Use Mystery Applicants to Improve Restaurant Hiring

Hiring the best should be first and foremost on everyone’s mind for the good of your operation. So train your managers with the best techniques for recruiting and interviewing quality employees. Then, test their skills by hiring “Mystery Applicants” to help you see where the problems are.

You’re probably familiar with the idea of a “Mystery Shopper” program to evaluate customer service. A “Mystery Applicant” is basically the same idea. Setting up interviewees to evaluate the interviewing skills of other managers will help you identify the weak spots in your operation’s hiring chain. Shifty? Well, maybe… but keep in mind that you’re evaluating interviewers to identify where there’s a need for further training — not to get someone in trouble. And, by all means, tell your hirers that you may eventually send a Mystery Applicant their way just to see that they’ve retained and are using their training.

Begin by soliciting the help of people about the same age and personality type as your typical employee. Consider contacting a temporary agency — be sure to describe in detail what you’re trying to do! Some restaurateurs have even contacted talent agencies for Mystery Applicants — aspiring actors will obviously be great at pretending to be someone they’re not!

Excerpted from Turn the Tables on Turnover: 52 Ways to Find, Hire, and Keep the Best Hospitality Employees. Click here to read more from this innovative, results-oriented restaurant management book.