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How to hire a dining car server

Dining car server hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring dining car servers in the United States:

  • There are currently 957,425 dining car servers in the US, as well as 89,453 job openings.
  • Dining car servers are in the highest demand in Godfrey, IL, with 6 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire a dining car server is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new dining car server to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a dining car server, step by step

To hire a dining car server, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a dining car server:

Here's a step-by-step dining car 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 dining car server job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new dining car server
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the dining car server you need to hire. Certain dining car server 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?

    Hiring the perfect dining car server also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    The following list breaks down different types of dining car servers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Dining Car ServerDescriptionHourly rate
    Dining Car ServerWaiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments.$9-16
    WaitstaffThe waitstaff takes responsibility for tasks like recommending dishes based on the tastes and preferences of guests, accepting payments, and taking orders. Waitstaff delivers food to tables, ensures outstanding guest experience, and accepts payments... Show more$9-15
    Food RunnerFood Runners are responsible for assisting waitstaff on serving customers at a restaurant or similar establishment. Among their duties include maintaining cleanliness in particular areas, setting tables, refilling drinks, assisting customers with everything that they need, and coordinating with the workforce in and out of the kitchen... Show more$8-16
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Exceptional Dining
    • Fine Dining
    • Meal Service
    • Genuine Hospitality
    • Customer Service
    • Bus Tables
    • Reset Tables
    • Cleanliness
    • Retirement Community
    • Quality Service
    • Wine
    • Food Handling
    • Food Preparation
    • POS
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage POS systems, cash register processes and packing food.
    • Demonstrate knowledge of each culinary dish, from farm to table.
    • Maintain cleanliness and conditional issues for the front and back of the house.
    • Communicate to the kitchen additional requirements, allergies, dietary needs, and special requests for meals.
    • Provide guests of internationally acclaim Japanese fusion restaurant with exceptional service and culinary expertise.
    • Provide guests with an excellent dining experience by asking questions about allergies or preferences and initiating conversation for customer confidence.
  3. Make a budget

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

    • Location. For example, dining car servers' average salary in oklahoma is 46% less than in district of columbia.
    • Seniority. Entry-level dining car servers 41% less than senior-level dining car servers.
    • Certifications. A dining car 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 dining car server's salary.

    Average dining car server salary

    $12.80hourly

    $26,623 yearly

    Entry-level dining car server salary
    $20,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 18, 2025
  4. Writing a dining car server job description

    A job description for a dining car 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 dining car server job description:

    Dining car server job description example

    Job DescriptionOverview
    "It makes me feel good knowing that we make the residents’ lives better. We laugh with them, cry with them, sing and dance with them – we brighten their day. Working here is an unbelievable privilege and it will be something I carry with me for the rest of my life!"

    - Sunrise Team Member
    At Sunrise, our Dining Room Care Manager is responsible for providing dining and table services to residents in the community’s dining rooms and designated areas in accordance with Sunrise Senior Living standards.
    Responsibilities
    Full Time 30hrs. Must be flexible with AM/PM shifts.Weekends required. Covid Vaccine and Booster required. Responsibilities:
    - Serving as a role model in providing dining service to our residence
    - Assisting with training team members
    - Maintaining proper dining room set up
    - Assisting in special events
    - Monitoring appropriate checklists in support of the dining area cleanliness, readiness, standards
    - Assisting in table top inventories maintenance
    - Responsible for handling all food and beverages in accordance with sanitary procedures and standards
    - Ensure compliance with all federal, state and local regulatory procedures regarding food service Qualifications:
    - High School diploma preferred / GED accepted
    - Minimum of one (1) year experience in fine dining hospitality and/or full service senior living
    - Ability to handle multiple priorities
    - Possess written and verbal skills for effective communication
    - Competent in organizational, time management skills
    - Demonstrates good judgment, problem solving and decision making skills

    Sunrise considers the health and safety of its residents, family members, and team members as its highest priorities. All offers of employment with Sunrise are conditioned on completing and passing a background and drug test, participating in mandatory vaccine programs (e.g., Covid-19), participating in testing requirements (e.g. Covid-19, TB) and using designated PPE when required.

    Sunrise Senior Living offers a comprehensive benefits plan to eligible team members including health, dental, vision, retirement benefits, short-term disability, long-term disability, and paid time off. Team members may also be eligible to receive a bonus based on their position. Some leadership roles are eligible to receive annual bonuses. All team members have the potential to receive spot bonuses and other incentive awards.


    Qualifications

    Sunrise Senior Living has championed quality of life in senior care for more than 30 years. We believe team members are our greatest resource and are looking for people who share our commitment to provide quality care for seniors and their families. It's no surprise that many of the world's leading experts in Senior Living entrust their career to Sunrise.

    At Sunrise, you will…

    Make a Difference Every Day
    We are passionate about our mission — to champion quality of life for all seniors. We deliver high-quality care with a personal touch and encourage our residents to enjoy life to the fullest.

    Be Part of a Uniquely Supportive Community
    The care-focused environment we create for residents extends to our team members. We offer programs, rewards, and benefits to help you live your best.

    Ignite Your Potential
    We believe potential has no limits. We offer best-in-class leadership development programs designed to grow our leaders. We are committed to helping our team members achieve their career goals.

    Sunrise Senior Living was again named as one of the Best Workplaces in Aging Services™ by Fortune and certified as a Great Place to Work® by Activated Insights. This is the 5th time Sunrise has received this top culture and workplace designation, highlighting the special place Sunrise is to be a part of.

    Apply today to learn why Sunrise Senior Living is a certified Great Place to Work ®

  5. Post your job

    To find dining car servers 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 dining car servers they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level dining car servers 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 dining car server job on Zippia to find and recruit dining car server candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting dining car servers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    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 dining car server

    Once you have selected a candidate for the dining car server 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.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new dining car server. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  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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How much does it cost to hire a dining car server?

Hiring a dining car server comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting dining car servers involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of dining car server recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

Dining car servers earn a median yearly salary is $26,623 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find dining car servers for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $9 and $16.

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