How to hire an informal waiter/waitress

How to hire an informal waiter/waitress, step by step

Here's a step-by-step informal 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 an informal waiter/waitress job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new informal waiter/waitress
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an informal waiter/waitress do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The informal waiter/waitress 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an informal waiter/waitress to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an informal waiter/waitress that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of informal waiter/waitress salaries for various roles:

   Type of Informal Waiter/Waitress	Description	Hourly rate
   Informal Waiter/Waitress	Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments.	$7-17
   Food Runner	Food 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
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Beverage Orders
   • Waiter
   • Customer Service
   • Food Service
   • Fine Dining
   • Wine
   • Clean Tables
   • Food Preparation
   • Bartending
   • POS
   • Food Orders
   • Allergies
   • Drink Orders
   • Customer Complaints

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Train in bartending duties, knowledgeable of preparation of alcoholic beverages.
   • Request and record customer orders, and totale orders using the POS system.
   • Help bartending when staff are short.
   • Fix POS computers, printers, and credit card systems above and beyond job responsibilities.
   • Start as a busboy and are quickly promote to a waiter when a spot are made available.
   • Develop relationships with regular patrons; develop an understanding of their personal needs and expectations, including preferences and food allergies.

   More informal waiter/waitress duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your informal waiter/waitress job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An informal waiter/waitress salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, informal waiter/waitresses' average salary in oklahoma is 46% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level informal waiter/waitresses earn 56% less than senior-level informal waiter/waitresses.
   • Certifications. An informal waiter/waitress with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an informal waiter/waitress's salary.

   Average informal waiter/waitress salary

   $11.71hourly

   $24,354 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level informal waiter/waitress salary

   $16,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average informal waiter/waitress salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$34,674	$17
   2	Massachusetts	$27,859	$13
   3	Colorado	$27,561	$13
   4	California	$27,552	$13
   5	Michigan	$25,007	$12
   6	Idaho	$24,925	$12
   7	Texas	$23,769	$11
   8	Missouri	$23,605	$11
   9	Florida	$22,934	$11
   10	Illinois	$22,667	$11
   11	Ohio	$21,056	$10
   12	Virginia	$21,009	$10
   13	South Carolina	$20,939	$10
   14	Nebraska	$20,546	$10
   15	North Carolina	$20,325	$10
   16	Georgia	$20,320	$10

   Average informal waiter/waitress salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Aspen Snowmass	$39,150	$18.82
   2	Hyatt Hotels	$30,831	$14.82
   3	Compass Group USA	$30,520	$14.67	289
   4	Unidine	$28,290	$13.60	47
   5	Macy's	$28,203	$13.56	2
   6	Stafford Elementary School	$27,962	$13.44
   7	St. Andrews Country Club	$27,570	$13.25
   8	Brandywine Living	$27,155	$13.06
   9	Old Chicago	$27,136	$13.05
   10	Randstad North America, Inc.	$26,199	$12.60
   11	Bloomingdale's	$25,958	$12.48	12
   12	Lake Shore Country Club	$25,946	$12.47
   13	Frisch's Big Boy	$25,858	$12.43
   14	The Sea Pines Resort	$25,142	$12.09
   15	Morrison	$25,018	$12.03	44
   16	St. Regis Aspen Resort	$24,998	$12.02
   17	Hyatt Regency Dallas	$24,994	$12.02
   18	M R Co	$24,951	$12.00
   19	R.M. Schulte & Associates	$24,742	$11.90
   20	Hilton	$24,322	$11.69

4. Writing an informal waiter/waitress job description

   An informal 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. To help get you started, here's an example of an informal waiter/waitress job description:

   Informal waiter/waitress job description example

   This serving position earns a competitive wage starting at $2.13 per hour plus tips and then increases to $2.50 per hour plus tips after four months. Some shifts offer $7.25 per hour plus tips depending on the schedule. We provide great benefits , including medical, dental, vision, and paid vacation time for full-time team members . We are also providing our team with a new discount program that offers discounts on travel, gyms, cell phones, restaurants, auto purchases, apparel, and electronics . Additionally, our team members get free shift meals . If this sounds like the right full- or part-time food service opportunity for you, apply today!

   
   

   ABOUT IHOP

   Since 1958, IHOP has been the place where people can connect over breakfast, enjoy study breaks, grab a bite to eat before or after sporting events, and so much more. No matter what menu items our customers order, one ingredient is always a constant - a smile. In fact, smiles are so much a part of our culture that we changed our logo to include one. We know the shortest distance between two people is a smile. Our values of integrity, excellence, innovation, accountability, inclusion, trust, and community are ingrained in everything that we do, ensuring our customers always receive the highest quality of service.

   When you work for IHOP restaurants, we encourage you to "be the pancake you wish to see in the world." Our team members are more than just traditional employees. They help create smiles for the future with their warm and friendly service. To show our appreciation for all the hard work that our employees do, we promote a supportive work environment that encourages building lifelong friendships and offers opportunities for professional growth .

   
   

   A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SERVER / WAITER / WAITRESS

   In this food service position, you play a huge part in the experience each customer has at our restaurant! As guests come in you warmly greet them, promptly take orders, and follow up to ensure exceptional customer service. Your awareness serves you well as you refill drinks and clear dishes at appropriate times. In addition to serving-related tasks, you perform other responsibilities like cleaning and presetting tables, stocking, and practicing superior cash handling standards when collecting payments.

   Your problem-solving skills come in handy when you need to rectify guest complaints, and you always promptly notify the management of these situations. Whether you're interacting with customers or coworkers, you always behave in a professional manner and follow uniform guidelines. Overall, you love working with lots of different people and having the opportunity to be an important part of the team !

   
   

   QUALIFICATIONS FOR A SERVER / WAITER / WAITRESS

   • Ability to be on your feet for long periods of time and lift up to 25 lbs.
   • Exceptional customer service skills

   Experience with computers is preferred but is not required. Are you adaptable and able to work well under pressure? Can you effectively prioritize multiple tasks? Do you have solid interpersonal and communication skills? Can you represent our company in a professional manner? Are you service-oriented? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment? Are you a team player and willing to help out wherever you're needed? If yes, you might just be perfect for this full- or part-time food service position!

   
   

   WORK SCHEDULE FOR A SERVER / WAITER / WAITRESS

   This serving position is full- or part-time and works a varied and flexible work schedule.

   
   

   ARE YOU READY TO JOIN OUR RESTAURANT SERVING TEAM?

   If you feel that you have the right serving skills for this full- or part-time food service job with our restaurant, please fill out our initial 3-minute, mobile-friendly application . We look forward to meeting you!

   Location: 30720

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right informal waiter/waitress for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with informal waiter/waitresses they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit informal waiter/waitresses who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting informal waiter/waitresses 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 informal waiter/waitress

   Once you've selected the best informal waiter/waitress candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new informal waiter/waitress. 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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