How to hire a banquet waiter/waitress

How to hire a banquet waiter/waitress, step by step

Here's a step-by-step banquet waiter/waitress hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a banquet waiter/waitress job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new banquet waiter/waitress
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the banquet waiter/waitress you need to hire. Certain banquet waiter/waitress roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A banquet waiter/waitress's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, banquet waiter/waitresses from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of banquet waiter/waitresses.

   Type of Banquet Waiter/Waitress	Description	Hourly rate
   Banquet Waiter/Waitress	Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments.	$9-17
   Server Manager	As the name entails, server managers are responsible for managing and overseeing the serving areas in restaurants. This role is associated with several tasks, including checking the appearance of servers, checking a server's knowledge of the restaurant's daily specials and menu items, and greeting the customers... Show more	$11-77
   Server And Hostess	A server and hostess is an employee who plays the dual role of both a hostess and a server. As implied by this, a server and hostess is in-charge of welcoming guests as they enter the restaurant, ensuring that the guests' tables are ready before leading them to their assigned tables, handing over the menu, and waiting for the guests to finalize their order... Show more	$10-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Handling
   • Cleanliness
   • Customer Service
   • Banquet Events
   • Food Service
   • Buffets
   • Food Preparation
   • Wedding Receptions
   • Banquet Rooms
   • Dinner Service
   • Exceptional Dining
   • Fine Dining
   • Alcoholic Beverages
   • Meeting Rooms

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Set up, work in, and manage the private room events as both bartender and waiter.
   • Start bartending for a short period of time here as well.
   • Maintain cleanliness of work area (before, during, and end of work period).
   • Specialize in individual service techniques including French, Russian, family style, buffets and plait.
   • Set up and tear down all cater functions, such as wedding, conferences and buffets.
   • Recommend and present numerous champagne and wine selections while providing excellent bottle service.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your banquet waiter/waitress job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A banquet waiter/waitress can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, banquet waiter/waitresses' average salary in tennessee is 52% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level banquet waiter/waitresses 46% less than senior-level banquet waiter/waitresses.
   • Certifications. A banquet waiter/waitress with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a banquet waiter/waitress's salary.

   Average banquet waiter/waitress salary

   $13.17hourly

   $27,386 yearly

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   Entry-level banquet waiter/waitress salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

4. Writing a banquet waiter/waitress job description

   A banquet waiter/waitress job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a banquet waiter/waitress job description:

   Banquet waiter/waitress job description example

   Job DescriptionMain Responsibilities of a Waiter/Waitress:
   Taking orders and delivering food and beverages.
   Helping guests with menu recommendations.
   Providing exceptional customer experience.
   Waiter/Waitress Job Description:
   Our restaurant is looking for a waiter/waitress with remarkable hard skills and engaging people skills.
   The right person for this job should be able to multitask food and beverage orders and deliveries, but not only that. Our restaurant prides itself in providing excellent service, which is why we are looking for a waiter/waitress who will treat our guests with attentiveness, patience, and a positive attitude.
   The responsibilities of a waiter/waitress in our restaurant are to greet guests, seat them down, help them with menu recommendations, take and deliver orders (carry trays), and clear tables. All our waiters/waitresses are also responsible for handling cash and credit card transactions.
   To help our restaurant provide a pleasurable dining experience, a good waiter/waitress should be able to ensure that our guests are fully satisfied by being friendly, courteous, accommodating, and reliable. A suitable candidate for the job should also be a problem-solver and a team player.
   Responsibilities of a Waiter/Waitress:
   Greeting, seating, and escorting guests.
   Providing menu recommendations and additional information.
   Upselling additional products when appropriate.
   Checking ID's to prevent minors from ordering alcoholic beverages.
   Taking orders using software, order slips, or by memorization.
   Communicating order details to the kitchen staff.
   Delivering food and beverages in a timely fashion.
   Delivering checks and collecting bill payments.
   Cleaning and maintaining the appearance of tables and tableware.
   Providing exceptional customer experience.
   Waiter/Waitress Job Requirements:
   Must have prior experience as a waiter/waitress.
   Must showcase teamwork and communication skills.
   Must be able to handle money transactions responsibly.
   Must be able to multitask and act quickly.
   Must be flexible and ready to work in shifts.
   Must carry at least a high school diploma.Company Introduction

   Since 1958, IHOP® has been the place where people connect over breakfast, enjoy study breaks, grab a bite before or after sporting events, and so much more. And no matter what menu items they order, there’s one ingredient that’s always constant — a smile. We’ve seen millions of smiles over the years in our restaurants, and now shared in photos across our social properties. In fact, smiles are so much a part of our culture that we changed our logo to include one. This is just one of the many fun and exciting changes you can expect from IHOP® Because we know the shortest distance between two people is a smile.

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5. Post your job

   To find banquet waiter/waitresses for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any banquet waiter/waitresses they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level banquet waiter/waitresses with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your banquet waiter/waitress job on Zippia to find and recruit banquet waiter/waitress candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit banquet waiter/waitresses, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new banquet waiter/waitress

   Once you have selected a candidate for the banquet waiter/waitress position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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