinks, cocktails, and bar technical terms
• Communication – a key skill for teamwork and customer service
• Ability to deescalate situations for when a customer become drunk
• Punctual due to staff shift changes
• Numeracy skills for handling cash and tilling up at the end of a shift

Generally speaking, bartender interviews are fairly relaxed.

The interview style is a mix between a structured interview and an informal interview, with several set questions but often ad-hoc questions depending on where the job interview naturally leads to.

Employers try to create a relaxed atmosphere, putting applicants at ease by initially asking none-interview questions about their journey to the interview or what they are studying at University.

In short, as long as interview questions are delivered confidently and relate to the required skills, applicants will do well.

Job Interview Question 1: What is your bar staff experience?

• Discuss any direct bar-tender experience – state the number of bars you have worked in and the collective number of years in the industry. Explain the types of bars and give an overview of past tasks.
• If you haven’t got bar work experience, discuss any customer service roles. Explain how the skills gained from working in customer service will transfer to working in a bar. detail any duties (serving customers, cashing up, etc) that are required in the position you are applying for.
• When you have no work experience, detail your skills and qualities. To give examples use activities or clubs at school or university.

Job Interview Question 2: Explain what customer service means to you?

• Explain how keeping a customer happy increases repeat business increasing profits.
• State how you possess excellent customer service skills and give an example of your customer service skills.
• In the example explain the situation -may be a customer was angry because they received the wrong drink. Give a step-by-step explanation of what you did to make the angry customer happy.

Job Interview Question 3: Which cocktails can you make?

• If you are an experienced cocktail bartender, state with confidence how you excel in making cocktails. Link this to a previous position (to show relevance) and list the cocktails you can make.
• If you don’t have cocktail-making skills. Explain how this is something you want to master. Talk about cocktails and discuss any relevant knowledge IE key ingredients, popular cocktail choices, etc

Job Interview Question 4: How would you deal with a customer who was drunk and demanding more drinks?

• Examples work best for situational interview questions. Detail the situation and what actions you took to deal with the drunken customer.
• For anyone without direct experience, simply explain what you would do. Include: remaining calm, informing your manager, calming the customer down, refusing drinks politely.

Job Interview Question 5: How would you promote deals?

• Explain that you use a 3 step process:
• Step 1 – build rapport by welcoming the customer to the bar and taking the drink order
• Step 2 – explain the deal highlight the benefit (cost, exclusivity, taste, freebies)
• Step 3 – if a customer is reluctant offer a small sample as the increases purchases of the deal

Job Interview Question 6: Give me an example of teamwork?

• Start the answer by confidently confirming that you are a team player ‘In all my previous roles I have worked within a team..’
• State the example by explaining a task the team had to complete
• Discuss your role within a team (leader, action taker) and how you supported other team members
• Finally, give the outcome to the team task

Job Interview Question 7: What different ales do you know?

• Prior to the job interview research different drink brands
• In the job interview list the drinks by sorting these into categories: pale ales, American wheat bears, etc) as this gives the answer a logical sequence
• End by talking about your favourite drink