How to hire a beverage server

How to hire a beverage server, step by step

Here's a step-by-step beverage server hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The beverage server hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A beverage server's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, beverage servers 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.

   Here's a comparison of beverage server salaries for various roles:

   Type of Beverage Server	Description	Hourly rate
   Beverage Server	Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments.	$9-15
   Bartender	A bartender is an expert in mixing and serving alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, either directly to customers at the bar or through waitstaff who place drink orders for dine-in or room customers. Bartenders should have a wide range of knowledge of drink recipes and be able to assess customers' needs and preferences to make recommendations... Show more	$7-20
   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:

   • Drink Orders
   • Guest Service
   • Beverage Orders
   • Exceptional Guest
   • Guest Satisfaction
   • Professional Appearance
   • Wine
   • Bartenders
   • Customer Service
   • Cleanliness
   • Cash Handling
   • POS
   • Casino Guests
   • BARS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Open and close the register, provide credit card and cash reports, and batches on POS.
   • Learned more about different liquor, cocktails and wine, drink mixes and special drink of the month.
   • Work with large amounts of cash as well as credit cards, and knowledge of the POS system.
   • Present menus to guest, answer and give information about menu items such as wine selections to pair with meal.
   • Maintain cleanliness in assign section utilizing a silent service approach.
   • Supervise daily operations to ensure food safety, product preparation, cleanliness standards are maintain.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, beverage servers' average salary in oklahoma is 49% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level beverage servers 39% less than senior-level beverage servers.
   • Certifications. A beverage server 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 beverage server's salary.

   Average beverage server salary

   $12.45hourly

   $25,886 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level beverage server salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

4. Writing a beverage server job description

   A job description for a beverage server role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a beverage server job description:

   Beverage server job description example

   The Beverage Server strive to provide the guest with the perfect guest experience every time. To promote the restaurant and featured items and be knowledgeable about activities in other outlets. To serve is to sell and to sell is to serve.
   Job Description
   Key Job FunctionsComply with all occupational health and safety standards Maintain established service standards Correctly prepare and present checks Opening, closing and side duties as per restaurant systems Ongoing cleanliness Clear tables Personal preparation - Be on time (arrive 10 min before shift), be in correct, clean uniform and be prepared to work Instruct guests on payment procedures Run food and drinks Attend staff meetings/training sessions as scheduled
   Deliver Passionate & Engaging Service to our GuestsYou will be passionate and truly engaged in taking care of our guests, recognizing individual guests and anticipating their unique needs in order to exceed their expectations You will consistently deliver our GUEST model:Greet or welcome everyone, warmly with a smile Use eye and ear contact and guest's name Establish/anticipate needs Solve and own all requests/complaints Thank everyone Build solid relationship with your ColleagueTreat colleagues with respect and dignity Balance team and individual responsibilities; Exhibit objectivity and openness to others' views; Give and welcomes feedback; Contribute to building a positive team spirit; Put success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Support everyone's efforts to succeed Treat people with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Work with integrity and ethically; Uphold organizational values.Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. The employee is expected to work in other areas of the hotel when needed to assist operations to perform job duties not necessarily contained in this job description.
   
   Qualifications and Skills
   
   A candidate for this position must possess the following applicable knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to demonstrate and provide applicable examples to support his/her competency.
   
   Track record of delivering exceptional guest or client experience Communication skills are utilized a significant amount of time for training and safety purposes, and when interacting with guests and associates.Strong communication skills Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions.Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Responds to requests for service and assistance.Appropriate professional appearance and demeanor MICROS - Food & Beverage POS System a plus Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs Louisiana Responsible Vendor's Permit required
   
   Education and/or Experience
   High school diploma or general education degree (GED); or one to three months related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
   
   Physical Demands
   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
   
   Work Environment
   The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.
   
   Additional Job Description
   
   Benefits
   
   Sonesta recognizes that benefits play a vital role in helping ensure the health and financial security of employees and their families. We offer a variety of benefits to our employees including:
   
   Medical, Dental and Vision InsuranceHealth Savings Account with Company Match 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company MatchPaid Vacation and Sick DaysSonesta Hotel DiscountsEducational AssistancePaid Parental LeaveCompany Paid Life InsuranceCompany Paid Short Term and Long Term Disability InsuranceVarious Employee Perks and Discounts
   
   Upon submitting your application, please ensure you complete a full application in addition to attaching a resume. Incomplete applications received will not be considered.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find beverage servers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your beverage server job on Zippia to find and recruit beverage server candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit beverage servers, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 beverage server

   Once you've decided on a perfect beverage server candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new beverage server. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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